Wolff suggests removing Mistral chicane to improve Paul Ricard action

Formula 1's issues go deeper than track configurations, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes the action at Paul Ricard could be significantly boosted by opening up the circuit's Mistral straight.

Sunday's French Grand Prix was unanimously described as the worst race of the season, a boring procession that delivered to Lewis Hamilton a 79th career win in F1.

Wolff says Grand Prix racing has become quite track-specific but insists the Circuit Paul Ricard has all the qualities of a great venue. However, perhaps its layout requires a bit tweaking.

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"The tracks play a fundamental role," said the Austrian.

"Paul Ricard has all the ingredients that we need. It's in the south of France, it's glamorous, it’s a fantastic venue. And maybe we just need to have a very long straight rather than a chicane in between to allow for more slipstreaming.

"I believe it will certainly increase the show. For me the principle topic to tackle for the future is how can we have the greatest possible circuit layouts."

Wolff pointed to Baku and Montreal, tracks with long straights, as tracks that delivered entertaining races.

"If we get the rules right for 2021 in terms of aerodynamic efficiency and the turbulence that you create behind the cars and look at some new, exciting sporting regulations, I think these are the ingredients to make a good show," he added.

"But like in football you will have boring matches and you will have exciting matches."

FIA race director Michael Masi is against the idea of a straightforward blast up the Mistral straight, but insisted it would require a very careful assessment of the consequences such a change would entail.

"I think it’s something that we’d have to look at, consider on its merits, have a look at the various data and go from there," said Masi, quoted by RaceFans.net.

"There’s all of the flow-on impacts that might be a great idea at that point but move it down another 500 meters and you might have some consequences that we haven’t considered.

"So at the current point, no, but we’re happy to look at what comes up."

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