McLaren's Lando Norris gave a big thumbs up to several tracks recently added to Formula 1's 2020 schedule, insisting the venues will prove challenging for drivers and engineers.
After tacking on Mugello recently, Liberty Media added the Nürburgring in Germany, Portimão in Portugal and Imola to the sport's calendar earlier this week.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on F1's season, and on the sport's economics, the revamped European-centric schedule has delivered an unexpected change of scenery that most drivers have welcomed.
With the exception of Portimão which Norris has never visited, the McLaren charger is well acquainted with the new venues.
"Imola and Nurburgring are two amazing tracks," Norris told this week.
"Nurburgring is one that I love. I remember watching F1 back in 2007, maybe a little bit later. It’s just a really cool track which I’ve enjoyed driving in several different categories.
"Imola I did in Italian Formula 4, so one that’s quite famous, and I remember watching F1 there too.
©Ferrari
"Mugello I raced in Italian Formula 4 back in 2015. It was really cool. It’s very high speed, medium to high speed corners. No real tight chicanes.
"So I think it will be one of the tracks almost like Austria in some ways, without the big braking zones on top of it, a lot of these high speed, medium speed corners."
The 20-year-old was a little more cautious in terms of Mugello's ability to produce a good race because of the layout's lack of overtaking zones.
"It may not be the best for racing," he admitted. "I don’t know if you’ll probably see any overtakes between Turn 1 and the last corner.
"So I think it’s almost going to be Hungary-esque in some ways. But at the same time it’s an awesome track, so qualifying I think will be incredible."
Norris says a few unknowns linked to the new venues might well challenge and perhaps unsettle teams.
"I think any new track, any track that you just haven’t been to for a while or it’s new to the category that you’re in is exciting," he said.
"It’s just something different from the norm. Everyone [doesn’t] go there knowing exactly what to do set-up-wise and it puts you in a slightly more vulnerable position for every team.
"So it’s kind of more challenging and I think that that’s very exciting."
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