Barcelona seeking FIA approval to scrap chicane for F1

The Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona is seeking an FIA Grade 1 licence from the FIA for an alternative layout that would do away with the chicane located between Turns 13 and 16.

Since 2007, Formula 1 has run at the Spanish venue with a chicane breaking down the speed of cars ahead of the track's final right-hand corner.

But such a configuration has limited overtaking opportunities for drivers down Barcelona's main straight and practically rendered ineffective F1's DRS.

Obtaining an homologation by the FIA of its slightly altered layout would allow series promoters – including Formula 1 - to choose the configuration they wish to use.

"The intention is to homologate the track without the chicane at the beginning of 2023. But the track with the chicane will remain the same," a spokesperson for the Circuit de Catalunya told Dutch website RacingNews365.

"Once the homologation is done, every promoter will be in position to choose in which layout they want to compete (with or without the chicane)."

In recent years, drivers have called on Barcelona to tweak its track layout, insisting the racing could be quickly improved by removing the chicane.

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"The circuit offers pretty poor racing and the races there are always pretty dull," commented George Russell back in 2021.

"On the whole, we think that if the circuit were to return to the last two corners that there were 15 years ago, the two fast corners, you’d actually be able to follow slightly closer, you’d be coming onto the straight at a higher speed, the slipstream effect will be greater all the way down to turn one.

"For the fans, you’re seeing the cars at a much higher speed. For the drivers, you’re going round an incredibly quick corner, which is exciting.

"It’s a win-win. And that’s an easy fix to a circuit that is pretty poor."

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