Alonso: New Barcelona layout 'more fun to drive'

Fernando Alonso believes that ditching the final chicane at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona should make the Spanish Grand Prix venue "more fun to drive".

In June, Barcelona will host the final leg of a grueling late spring triple-header for F1 on a slightly revised and faster layout homologated by the FIA.

The Turn 14/15 chicane just before the track's final right-hand corner that used to break down the speed of cars has been discarded, mainly because it greatly limited overtaking opportunities for drivers down Barcelona's main straight and practically rendered ineffective F1's DRS.

New TECPRO barriers have been installed at the last two, sweeping right-hand corners while the official length of the Grand Prix track will now be 4.657 kilometres, or 18 metres shorter than the previous configuration.

"I think it’s going to be okay, probably more fun to drive," Alonso said. "It was a corner that I think was too slow for these Formula 1 cars and the size of these cars as well.

"I think it was not really enjoyable to drive, but it remains to be seen if the new layout will help the overtaking, or will help the show in general on the race.

"But I’ve been racing in that layout for a few years, including in Formula 1, so I think it will be more fun to drive and hopefully we put on a good show for everyone."

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Alonso will be looking to carry Aston Martin's strong form into the upcoming stretch of races, starting next week in Azerbaijan, from where teams will move on to Miami a weekend later and to Imola, Monaco and finally Barcelona.

Alonso, a two-time winner of his home race – in 2006 and in 2013, reckons the upcoming period should prove interesting with teams introducing their first big upgrades of the season.

"It seems that qualifying is quite important now, because race pace is very similar and I think now we enter into a part of the season that is going to be very interesting: which team is developing the car faster?" he commented in Australia earlier this month.

"I think the first three races being away from Europe, it’s difficult to bring upgrades and things like that.

"But from now on, maybe we see the level of the teams changing a little bit, race-by-race, depending on who brings an upgrade that is good enough."

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