F1 pundit issues DIRE warning on concerning trend

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Abu Dhabi, 2023 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 pundit issues DIRE warning on concerning trend

Windsor fears Hamilton and Verstappen-like drivers will be no more if the trend continues

Cal Gaunt

Sunday 4 February 2024 18:57

Opinionated Formula 1 journalist Peter Windsor has warned the sport over what he sees as a concerning trend.

Speaking on The F1 Hour, Windsor criticised the sport's growing reliance on street and street-hybrid circuits, with long straights emphasising DRS overtakes rather than skilful ones.

He highlighted the potential departure of purist fans and, more significantly, the diminishing platform for drivers to showcase their exceptional skills, casting doubt on the production of talents comparable to the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Windsor: Standards will drop

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“The problem is that the standard of driving will go down because the very great drivers will have fewer and fewer opportunities to show the difference in skill level," he said.

"For me, there’s nothing nicer than watching a Max Verstappen or a Lewis or a Charles [Leclerc] or an Oscar [Piastri] displaying a talent that is above the ordinary. And that may well go, the opportunities to do that may well go with this trend.”

Vegas illustrates Windsor's concerns

He also expressed concern over the sport's reliance on strategic camera angles to enhance the viewer experience, cautioning that this approach might have adverse effects on F1 in the long term.

Windsor then put a spotlight on the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit as a prime illustration of his concerns, stressing how purist racers, including Verstappen, initially criticised its introduction.

However, even Verstappen's viewpoint shifted after he emerged victorious in the inaugural race.

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton F1 Monaco Grand Prix Las Vegas Grand Prix Peter Windsor