MAX VERSTAPPEN says F1 was made to “look a bit silly” due to the farce at the Qatar GP.
The sport’s bosses gave the track the green light despite it only just being finished on time and without a single test event.
AFPMax Verstappen won the F1 race in Qatar[/caption]
AlamyVerstappen was critical of F1 being the first event for the newly laid Qatar track[/caption]
It meant that when the drivers took part in the hour-long practice session on Friday, it was the first time any race car had been around the resurfaced track.
Incredibly, there were no test events – or other races on the bill – as drivers tiptoed around the dusty track that was still too green.
The reigning world champion said: “Next time that we get into a situation like this, I don’t think F1 should be the first one to drive because it looks a bit silly.
“Like, [first practice] with cars sliding around having no grip.
“It’s important when we go to a track where they’ve put new Tarmac, that at least it’s run in a little.
“Also, for understanding the tyres, for example, what we had now.
“That’s why we had these forced, of course, limited laps.
“So yeah, a few things I think to learn out of this weekend as a whole.”
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F1 chiefs will need to get their house in order before the inaugural Las Vegas race in November.
The new track could be hit with similar grip issues, however, closing the roads could prove a problem for the city.
Vegas has experienced a number of issues setting up the F1 race, including the death of a worker last month.
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