Circuits were far more dangerous in Sir Jackie Stewart's day, but now the triple world champion believes drivers are not puniched enough © Sutton Images
Triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart believes Formula One's new circuits are to blame for the lack of overtaking in the sport.
In a column in the Daily Telegraph he called for drivers to be punished when they make mistakes rather than having the luxury of expansive run-off areas. Drawing on an example from last year's season finale in Abu Dhabi, Stewart said Fernando Alonso was not able to pass Vitaly Petrov but crucially did not lose a position himself when he made mistakes trying to overtake the Russian rookie.
"Alonso ran wide at the Yas Marina track on four separate occasions as he tried to best the Renault," Stewart wrote. "And yet incredibly the car behind him, driven by Mark Webber, was still not able to pass. The run-off area was so well manicured and without obstacles that Alonso was effectively able to make fairly big mistakes and still maintain his position. That is plainly wrong."
He believes the problem was symptomatic of Hermann Tilke's circuits and said F1 needed more variety to improve the show.
"In my time I have been a very keen golfer and when I think of the great golf courses of the world - from St Andrews to Pebble Beach to Augusta - they all have green fairways and they all have sandy bunkers," he said. "Some suit the longer hitters; others place a premium on accuracy. But they each have their own unique characteristics. Crucially, no two of the ones I mentioned were designed by the same person."
Stewart reckons a solution would be to alter the current circuits.
"What if Tilke simply modified the corners around his circuits in such a way that if a driver runs wide he is penalised? What if the surface of the run-off areas was changed so that a car's traction is reduced and a driver going wide loses ground either to the car he is following or allows the car chasing him to pass?"
Although the idea would compromise safety to some extent, something Stewart has worked tirelessly to improve since his retirement, he believes it is necessary.
"Safety is one thing; abuse of privilege is another," he added.
Via Twiiter, Mark Webber agreed, writing: "Spot on."
Credit: ESPN F1 (en.espnf1.com)
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