Verstappen offers his help to Madring: 'Give me a map and I’ll take care of it'

The FIA has spoken with the marshals around the new circuit in Madrid about ways to improve their work, after their performance caused some annoyance among the drivers. They observed this weekend that responses to dangerous situations were sometimes slower or less effective than they are used to.

For example, it took half an hour to repair the barrier after what appeared to be a relatively minor crash by Lewis Hamilton in FP3. Following a heavy impact and the resulting fire involving a Formula 2 car last Friday, Verstappen also felt the response could have been more adequate.

“For some people it’s of course the first time here, but this is very important,” Verstappen told Dutch media, including GPblog, as he watched a massive wreck unfold in the background during the first Formula 3 feature race.

The former world champion made it clear this Saturday that not only do the standards of the marshals need to improve, but there is also plenty of work to be done on the track itself.

During the FIA press conference, Verstappen stated that overtaking opportunities need to be created to prevent the races from becoming dull.

Where can they adjust things then? “Almost all the braking zones. Give me a map and I’ll sort it,” Verstappen laughed while answering GPblog's question.

On a more serious note, he then added that drivers could be more involved in the design of new circuits. “Well, you can always ask, right? You can always ask once: ‘What do you think of this layout?’ I don’t want to go into details, because there are different track designers. I sometimes talk with one person about circuits. A driver knows very well what a good corner looks like.

For instance, Verstappen thinks that the 'Monumental' corner could be improved. Ideally, he would like to take it flat out, but that’s currently impossible.

Still, Verstappen ultimately believes in a bright future for the Madring: “If they can modify the circuit in a few places, definitely, yes.”