Carlos Sainz suggests F1 visit unique Asian street circuit

F1 News & Gossip

Sainz suggests F1 visit unique Asian street circuit

Think of Monaco but more extreme

George Brabner

Monday 2 October 2023 22:57 Updated: 14:03

Carlos Sainz has shown his affection towards the idea of a new Formula 1 round on the streets of Macau.

Whilst the F1 calendar is set to boom to 24 races next year, Sainz is in favour of adding a visit to the Guia Circuit to proceedings in the future.

The once-a-year Macau Grand Prix is a famed event amongst single-seater drivers known for its recent position as a non-championship round of the FIA Formula 3 season.

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Having seen F1 legends Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna both win on the 6.1-kilometre track, the Macau Grand Prix is a jewel in the crown of the junior racing ladder and is set to return to the FIA F3 calendar this season after a three-year hiatus.

However, it is equally known for being a highly dangerous race: Sophia Floersch fractured her spine when she flew into a photographer’s bunker in 2018 and countless drivers have lost their lives since the first Macau Grand Prix in 1954.

When asked in a light-hearted interview on the P1 with Matt and Tommy podcast if there was a rule he would like to see changed in F1, Sainz couldn’t name any adjustments but was all for a race at the notably treacherous street circuit.

“I think once a year we should all go to Macau and race in F3. 20 F1 drivers all there. I think in Macau, it is different” he said.

A place for renewed competition?

Macau is known for being one of the world's most punishing circuits

Whilst an F1 visit to Macau is highly unlikely due to the circuit’s lack of an FIA Grade 1 status and its subsequent shortcomings in safety, Sainz pointed towards the increased level of competition that racing on an equal playing field – such as in F3 cars – would show.

“Normal track, if we all go tomorrow to Barcelona let’s say, and we do a qualifying lap in normal dry conditions with six sets of new softs like we always have, I don’t think that there’s more than half a second between us.

“And that’s on one given day. We go next weekend to Silverstone and the guy who is half a second off and qualified P20 in Barcelona might be P3, P4 because he’s had a much better day and might be towards the top of the field. And another one might have a bad day and be half a second off, but no more than half a second, six-tenths maximum.”

Sainz raced in Macau twice before reaching F1 in 2015, taking a best finish of seventh two years prior, however, after finding success on the streets of Singapore, perhaps a visit to Macau would suit the modern-day Spaniard.