New corners enhance viewing, says Lauda

Lauda says that the shorter version of the Eifel venue, created in the '80s, could never match the appeal of the mammoth Nordschleife layout. That was ditched from the F1 calendar for safety reasons after the Austrian's fiery 1976 accident that left him badly burnt.

"I always felt that the spectators were too far away," said Lauda of the recent circuit layout. "No matter how good the race was, the spectators struggled to feel part of the atmosphere. That is why the new circuit could never compete with the Nordschleife.

"Now that the fans are much closer to the first corner, they are part of it again. They can start to recapture the passion that the Nordschleife offered," he added.

The opening section now features a tight hairpin followed by three sweeping bends, of which Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine said: "Having not raced through the opening section, I think we could witness an interesting start to the race."