New Hockenheim Gets Mixed Reviews

Michael Schumacher was happy with his first taste of Hockenheim's new layout, Eddie Irvine delighted also but Jacques Villeneuve was concerned.

Formula One cars lapped the circuit, a considerably shorter and more spectator-friendly version of the old German Grand Prix venue, in earnest for the first time on Friday.

The circuit no longer carves its long and fast swathe through the forest, trading the great sweep for tighter curves past new grandstands, but it was given mostly flattering reviews by the drivers.

"In my opinion it is a great success," said Ferrari's World Champion Schumacher. "The new layout flows nicely and there are some overtaking opportunities. It is quite demanding."

Jaguar's Irvine, who won at the old circuit for Ferrari in 1999, said the new circuit was miles better.

"The circuit that we had here before was awful. Now we've got a good circuit. I hated the other one. It was dangerous and wasn't very much fun," added the Northern Irishman.

"It was just boring. You were just sitting there waiting for something to break...there was no point. Monza's even more dangerous and I think Monza could learn from this."

Ralf Schumacher, Michael's brother who won here last year for Williams, said he was "really enthusiastic" about the first really new layout since the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis was added to the calendar in 2000.

"It is a lot of fun. The circuit is one of the best I have ever raced on, my compliments to the designer."

Less Enthusiastic

Other drivers were less convinced.

"My first impressions of the circuit were just as I anticipated," said Villeneuve, the 1997 World Champion who has never won at Hockenheim.

"The old layout was very different but it's just like any other track now. There's one section that really concerns me - the short straight before the entrance to the stadium section where the wall comes back towards the track.

"Generally it's a typical modern circuit and not as interesting to drive," added the British American Racing driver.

Irvine's Spanish teammate Pedro de la Rosa agreed.

"I don't like it," he said. "The track is very slippery and to be honest, it has lost its character to the extent that you could be racing anywhere. The individualism has been compromised too much."

Italian Jarno Trulli, who had a miserable first day for Renault, was similarly gloomy.

"It's a shame that I managed to find one of the few gravel traps still left here," he said. "In terms of the new layout, it's not very exciting, just a question of braking, turning and accelerating."