May 8 (GMM) Silverstone is “confident” a brand new track surface will be ready for July’s British grand prix.
The Guardian reports that F1’s governing body ordered the work be done after the current surface led to the cancellation of the MotoGP race last year.
Lewis Hamilton said the new surface was the “bumpiest track I’ve ever experienced”.
“The people they hired did the worst job ever,” said the Mercedes driver.
Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle confirmed that, after the MotoGP cancellation, the FIA “suspended our track licence”.
“The condition of the reissue of that licence was a complete resurfacing. We had to do it to be able to run the event,” he said.
A new contractor has been assigned to complete the 2019 resurfacing, but it will only be complete by June 30. The British grand prix takes place just days later.
“We are confident it will be ready. Working with (Italian company) Dromo they have designed an asphalt mix that is six times stronger than last year’s,” said Pringle.
“It will have real rigidity and no risk of being moved even by F1, which is the ultimate punisher of a circuit.”