Norris says Madring and F1's virtual safety car rule both need to change

MADRID, Sept 14 : Formula One's newest circuit needs to change, and so does the virtual safety car (VSC) rule, world champion Lando Norris said after losing a Spanish Grand Prix win that was his for the taking.

Fears of carnage - crashes and red flags - failed to materialise at the top level of racing but the first F1 race at the capital's Madring circuit turned into a procession that even some drivers said had risked sending them to sleep.

"They should get rid of (turns) 18, 19. Useless," said Norris, who finished third.

"Just have more of a straight into a hairpin.

"I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, 'Mint.' 

"I’m excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes because I think it’s a track that is good fun to drive and it can be a great racetrack. To me, it’s not a great racetrack."

VSC IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The lack of overtaking opportunities also meant that an early VSC period changed the race outcome.

The timing of it, after Lance Stroll's stopped Aston Martin had to be moved, allowed all those behind Norris to pit and gain time but effectively penalised him for being too far ahead.

By the time he could pit there was no VSC any more and he was unable to regain the lead due to the nature of the track.

Norris said Sunday was probably the first time a win had been lost because of the VSC, which keeps all cars at a particular speed for a short duration whereas a physical safety car takes several laps.

A pitstop under VSC conditions saves a driver some 11 seconds of race time compared to a regular stop.

"There’s literally nothing I could do as a driver today to do a better job. Pole, led the race, and to lose it for nothing in my control is, I don’t think, how a race should be won," he told