Why Street Circuits Are Better Than Purpose Built Tracks

Street circuits divide fans. Some love them. Some hate them.

I love them.

A purpose built track has runoff areas. If you make a mistake, you go wide and come back. Safe. Predictable. Boring.

A street circuit has walls. If you make a mistake, you crash. The risk is real. That changes how drivers approach every corner. They push to the limit but they cannot cross it. One millimeter too wide and the weekend is over.

Monaco is the best example. The track is too narrow for modern F1 cars. Overtaking is almost impossible. Qualifying is everything. And yet it is the most watched race of the year. Because the drama is unmatched.

The viewer gets to see the city transformed. Public roads become a race track. That contrast is magic.

Baku, Singapore, Melbourne, Jeddah. Each street circuit has its own character. They are not perfect racing tracks. They are better. They are events.