Silverstone, which Lewis Hamilton last year described as being bumpier than the Nurburgring Nordschleife, has been replaced with a smoother track surface.

The track has been resurfaced for the second year in a row following criticism of the new surface which was laid in 2018. After Friday practice for last year’s British Grand Prix Hamilton commented “the people they hired did the worst job ever”.

RaceFans understands the newly laid track surface offers greater grip than before and has been smoothed to within a tolerance of just two millimetres to address the “micro-bumps” problem which was observed before.

Last year’s at Moto GP race at the track was abandoned following persistent heavy rain at the circuit and problems with drainage. A slight crown in the road has been added to the new surface the help disperse water.

FIA race director Michael Masi said work on the track was still being completed during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

“A couple of our team from the FIA did go there in recent weeks to have a look at the level of works being done and from everything that the images that I’ve seen and what’s happened that’s been done to a very, very high standard,” said Masi.

“The track manager said in his 30 years there the place has been resurfaced three times and twice in the last couple of years so he’d like to hope that it doesn’t happen in the rest of his time working there.”

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2019 F1 season