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Webber likes the look of new Silverstone

The new track at Silverstone from above © Silverstone

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Mark Webber is confident the new Silverstone layout will be an improvement on the old track and will retain all the characteristics that have made it a favourite among the drivers.

The new circuit leaves the track at Abbey with a high-speed right-hand kink, before sweeping left and heading infield to a sharp right hander (Village) followed by a switch back hairpin (The Loop).That opens up to a long straight, that is expected to be as fast as the existing Hanger straight, before rejoining the old circuit at Brooklands. Webber believes the new layout will only improve on the old circuit.

"Let's be honest the track hasn't changed massively and it's still going to be a brilliant circuit," he said after taking part in the opening ceremony. "The changes they've made have really been mainly for overtaking. They've tried to put that new section in to encourage a bit of overtaking and create some pressure when the track comes back on itself.

"Silverstone has always been notoriously bad [for overtaking], but the changes will make it better. It's coming from a bad point I know, but it's only going to get better. I don't think it's going to be Sepang yet, it's not like that, but it's certainly going to help overtaking."

He said that all the best parts of the track had been kept and that Silverstone would still provide a thorough test of the cars.

"When I heard initially that they were going to change the layout, I thought here we go, we're going to open up the Tesco's car park [run off-areas] again, but they haven't which is great," Webber added. "They've got a really challenging circuit now, and there are not many new circuits you go to where you think the car is really, really being tested at fifth gear and above and this track certainly does that. It's going to be a sensational track for cars, very, very good.

"They kept all the good stuff, obviously Bridge was a nice corner, but you can't have everything. The first section of the lap is brilliant, we've always known that, and they haven't touched that part. The quick kink off the back straight [the new Abbey], that looks very quick. They've got some interesting new parts especially up by Village and The Loop, there could be some little niggles [between cars] there."

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