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Of the options available, I took the 21 I feel would provide the most variety and the best overall championship. Some individual races might be processional but I think I've catered to most car strengths here. So, in the order they appear on the list:
Melbourne
The classic season opener, it's rarely good for showing the true order of the field but that's become part of its charm over the years.
Shanghai
It's finally coming into its own as an exciting track, even if the actual racing isn't always close (I know what I mean, I promise there's a difference in my head!). It's got one of the longest straights too which is something worth bearing in mind.
Baku
Always a dramatic race, and some corners pose such a unique challenge the track just has to be on the calendar in my view.
Monaco
Does it provide good racing? No. Does it let the cars even remotely stretch their legs? No. But it's a driver's track. Perhaps the ultimate driver's track, at least out of the list available here. So it stays, purely for the fact it's only one weekend and year and it makes up for the lack of close racing in so many other ways. That said, I've have no problems if F1 turned around tomorrow and said they'd never return.
Montreal
Rarely provides boring races, and it's a track that combines the close walls of Monaco with the speeds of Monza. Arguably one of the best on the calendar.
Paul Ricard
As someone else said above, it makes a mockery of DRS and I'm all for that.
Red Bull Ring
I've always been in 2 minds about this track, but in the end it's the shortest lap on the calendar, and that means more traffic, so more variables to consider with pit stops etc. Plus it has the bonus that it's often given us good races.
Silverstone
The spiritual home of F1. I preferred the old layout but I can see the advantages of the new one and it often gives us exciting races.
Hockenheim
As with Silverstone, I prefer the old layout, but that's been left to grow over and perhaps that's for the best in terms of safety. And it rarely provided good racing, just mixed up results as engines went bang. Now the hairpin provides a great overtaking opportunity, as does turn 2, and the shortened lap means more strategy variety and more traffic.
Spa
Does it even need an explanation?
Monza
Ferrari. Slipstreaming. That is all.
Singapore
I kept this as the sole night race because it's a unique spectacle. And the stresses on car and driver mean some surprising results have come from it over the years.
Suzuka
One of my favourite tracks, although I always found it a swine to nail a good lap here. It's one of those races where in theory the result is pretty predictable, but rain or a small mistake can throw everything up in the air.
Mexico
I love everything about this track. It has fast bits, it has technical bits, it has the stadium, and it has (half of) one of the best corners ever in F1 history. And the atmosphere is almost unrivaled.
COTA
Probably the best addition to the calendar this century. And it helps that it was designed to include a lot of features of other famous tracks. They really chose well.
Interlagos
I've chosen this for the track, not the surroundings. I totally support F1 leaving Interlagos given the attacks over the years, but I love the track. It's a pleasure to drive, it's provided great racing more often than not, and the history it has is up there with the very best.
Sepang
It's criminal that F1 let this track escape. It came down to money, and frankly F1 should have been more flexible. It's an awesome facility, has great racing, great weather, and I miss it probably more than any other lost track.
Istanbul
OK, this is a close second to Sepang! It's another beautiful circuit, and Turn 8 alone makes it worth having. Turn 12 is great for passing, and there's a good mix of corners otherwise.
Fuji
The long straight, countered with the technical nature of the rest of the track, means that whatever you do to the car, it's a compromise. Ditch DRS, and let the engineers work out what to do. That would be amazing.
Imola
This is probably on the list more for nostalgia than anything, but it's been modified since F1 last raced and deserves another shot. It's more of a technical track than a racing one, but it's still got a lot of challenges to offer.
Zandvoort
Yes, it would take work to get this place up to spec, but the history and layout of the track both make that more than worthwhile.
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