The drivers tried the new track out for the first time on Friday - and they were split more or less 50-50 on whether the modifications made it better or worse.

The circuit owners have changed the first corner and added three new bends immediately after it in an attempt to improve overtaking.

But Williams drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher were just two of those who felt that the track was now "too slow".

Jacques Villeneuve described the new section as "very annoying", adding: "It is definitely a part of the track where you are not having fun."

Other drivers, including David Coulthard and Heinz-Harald Frentzen, believe that the changes will promote overtaking.

Coulthard, though, was one of several drivers to criticise the new section for being too bumpy - which would make overtaking difficult, he said.

The old layout had a medium-speed right-left chicane at the end of the pit straight leading into a straight down into another chicane.

But the first corner has now been turned into a tight hairpin, followed by another hairpin and a tight chicane.

This leads down to the old second chicane, for which the first part, a left-hander has now been eased.

Montoya said: "The new chicane is much too slow for me - I preferred the track as it was before."

Kimi Raikkonen, Coulthard's team-mate at McLaren, said: "I like the changes which have been made to the track but it's a bit bumpy particularly at the first corner, which makes it easy to lock up."

And Jordan's rookie Takuma Sato said: "The changes to the first part of the circuit are excellent, as I think there are more opportunities for overtaking, which is quite exciting."

The circuit is now 5.144km (3.2 miles) long having been extended by 588 meters.