TBK-Light.com

another track ruined for f1

I get why they can't do the Pereltada, and that they have to expand a lot of the run-offs. But I don't get the square corners, not at all. That's what's pissing me off. Not just this track, but many other recently built/rebuilt tracks. COTA, new Silverstone, India, all of them have those square corners that are impossible to run side-by-side in. Ruins the racing.

Because the longer and faster a corner is, the bigger the runoff has to be. As you can tell from the map, there isn't a lot of space for runoff.

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

Well at the very least we can enjoy and appreciate how it used to be...

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

But the flaw in this point (not with you I add) is what I've already pointed out about zero run-off directly behind turns 1 and 10. In F1, every long straight has a huge run-off area which enables cars to overshoot the corner and rejoin the circuit. What this map tells us is that the drivers will be facing a wall while braking from 200'ish mph in to turn 1.

_________________
BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I assume that turn 1 was pushed towards the wall so that turn 3 is less of a corner and more a kink. The runoffs don't need to be so big if they use Tecpro; Abu Dhabi has tiny runoffs in comparison to somewhere like Turkey because they use Tecpro.

_________________
Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

The end of the first long straight at Abu Dhabi has a big run-off. The end of the second is reasonable but not small, or non-existant as this map leads us to believe it will be.

_________________
BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

They've done the best job they can with the space they have.

_________________
Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

The best job would have been leaving T1 in the original position it was, therefore not compromising the run-off. But then again, the best job they could have done is not touching the circuit at all bar the Peraltada perhaps.

You and I aren't seein eye to eye today are we RtN?

_________________
BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

It happens.

I think the priority for the first 3 corners was to lessen the angle of turn 3 as it appears to be right next to the track limits (so no room for runoff), and they have sacrificed some of the turn 1 runoff in order to accomplish this.

They could have done a better job with the stadium, though.

_________________
Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

I see what you mean (about turn 3). As for the stadium, yes it does seem OTT. The original cut through that ChampCar used would be better. Like I said on the previous page, it looks as though someone has just overlayed the final section on Indianapolis on the Peraltada.

_________________
BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I see Korea when I look at the turns 7 - 12 complex. The reason why that section was great on the old track was that it had flow, each bend becoming increasingly faster than the next. And that stadium section looks like the worst piece of racetrack on the callander. In fact from the track map, I would say it looks like the worst track to be used next year (If it goes ahead)

Lets face it, they're not going to leave it exactly as it was in the 90s when they last raced there, so we were never going to be happy, whatever they did.

It's hard to get excited about a new circuit these days. I haven't looked forward to a new circuit in many years now (That's why the USGP last year managed to completely surprise me, that place flew under the radar as "Another Tilke-drome" then completely blew it out of the water come the race...)

The most excited I've been for a new addition to the calender has been for an old track returning. And even that's a Newer, "old" track

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

Tecpro should be used in conjunction with runoff areas, not as a replacement for them, it's only a matter of time before someone else dies at Abu Dhabi thanks to the non-existent runoff areas.

I'm just repeating what DC said. The runoffs at Abu Dhabi are cut by a third because they use Tecpro.

As far as I'm aware, no-one's died at Abu Dhabi as a result of hitting the wall? There was a car fire and a motorbike crash, but apart from that...?

_________________
Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

The changes to turns 1/2/3 I don't really get, I think the changes to turns 4/5/6 are probably been done to try & create more opportunities for overtaking.

Straght down to turn 4 is longer with a bigger braking zone & slower turn 4 which may be better for overtaking. Think the changes to turn 6 are probably for the same reason, Make it a potential overtaking spot.
Cutting out the 1st part of the esses is a shame but the main part (Turns 7/8/9/10) are still there so its not so bad.

I get them running the stadium (I expected that) but I don't get why they added the hairpin's.


Natacha Gachnang broke her leg there in an FIA GT crash in 2010:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRwtsjh91fQ

She would have had more than a broken leg if that was at another track

Hitting the throttle as well as the brake (or at least that was the rumour) probably didn't help her chances...

I disagree with that completely. They've done a good job solving problems that they've created. Without the lengthening of the front straight and squaring off of the corners, there is plenty of run off there as it is.

It isn't really a good job solving a problem if they create the problem to begin with. The only part of the layout which needed changed was the final corner, and even then they've went full retard with it. I don't understand the logic in a single one of these changes.

hear hear

is the straight longer than Fuji's?

the only positive I see here is that the setup will need a compromise. Probably not near to Monza levels, but I'd imagine seeing low downforce which should result in slippin' and slidin' in the slower corners.