Abu Dhabi (small) Track Change

[Chaynes321]

Any thoughts on what this could be ... ?

Very quick thoughts on the First and last sectors :

1
Slightly tighten Turn 1, nothing special

2
Skip the chicane, bring apex away from the grandstand
Create more run-off and open the exit, similar to the hairpin in China

3
Slightly tighten the right-hander before the Hotel

[p-matt]

Number 2 makes total sense. It was always such a clunky chicane there, which made the hairpin at turn 6 a complete non-event.

[S griffin]

Also it moves it further from the grandstand which means more run off, so even less reason to have the chicane

[Purist]

Just remove the Turn 5/6 chicane, and if need be, do the run-off under the grandstand thing like at the far end of that straight. Reducing the apex speed at that hairpin will hurt overtaking on the following straight, because the larger differential between minimum and maximum speeds from that apex to just before the braking zone will result in a larger spread in the physical gap between the cars after they exit the hairpin.

My other main adjustment would be to move Turn 8 just a bit closer to the Turn 7 hairpin, such that it would be 90 degrees if you drew a line from its revised position to the existing Turn 9. However, I'd bypass the existing Turn 9 with a right-hand sweeper leading smoothly into the left sweep of Turn 10. With the faster apex of the hairpin, speed on the first back straight shouldn't be greatly impacted, and the new 90-degree left at the end should still provide more than an adequate braking zone for overtaking. And then, with the quicker apex there, plus the bypass of the current Turn 9, the second stretch will be quicker, and the cars will enter that stretch closer together. This will make the slipstream significantly more effective and increase the potency of the braking zone at Turn 11 in terms of overtaking there.

As for the latter portion of the lap, I'd like to see some of the apexes softened slightly; there should be space there to do that. This will widen the usable line a little, and somewhat increase apex speeds to help reduce the visible accordion effect between cars as they go through Turns 12-21. I'd leave Turn 12 alone and just ease the apex of 13 to look more like 12; they're already pretty good for the over/under stuff, and I don't want that messed up. Easing Turn 14 would definitely help overtaking prospects into 17. I think 18 and 19 need reprofiling to ease 19, and get rid of that little extra kink. Then ease Turn 20, and reshape that apex curb late in Turn 21. That way, you get a good run out of Turn 18, through 19, through 20, and maybe have a somewhat realistic shot of doing something into Turn 21. Also, loosening Turn 21 ought to help overtaking into Turn 1 somewhat, by increasing the speed on the straight, and therefore the severity of the subsequent braking zone.

I hope that wasn't too long-winded, and that what I'm suggesting seems to make sense to at least some of the rest of you.

[steve_r]

Continue to 30th St/Abu Dhabi - Sweihan - Al Hayer Rd/Al Khaleej Al Arabi St/Arabian Gulf St/E20
Follow Abu Dhabi - Ghweifat International Hwy/E11 to Route 95
Get on Route 65 in Riyadh Province from Route 10
Continue on Route 65. Take Route 35M, Damascus Hwy/Route 15/Route 45M, M5, Damascus Aleppo International Way ... and Tarsus-Ankara Otoyolu/O-21 to Adana Aksaray Yolu/D750/E90 in Türkiye. Take the exit from O-21A/E90
Get on Ankara Çevre Yolu/O-20/E90 in Karşıyaka Mahallesi
Take Anadolu Otoyolu/O-4 to Barbaros Blv. in İstanbul. Take the exit towards Beşiktaş/Karaköy from İstanbul Çevre Yolu/O-1/D100
Continue on Barbaros Blv.. Take Dolmabahçe Cd., Meclis-i Mebusan Cd., Kemeraltı Cd. and Reşadiye Cd. to Alemdar Cd. in Alemdar Mahallesi


And you will find yourself in Istanbul, where there is a much better track.

[Chaynes321]

Originally Posted by Purist

Just remove the Turn 5/6 chicane, and if need be, do the run-off under the grandstand thing like at the far end of that straight. Reducing the apex speed at that hairpin will hurt overtaking on the following straight, because the larger differential between minimum and maximum speeds from that apex to just before the braking zone will result in a larger spread in the physical gap between the cars after they exit the hairpin.

My other main adjustment would be to move Turn 8 just a bit closer to the Turn 7 hairpin, such that it would be 90 degrees if you drew a line from its revised position to the existing Turn 9. However, I'd bypass the existing Turn 9 with a right-hand sweeper leading smoothly into the left sweep of Turn 10. With the faster apex of the hairpin, speed on the first back straight shouldn't be greatly impacted, and the new 90-degree left at the end should still provide more than an adequate braking zone for overtaking. And then, with the quicker apex there, plus the bypass of the current Turn 9, the second stretch will be quicker, and the cars will enter that stretch closer together. This will make the slipstream significantly more effective and increase the potency of the braking zone at Turn 11 in terms of overtaking there.

As for the latter portion of the lap, I'd like to see some of the apexes softened slightly; there should be space there to do that. This will widen the usable line a little, and somewhat increase apex speeds to help reduce the visible accordion effect between cars as they go through Turns 12-21. I'd leave Turn 12 alone and just ease the apex of 13 to look more like 12; they're already pretty good for the over/under stuff, and I don't want that messed up. Easing Turn 14 would definitely help overtaking prospects into 17. I think 18 and 19 need reprofiling to ease 19, and get rid of that little extra kink. Then ease Turn 20, and reshape that apex curb late in Turn 21. That way, you get a good run out of Turn 18, through 19, through 20, and maybe have a somewhat realistic shot of doing something into Turn 21. Also, loosening Turn 21 ought to help overtaking into Turn 1 somewhat, by increasing the speed on the straight, and therefore the severity of the subsequent braking zone.

I hope that wasn't too long-winded, and that what I'm suggesting seems to make sense to at least some of the rest of you.

I combined your thoughts with mine:

[S griffin]

I think your rejig to turn 12 would remove corner cutting there

[dwh43scale]

Or drop it and bring back a proper track ... you can't make a silk purse ...

[Purist]

That may be, but while they're still under contract, it would be good to make the best of what we do have to deal with.

Also, the entire schedule can't be in Europe and North America, so what other "proper tracks" do you have in mind?

[S griffin]

Imola would be better for starters

[coppice]

Originally Posted by Purist

That may be, but while they're still under contract, it would be good to make the best of what we do have to deal with.

Also, the entire schedule can't be in Europe and North America, so what other "proper tracks" do you have in mind?

Agreed - it should cover South America, Japan and Australasia too- y'know , where people actually race themselves or watch others doing so? Baku , Abu Dhabi, Bahrain , Sochi (inter alia ) are all places Formula 1 should not touch with the proverbial barge pole.

[Chaynes321]

Originally Posted by coppice

Agreed - it should cover South America, Japan and Australasia too- y'know , where people actually race themselves or watch others doing so? Baku , Abu Dhabi, Bahrain , Sochi (inter alia ) are all places Formula 1 should not touch with the proverbial barge pole.

I dont agree at all, F1 is more than a sport, it is a symbol of globalisation and culture should have a big role to play in the strategy

[coppice]

Oh come off it. Far too many races in newer venues - I'm talking about you Baku - not only have appallingly repressive regimes but races held in such places typically attract three men and a dog. The men comprise two tourists and a bent local politician and the dog found something better to do after lap one .BTCC at Brands gets more people watching ....

Every F1 car is made by teams based in Western Europe and , with some honourable exceptions (Japan, Aus , S America and US/Canada) , the audience is European . Races aren't held in Sochi or Bahrain as a cultural gesture but because such countries pay gazillions to stage the race and gain credibility , in some eyes , by doing so. Personally I found the spectacle of Ecclestone buddying up to Putin a few months after the annexation of Crimea disgraceful

If F1 is some sport of cultural mission , how odd it misses out the entire African continent - despite being happy to race there in the apartheid era....

[NaBUru38]

The old Tilkedromes had wide corners, perfect for overtaking battles. Think Sepang, Istanbul and Shanghai are good examples.

But Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Austin have ridiculously tight corners. F1 cars can't do overtaking battles, as the slightest move puts the car off track.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Lets keep this thread to the Abu Dhabi

If you want to discuss the current and other possible venues then start a thread about that specifically please.

[Purist]

I see a post got removed, though I'm not sure why.

I think "wide corners" is meant to be open and flowing, rather than strictly the track width.

Abu Dhabi suffers from the same malady that afflicts Shanghai, Yeongam, Buddh, Austin, and Sochi. It's the same with Tilke's re-works of Hockenheim, Fuji, and Mexico City. You have quite slow corners leading onto the most major straights, and so you NEED a long straight, even with the aid of DRS, to close the physical gap opened up due to the accordion effect enough to have a go. The first back straight at Abu Dhabi is 1,173 meters. For Austin, the back straight is 1,207 meters. Fuji's front straight is 1,475 meters. On the other hand, Sepang's pit straight is only 905 meters in length.

And we can argue all the other stuff, but the track at Baku at least isn't bad for actual racing.