[LM24] La Sarthe/Arnage Track and Other Changes

[Deleted]

I'm perfectly fine with those changes and welcome them with open arms - it's the barriers that needs updating all the way round, not all grass and gravel being replaced by miles of tarmac. Unfortunately that's not happening.

[chernaudi]

TecPro has been used at Paul Ricard for quite a while, possibly the first place that had them. They look like a cheaper alternative the the NASCAR/Indy Car Safer Barrier and hopefully will do the job just as well. I wonder if they'd be good for Tetre Rouge or will the tires be fine?

[nobster]

Every change made for better safety is a good one.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by nobster

Every change made for better safety is a good one.

It all just has the taste of

[Coach Ep]

Seeing the adjustments at Tetre Rouge been finished it finally dawned on me that it wasn't like that until just now - really shocking it wasn't modified earlier or done the right way in the first place!



The safer barrier is a very good adjustment as well (and can be seen btw at an older track like Monza as well, they're all over the place there!), I would like to see more of that kind of improvement - now can the FIA & ACO please spend some money on replacing the sharp gravel (and hopefully prevent one or two high speed crashes at Indianapolis or the Porsche Curves as result of punctures or blown tires) instead of wasting it on ridiculous tarmac extensions on a straight...!

[Simmi]

The track change which will probably have the biggest effect on this year's race hasn't really been mentioned:

http://instagram.com/p/op7Ix2RP4P/

[Deleted]

At first I looked at that smiling and thought - hey that's good, shortcutting should be punished and it's their own fault if they screw it up - however looking further and comparing it to last year it's apparent they've extended the god damn asphalt runoffs there as well again

Also it's ironic they need to construct such devious traps nowadays as they clearly want people to respect track limits. Have grass or gravel, it does the same trick and is actually potentially less hazardous! Cause if someone rams over those in high speed the effect can be much worse than if it was plain grass!!

Anyway it's still better than just plain asphalt runoff (= nothing stopping you from cutting corners) but that's not saying much

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by Simmi

The track change which will probably have the biggest effect on this year's race hasn't really been mentioned:

http://instagram.com/p/op7Ix2RP4P/

We will watch tomorrow if the pilots behave differently or not.

[Gingers4Justice]

That's going to add a second or two to lap times. Simmi's right, that change is massive.

[Creep89]

I really hope the drivers will discuss this massive change at the drivers briefing. No more cutting corners, I don't like that.

[Simmi]

You can see some of the changes here in Eric's video from a few days ago. They were still putting the curbing in at this point. Definitely more tarmac appearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9C4y...ature=youtu.be

[J Jay]

Well that's going to affect the predicted lap times. Looking at the garage pics, there's no way the R18 (at least) will be able to touch those without damaging their strakes.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Creep89

No more cutting corners, I don't like that.

What???? Are you saying you like see them exploiting the track by shortcutting corners through asphalt runoffs? Why have white lines at all if they don't matter!

The last few years have been showing a worrying growing trend, it's good that's it starting to get addressed (though as I said in post #307, by wrong method)... and that is not being helped my extending the amount of tarmac runoff all around the circuit...

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Chiana

What???? Are you saying you like see them exploiting the track by shortcutting corners through asphalt runoffs? Why have white lines at all if they don't matter!

I'm pretty sure he's saying the exact opposite.

Completely agree with you though regarding the worrying trend.

[Deleted]

I guess you're right, it can be interpreted in both ways.

[Nick Woodbury]

I am very pleased seeing the new anti-cut sausages installed there at the Ford Chicanes. One of my biggest gripes about the La Sarthe circuit was how blatantly severe the cutting has been become the past few years. I am still not sure why that section of curbing on the final ford chicane corner extends as far out as it does on the main straight (Perhaps that's because the Moto Riders moaned about it. The same way that their moaning caused the eradication of the iconic rundown to the esses). But I am now happy that the ACO has decided to let the drivers have no other choice but to respect track limits in that particular corner.

[Simmi]

We've got tribune seats down there so it will be interesting to see how it alters things. Approach speeds coming into the chicane used to be incredible. Hopefully that will still be the case.

One thing's for sure and that's that someone is getting launched at some point over those kerbs.

[Deleted]

Or people like Webbo* start loudly moaning about it and ultimately it's removed before the start

* just bringing him up as he ued to be one of the bigger "safety" whiners in F1 demanding bumps removed and red flags immediately when there was more than one drop of rain etc

[Aysedasi]

I agree with this too. It's a circuit. The cars should drive on the circuit, not on the bits adjoining it. It's up to the drivers to 'respect the track limits', as we often hear but don't always see....

[deggis]

More pics of Tertre tyres:


http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/pho...=1708258&i=175


http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/pho...=1708257&i=176

[Deleted]

Again, just like the Virage Porsche barrier changes, these kind of modifications are perfectly fine with me. Chiana accepts this. So no, I don't think all the change is for the worse - this is definitely for the better. As is the chicane tire-killing-device (as an idea)... it's just the ill-judged asphalt parking lot fever that is destroying the character and challenge of most of the big racing circuits in Europe and Asia, partly in South America too.

It is a miracle Nordschleife hasn't been raped yet at all. Let's enjoy that one as long as we can and hope the new investors(?) won't change it into industrial wasteland or something

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by deggis

More pics of Tertre tyres:


http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/pho...=1708258&i=175


http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/pho...=1708257&i=176

Seeing those iconic Tetre Rouge trees leads me to ask; Does anyone know if they are going to trim the branches for this year's race as they have been for a few years? (I don't think they did it in 2013). If I am honest, I would quite like for them to let them flourish and grow, I think it would look nice that way...make for nice pictures.

[deggis]

Another question about the trees: do they have some kind of an official protection/preservation status since their history goes to back to Napoleon era or something?

[Deleted]

Dunno but since they're not the property of the ACO the outcome is pretty much the same for the time being: they are there to stay, thankfully.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Chiana

It's just the ill-judged asphalt parking lot fever that is destroying the character and challenge of most of the big racing circuits in Europe and Asia, partly in South America too.

It is a strange line of thought, almost as if the ACO are scared of cars being uncontrollable if they launch over the humps so they must provide plenty of tarmac in the landing areas ...