F1 Redesign Challenge

[AoB Special Stage]

As you all well know, some F1 tracks are, less than popular. So, I thought why not have us all redesign the F1 tracks as they roll out onto the calendar. Therefore, from now through the 15th we would make any 'corrections' needed to Albert Park, then from then to the next race date, we would do the next track, and so forth.

My Albert Park will probably come out tomorrow.

[Yannick]

You might be interested in this thread http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121337 on a redesign of Losail, which is quite a Mickey Mouse Course as it is.

I have my own suggestions for fixing the "dud in the desert": Turn 3 needs to be removed to lengthen the straight to promote overtaking into Turn 4. So Turn 2 moves closer to Turn 1 and becomes a little tighter. The hairpin, Turn 6 gets bypassed completely, as there will be a straight from Turn 4, heading on towards Turn 7. And after Turn 7, the track also will head straight on towards the parabolica type of corner, avoiding to swerve to the left. That's making it a simpler track but this is meant to be conducive for more racing action.

Also, you could remove both Turns 2 and 3: through this, Turn 1 would become a corner that is two-wide which would enable overtaking through drafting (like you'd have at the first corners of Dijon or Watkins Glen or at Silverstone's Copse Corner). That would be pretty exciting. Though it maybe not for this circuit because so far, it is the prime overtaking spot.

[AoB Special Stage]

Did some F1 2014 laps, Marussia dry and wet as well as Mercedes dry and wet to be specific, and made corrections based on that testing. Clark corner could stand to be sharper, I know.

[SKG]

There are some parts of this circuit which really annoy me. I have been a bit punchy with my changes, wiping out entirely the chicane at the start of the 2nd sector, and smoothing of the original turn 15.

These changes make the new turn 6 a massively fast corner and the new highlight of the lap, with changes to runoff an absolute must. A new tighter turn 8 will slow turn 7 slightly and help the flow of the circuit.

The old turn 15 is the most annoying part of the circuit, in my opinion, and smoothing it creates a more flowing section of corners for a better run onto the s/f straight. The pitlane would split from the outside of the new turn 13.

In addition to these changes to circuit layout I would also improve kerbing around the track, especially adding more corner entry and exit kerbing.

I uploaded old/new configs so you can flick between the two to see the differences more clearly.

Any thoughts? Different ideas?

[AoB Special Stage]

Originally Posted by SKG

There are some parts of this circuit which really annoy me. I have been a bit punchy with my changes, wiping out entirely the chicane at the start of the 2nd sector, and smoothing of the original turn 15.

These changes make the new turn 6 a massively fast corner and the new highlight of the lap, with changes to runoff an absolute must. A new tighter turn 8 will slow turn 7 slightly and help the flow of the circuit.

The old turn 15 is the most annoying part of the circuit, in my opinion, and smoothing it creates a more flowing section of corners for a better run onto the s/f straight. The pitlane would split from the outside of the new turn 13.

In addition to these changes to circuit layout I would also improve kerbing around the track, especially adding more corner entry and exit kerbing.

I uploaded old/new configs so you can flick between the two to see the differences more clearly.

Any thoughts? Different ideas?

With a set-up normal for Albert Park, T6 would be a light braking zone.

Also, T14 might be a bit awkward with the new approach. I'd say realign it into something of an slight S curve.

[Tathrim]

This is easy to do with gmap-pedometer. Not much needs changing, IMO, possibly the final sector so the current turn 15 is a better opportunity and to make better use of the back straight, as noted here, but that's a "nice to have".


http://www.gmap-pedometer.com?r=6553184

[SpeedingTortoise]

My redesign. Reprofiled Turns 4, 9, 10 and 11. New section added to replace Turns 15 and 16. New length 3.75mi

[AoB Special Stage]

Sepang has developed some issues related to the lower front downforce of the 2014-rule spec cars. I'd estimate an increase of .06 mi. to the length.

[AoB Special Stage]

I'll be glad to see what people do to the 270 degree T1 at Shanghai.

[AoB Special Stage]

Wanted to make Shanghai faster, this was the result:

(15 corners, missed T9)

[S griffin]

Why does it remind me of the old Assen?

[AoB Special Stage]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Why does it remind me of the old Assen?

I've never seen old Assen. I was thinking Shift 2's Shanghai street circuit.

[AoB Special Stage]

Ahead of Bahrain, here's its elevation map (ft. AMSL):

NB the graph starts at the exit of the final corner, not the S/F line.

[AoB Special Stage]

New Bahrain: note the all new 14-15-16 complex, which is mainly on a downhill.

[AoB Special Stage]

Not much love for MotoGP in this edit.

[ECW Dan Selby]

The reason for the final chicane being installed at Barcelona is to cut speeds for the final corner..

Selby

[AoB Special Stage]

P.S. The chicane at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was added to create overtaking which had previously been possible by drafting down the straight but wasn't anymore due to new aerodynamics.

I forgot to post the Canadian track before the race, and I skipped Monaco to avoid controversy; however, the track has but two changes. T9 is more open and I moved the whole of the final chicane (including the Quebec Wall) back to provide a safer pit-in (Grosjean and Stevens had something of a good demonstration of the necessity of the modification).

[Original included for comparison]

[AoB Special Stage]

I'm miserable at getting things done on time, it seems.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by AoB Special Stage

P.S. The chicane at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was added to create overtaking which had previously been possible by drafting down the straight but wasn't anymore due to new aerodynamics.

I forgot to post the Canadian track before the race, and I skipped Monaco to avoid controversy; however, the track has but two changes. T9 is more open and I moved the whole of the final chicane (including the Quebec Wall) back to provide a safer pit-in (Grosjean and Stevens had something of a good demonstration of the necessity of the modification).

[Original included for comparison]

I would dispute that.

I'm sure they probably tried to put the overtaking spin on it, but it was definitely essentially down to the cornering speeds for the final turn, and the lack of run-off there.

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by AoB Special Stage

I'm miserable at getting things done on time, it seems.

I do find some of your modifications a little perplexing!

What was the reasoning for sharpening the final corner on the RBR? It's the second best corner on the track!

Selby

[AoB Special Stage]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

I do find some of your modifications a little perplexing!

What was the reasoning for sharpening the final corner on the RBR? It's the second best corner on the track!

Selby

RBR slows the course; odd, but it does. Counter-intuitive though it may seem, pulling it up speed the course up onto the main straight and makes room to move the stands around

[AoB Special Stage]

removed some sections to promote lower downforce settings and get some faster absolute speed at Silverstone. It was an airfield after all.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by AoB Special Stage

I'm miserable at getting things done on time, it seems.

You have "tilkefied" this track even more than the master himself by sharpening some corners. I didn't think it would be possible to tilkefy a Tilke track ;-)

[AoB Special Stage]

Originally Posted by Yannick

You have "tilkefied" this track even more than the master himself by sharpening some corners. I didn't think it would be possible to tilkefy a Tilke track ;-)

Didn't know it at the time, but the new run to T3 in Austria would climb a hill, then T3 would fall down that hill into a fast downhill shoot into T4.

Anyway, I looked back at the other circuits and the work I'd done, and because a lot of the complaint about F1 is the sameness of so many tracks set-up wise, I decided to go the other route and make Hungary more technical. Paint didn't do justice to the new T12-16 complex I envisioned, but it's good enough I suppose.

[Yannick]

By making Hungaroring more technical, you are touching a sensitive subject ;-)

It is one of the few tracks on the F1 calendar which already requires a different car setup than most, so you are basically fixing a problem that does not quite exist. In fact, it has taken the owners of the track decades to get the track to be as fine as it is. Have you driven the circuit on a racesim before? It already is incredibly tight, especially the section from the chicane onwards. Of course, these thought experiments are fun but F1 is right in not having a so-called Mickey-Mouse-Course on the calendar. Back when track design was a much bigger interest of mine than it is today, I used to have a lot of fun with designing Mickey-Mouse-Courses on purpose, too. So I can kind of relate :-)

However, your Turns 2 and 3 are in a place on the circuit where the paddock access road crosses the circuit on a bridge, and that is likely going to make the change in this place rather difficult to build.

Regarding your version of Silverstone: the kink at Abbey is very nice. But your Turn 2 at the "Hammerhead" has got a runoff problem that would be rather dangerous for motorbikes.