What are your top 3-5 and worst 3-5 circuits that have been on the F1 calendar through it's history? Feel free to explain your answer. Mine are (not in order of appearance): FAVORITE - Spa (Terrific circuit, works well with the landscape. Fantastic to drive and always turns up an exciting race. My favorite drivers circuit of them all.) - Montréal (Lot's of fast quick corners, love it. Great dynamic circuit.) - Suzuka (It's just a great drivers challenge with a great mix of corners and requires great skill and flow to master.) WORST (I passionately hate every "Tlike-drome".) - Sepang (Ludicrous layout and idiotic circuit which is boring and over-complex. There is no flow in any of the corners. Just a random mix of some of the worst designs ever.) - Catalunya (It's a test track god dammit.) - Valencia Street Circuit (Booooooooring.... Same, poor corner design and dull) - Hermann Tilke!!!!!! So, tell us all you're favorite and hated F1 circuits!
Favorites: 1) Monaco for all its history and glory 2) Nuerburgring Nordschleife, you actually went somewhere 3) Sepang because it always rains Least welcome: 1) Bahrain, track as boring as the surroundings 2) China, insane layout 3) Singapore, boring right handers in the concrete jungle
The worst *ever* was the Las Vegas track back in '80 at the Caeser's palace parking lot. Really terrible circuit.
-1 Turkey is liked by drivers and fans. Hungaroring is disliked by everybody, but not a Tilke design.
Since when is Hungaroring hated by "everybody". It has a great flow to it, I know of many drivers who have said they liked it. I like it too. Actually it's amongst my favorite circuits...
Favs:Spa, Monza, Monaco, Silverstone, Turkey Old 'Ring and old Le Mans circuits were awesome too... Not so muchutside of Monaco, all street circuits.
I guess you're new here. Just wait until it is time for the Hungarian GP and read the reactions on here. That track doesn't have many fans. I happen to actually like it as I have been there as a spectator, but I'm in a small minority.
A single example of each shows they are the exception rather than the rule. As far as Turkey, Tilke got lucky one time. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut every once in a while.
I understand. I am not "new" to Ferrari or F1. But I did not know the track had such a low fanbase here on the forums. To be honest, I don't read back into year-old posts about F1 circuits... Spectator-wise I've heard that it's not the fanciest or most spectacular experience of the F1 calendar. But what it doesn't have in support-structure, it gains in the "purity" of the experience. Local guys who arrange trips there have told me that, that's it's a melting pot the real fans who come to watch a race, not show off or book a fancy skyscraper suite to watch the whole thing.
It certainly is true that you won't find the gold chain wearing fans at Hungaroring. They're all busy sipping Camparis on the top deck of their yachts in Monaco. However Hungaroring IS great for spectators because of the way the track is built into the hills: It is like a natural arena. A bit like Barcelona or Brands Hatch or the motodrom in Hockenheim. And it does have support structure: When I was there they run the Historic GP cars. Doesn't get much better than that for me. Infrastructure wise it is a bit thin, but it could be worse (e.g. Silverstone before the recent additions or Interlagos). What's also great is, that you have Budapest nearby, one of the most intriguing and charming cities in Europe or the world for that matter. Hungaroring as a visitor rocks, but for the TV audience it is pure boredom because it is such a hard track to pass. That's why it is known as "Monaco without the houses". Regarding the flow, I agree with you: It has a nice rythm when I play it on the PS. Never drove it in real life, which is a shame as it has a F1 driving experience there based on Eddie Irvine's F1 Jaguar.
Very good point! I was actually there just a few days before the race (talk about bad timing on my part). Here a picture from the plane leaving Las Vegas. Hard to imagine that this is where they decided a three way championship . Somebody went through the pain of programming that track for the PC and I played it a few times: It is very odd: the same sequence of turns is coming up all the time and if you look at the picture you understand why. It must have bored the drivers to no end. PS: The race was in 1981. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Best: Suzuka... ...because it was designed by John Hans Hugenholtz Sr., father of Le Mans race driver and first owner of my Ferrari.
Best Spa Suzuka Montreal Worst Hungary Singapore Bahrain Neutral: Monza. Great track, but lack of overtaking is a turn off.
Hungary is great in a drivers perspective, great flow, like you pointed out. But the almost 0 overtaking is a huge turn off for fans. The only action happens at the first lap, first corner.
it makes me really happy that so many of you hardcore F1 fans rate Montreal so highly. despite the lack of 'freedom' the designer had (see an aerial shot), he did something special...how is it that Montreal has genuine overtaking in different 4 places every year ? why can't Tilke learn from that circuit ? it's not perfect, but the racing is exciting every single year. there used to be a 'brow' after the hairpin and it was absolutey fantastic and i'll never forget seeing Senna and Alesi side by side, wheels literally interlocked, as they went through there. Senna was ultimately successful in getting past but Alesi, in a typically inferior Ferrari, made him earn it in the most amazing way...it was real brilliance, real magic. alas, it was one of the corners that were sacrificed in the knee-jerk reaction to Senna's death...which Senna himself would likely have despised. the Hungaroring ? the drivers have always seemed to like it, based on anything i've ever heard or read and it's great for live viewing (i've been twice)... but it doesn't allow overtaking for modern F1 cars and therefore, TV viewing isn't the greatest...there are 'passes' there, just not many. i've really grown to hate Tilke circuits also...i'm not sure how to describe it, but i have a feeling of 'dread' during the 2 week waiting period when the next race is at a Tilke circuit.
Best: Spa (no surprise) Suzuka (also no surprise) Monaco. For a spectator it's becoming pretty boring (although the threat of a driver hitting the barriers at any moment is pretty exciting!). As a driver it must be bat **** insane. For a driver I'd think Hungaroring is also exciting. For overtaking it sucks pretty much, but even on games it's exciting! It's got an awesome flow to it, it's pretty narrow. Much like Monaco, not much time to rest. Worst: BAHRAIN! China Korea Valencia
Best: 1) Spa--especially the old long circuit with the Masta Kink 2) Monza--with the banking 3) Zandvoort 4) Original Hochenheim-Ring 5) Original Silverstone Worst: 1) Las Vegas 2) Dallas 3) ALL Tilke tracks are total bore Revisiting some of the races from the 1960's and 70's reminds you of just how truly antiseptic the current circuits are. A shame.
Watching Grand Prix from 1966 (John Frankenheimer) really makes me realize how much I've missed by being born to late...
Devils advocate here to make you feel a little better What you "missed" was; - Multiple drivers being burnt, maimed or killed every year. - Half the field DNF'ing. - A handful (if lucky) of cars finishing on the lead lap. - Even less overtaking than today (Honest!.... ) - Some teams that really had no right to be out there. [Anyone remember the joke that was Merzario (sp?) in the late 70's? Is? ] The speed, reliability of the cars and closeness of the racing today is about as good as it gets (again, IMESHO.) Cheers, Ian
Meant to comment on the OP too. The best; Spa - I've driven it and as Hobbs likes to say, you get the feeling that you're "going somewhere". Natural topography, phenomenal corners of all types and so on. Maybe, if we're really lucky, Austin looks like it may be similar..... Long circuit at Brands - Almost as good as Spa. Monza/Silverstone - *Fast* - Particularly the original Woodcote was awe inspiring. Worst; - Almost any "temporary" circuit. Cheers, Ian
So it looks like everybody's favorite tracks are Monaco, Spa and Montreal. Coincidentally they all were built in a pre-Tilke time. As usual people on here are beating up on Tilke, making him the culprit for everything they don't like about the modern tracks. This even leads to some ridiculous comments, that you can't pass on a Tilke track. Really? Ever watched a race in Sepang? Or Hockenheim? Or... Anyhow, the point everybody overlooks, is that Tilke builds the tracks to the safety standards the FIA demands: Medium radius turns, which don't carry much speed. Grandstands far away with lots of escape area for the cars. Are some of those designs boring? Absolutely, but whose fault is that? I've said it before and say it again: The FIA has gone overboard with its focus on safety. Don't blame Tilke, blame the FIA for making everything so safe and boring. Or to put it differently: Tracks like Spa, Monaco and Montreal would not get sanctioned by the FIA today. They are way too dangerous. No surprise we all love to watch the races there. Same here. As shown in my new avatar. This year I'll be posting avatars shots I took from my in car camera.
