Baku - Layout revealed

Looks like a nice street circuit with a long straight for passes to be made. Certainly an interesting travel location.

Ecclestone unveils Azerbaijan circuit layout - Pitpass.com

 

I don´t know, I see too many 90º turns. Anyway, in street circuits, it´s more important the scenery than the layout.

 

Bernie has lost his mind. He has it made it so expensive that only some countries are dumb enough to pay him. In result F1 is having races in places which no one has heard of? I want tracks like Magny Cour, Imola, Istanbul and others back on the calender that have been dropped because it was too expensive.

 

First of all, that a sh!!t layout. There's gonna be another parade. Street circuit sucks. Secondly, just like India, Turkey, South Korea, it maybe only be on the calender for around 2-3 years, and then it's gone.

 

I like it. Good mix

 

Yes and no.

Yes to your overall comment regarding Bernie, no to the examples you make:

- We could easily have a French GP if the French would support it. They don't. Shame on them.
- Imola is by today's F1 standards a go-kart track.
- Istanbul is a fantastic place but probably a bad example if you want to get F1 away from non traditional places back to its roots. People howled when Istanbul was first mentioned.

Better examples IMHO would be Zandvoort, Buenos Aires and Kyalami.

I like the Baku layout but I couldn't even tell you where Azerbaijan is on a map. Nor would I care.

 

Its on the Caspian Sea
A new project - http://www.aecom.com/Where+We+Are/Europe/Programme+Management/_carousel/The+Crescent+in+Baku

 

Yeah, I know. A friend of mine even traveled through there.

What I don't get is that F1 is now going to places nobody else is. It is bad enough a country has no F1/motor sports connection/history. But as long as it is a tourist destination, one has at least a reason to go there. But for the life of me I would never go to Azerbaijan. Dubai, Bahrain and Sochi are already a stretch. And I pride myself on traveling the world.

PS: Did the guys who planned the Crescent loose their jobs recently when their plans in South Korea fell apart? I saw similar wild drawings at the inaugural GP there.

 

Andreas, you should merge the two threads.

 

While none of these new venues will remain on the F1 calendar for more than a couple years, local politicians and construction executives will be making a killing, then walking away. It's all BS money laundering through government funding and local business politics. A dozen guys in each new region line their pockets for a couple years, then move-on to the next scam.

 

What important F1 history did Brazil have when F1 first went there?

 

Big karting tradition, brought several champions

 

Thats where the problem is. Bernie is going to places nobody else is because they are willing to spend the money. I think someone said something in another posts that its a bunch of guys who to do some money laundering, ponzi scheme and then are out after a couple of years. I was in Singapore for the Grandprix and the costs for watching is out of control. $120.00 for general admission for Saturday only and $180.00 for Sunday and all you see is two corners. I was to speaking to my contacts at Lotus and said its a big problem that the costs for a GP are ridiculous. China, Malaysia, Bahrain and few others are struggling with renewing their contracts as Bernie wants to increase fees again.

 

Seems that's pretty reasonable by current standards!....

And few are the tracks where anyone can see more than a couple of corners.... Nature of the beast... T1 at Indy was good, the 'infields' at Hockenheim & Silverstone too. But beyond that, and particularly at the much loved 'classic' tracks like Spa, Monza and even Monaco you'd be lucky to see more......

I do know that 49ers tix are more expensive. And that's for a one hour game.

You can get cheaper tix to, eg, a hockey game, but they play 40 odd at home every year. Or baseball, but there's 80 odd chances to see them. A GP is a big deal.....

Just sayin'.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

If it weren't for Azerbaijan's illustrious and rich motor racing history I would be disappointed...
Oh, and the fact that Tilke is, "...really excited$$$$$$$".

 

To be fair are they any less worthy in that respect than Korea? Or Malaysia? Or Singapore? Or China?

F1 is a road show playing any arena that will pay.