You won't believe how beautiful this place is Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nice pics. I assume you took these? Keep 'em coming please! I have to agree, this place is stunning. It was interesting to hear Flabbio in the press conference mention, that the new tracks like Shanghai, Dubai and Malaysia are simply so much better than the old guard. He mentioned Silverstone - Bernie likes to hear that -, Magny Cours - which oddly enough is pretty new, but boring - and Imola. I fully agree with him btw. I like the layout of the track. Very challenging variety of turns and some good and fast sections. Some good spots for overtaking too. The part I hate is that first turn after s/f: Like being in a carousel going round and round and the car just begs to burry itself in the kiddie litter. But it all adds to the unique characteristic of this track. It does have a soul and its own personality.
Basically all the old tracks need is money pumped into them for modernisation and expansion of the facilities. Unfortunately, easier said than done.
I'm here as well and have tons of pics to post, but unfortunately the connection at the hotel sucks and uploading pics would take years. Will post pics when I return to the States.
Yes and no: Pumping money into Silverstone would bring that track up to speed, although I'd still rather see the race run at Brands Hatch (although in desperate need for infrastructure pounds) or in London. Magny Cours is a hopeless case. Built in the middle of nowhere with no charisma. Rather pump some money into one of the other two great French venues (Dijon or Paul Ricard). Imola simply has no room for any infrastructure or for a relatively safe track layout. That's why the added all the chicanes after 94. This race should go away and some money be put into Monza. Spa is already on the way up and some more money for real grand stands would be helpful. And of course the #1 case for a huge infrastructure investment: The Glen!
WOW! Those seats sure beats the endless aluminum benches at Indy! What about going back to Donnington for the UK GP? Jim
You guys serious? If your refering to the second pic that'd be an optical contusion The dotted line is directing cars into the pits not a bump.
Actually the track is pretty bumpy. You could see that at the end of the long straight that leads into the hairpin. The cars were litterally bumping up and down. That is surprising for a new track and surface. My guess would be the fact, that the whole track and grandstands are set on columns going into the swamp land underneath. Maybe that underground is already moving somewhat and caused the track to ripple or be uneven.
The first 5 Grands Prix I ever attended were at Watkins Glen, and having been since then to G.P.s in Long Beach, Detroit and Montreal, the Glen is still my choice as the best place for a U.S. G.P. I rank it up there with Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca as my favorite circuits. (St. Jovite, where I've only been once, gets Honorable Mention.) Unfortunately, I think the cost required to bring it up to even average modern-F1 standards would be excessive, and to bring it up to the standards set by Malaysia, Bahrain and China virtually impossible.
Not only are the facilities nice, I found the event to be very well organized. I found security to be much lower key here than in Montreal.
All's perfect, very nice, very expensive except that the track is again one of these boring circuit... I fel asleep after 20 minutes...
Monza, Spa, and Silverstone have all produced some fantastic races. I quite like Malaysia, although one of the things that makes racing there interesting is the weather. Bahrain didn't do a great deal for me. I find it amazing that we had to miss a year at Spa, yet Hungary and both of the German tracks were still used. It'd be great if Bernie consulted with the drivers about where to send the circus. We'd always have Spa and Suzuka on the calendar! I think China is a pretty spectacular track. I really think F1 needs to keep it's 'heritage' venues as well though.
for Speed Racer to drive by. Just from watching the broadcast, the track is very eye pleasing. It looks like a design right out of the old cartoon...the grand stadium, filled with people, the big towers and garages. Where were all of the villians?
Doesn't anyone else see the comics in the biggest comunist country in the world spending millions on the most commercial motorsport ever? But on the topic of the track, I think it looked just amazing. /Peter
It is quite ironic to have the ultimate symbol for the capitalistic world and frivolous spending stage their show in a brand new temple built by the People Republic of China. No question. OTOH I think China is trying hard to come away from the total communistic approach they started out on. They're still suffering in the human rights department and the country is run more by an iron fist than democracy, but they do show some very pragmatic approaches to economic issues. They didn't kill off Hong Kong when it transitioned and they sure as hell turned Shanghai into a carbon copy of the prosperous Hong Kong. And I'm certain they will do the same thing to Macao. I'm glad they pulled this GP off and having seen their Western approach to the circuit and the show I'm convinced their Olympic games will be just as successful. PS: I walked through the streets of Shanghai 25 years ago. What a dramatic difference! From bamboo huts to marble sky scrapers.
Not too impressed with the bumps in the track. Didn't Malayasia have the same problem? I like this circuit better than Bahrain. Bahrain was like a bunch of sprints hooked together with short tight turns requiring max braking at the end of each run followed by max acceleration. Not much in the way of high speed corners. This track had some good high speed sweepers that tested the drivers ability to keep the car on the very edge for a longer period of time before hitting the straights. Testing driver skill, tires and set up at the same time. Get one of the three wrong and you are done.
The Ferrari F1 mechanics told me last night that this is the best circuit on the calendar. There wasn't even a debate. They like it better than Bahrain.
Aside from the track access - which they hopefully fix for next year -, this track most be the most modern and comfortable for all the teams, no question. I was utterly impressed by the pavillions behind the grandstands. Amazing! As much as I think this track is cool, I wouldn't think it is the best track racingwise. I'm still missing the elevation changes. I just don't understand why they don't work more on that aspect. I mean they spend millions of $$$, but save some bucks on putting together a nice landfill? C'mon, I bet the Chinese produce a ton of garbage as well, which would lead nicely to a hilly track. Oh well. But for a relatively flat track, this is probably the best.
