Formula 1 Circuits

[Chrill]

Zandvoort? Yay!
Hanoi? Nay!

We just lost Malaysia due to lack of spectators. Why would a race in an even poorer country near there do any better?

[Penfold]

It won't!  Perhaps authorities only intend to run it for a limited number of years to try and give their tourism industry a bump; take some up-front losses to promote the country through the medium of F1 - then politely decline to extend the contract once the job is done.

Race is now confirmed and track layout revealed; spoiler alert: it was designed by Tilke and features a near-one mile straight (shocker!) https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/139884/hanoi-f1-circuit-details-revealed

[Chrill]

Looks awful as always. Two roundabouts creating a Sochi-style sweeper, and they claim inspiration from Nurburgring, Monaco, and Suzuka. Bullcrap.

It'll be a failure, for sure. I am not too keen on these mega long straights.

[Penfold]

I am even less keen than that on these mega long straights.  I also don't much care for street circuits... or pretty much anything ever designed by that Tilke chap.

[Chrill]

I always liked Malaysia and Turkey. Shame we don't have them no more.

Of the modern tracks, I quite like COTA and I do approve of Baku these days. The first part of the lap is no fun, but the second part is so narrow and technical. That long straight is a negative aspect of Baku, but it's the one they chose to imitate in Vietnam.

Tilke was involved in making COTA, was he not? I know Baku is his.

[Penfold]

I never much cared for the Malaysian circuit; I will credit Tilke for Turkey, that was a nicely crafted piece of tarmac.  COTA's all right, seems more of a homage to various tracks than something straight from the designer's imagination.  I've also always felt that it would flow better if the twiddly infield section (turns 12 to 17) got the chop, but Tilke seems determined to insert as many different types of corner as possible at every single track.

[Chrill]

I'm sure we had a forum game for a while where we created our own street circuits. We might as well have a go at building our own permanent circuits too.

[Chrill]

Could we see a Finnish Grand Prix in the coming years?
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/study-finland-race-motogp-track/4325450/

[Penfold]

They should break with tradition and go for a minimalist track, something like this:

[Chrill]

That's just the McLaren logo.

[Penfold]

I thought it had a certain Finnish quality to it....

[Chrill]

They call it the Kymi Ring after all. Surely Kimi Ring would suit your layout better.

[Penfold]

Mine is the Shark Fin Autodrome....

[Penfold]

No more Government money for the Mexican GP: https://www.racefans.net/2019/02/01/future-mexican-grand-prix-doubt-government-pulls-funding/

[Penfold]

I don't much care for the Mexico race, save for the novelty of altitude racing, but I am rather fond of the Baku event... which is why I'm happy to report that the organisers have just added three years to their F1 contract: https://www.racefans.net/2019/02/05/baku-extends-f1-race-deal-by-three-years/