Rome Grand Prix track video lap

2012 F1 season

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Earlier this week we got our first glimpse of the Rome Grand Prix circuit.

Now they’ve an official website has been launched with a video lap of the proposed track.

The 4.8km circuit shown in the video has some differences compared to the tracks seen earlier. Specifically, it features quite a few more slow corner, presumably to reduce the speed of the cars in places where there is insufficient run-off.

This could prove problematic – the chicane installed at turn 10 at the Singapore circuit for this reason was widely criticised.

The track has 28 corners and a projected race distance of 66 laps.

Situated in the south of Rome, the area is served by a motorway with good links to the nearby Leonardo da Vinci airport.

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Keith Collantine
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65 comments on “Rome Grand Prix track video lap”

  1. Macademianut
    14th May 2009, 23:18

    Great.. nice video showing McLaren chasing Ferrari. Great Italian Job! :)

  2. “and a projected race distance of 28 laps.” ??

  3. Race distance of 66 laps.

    1. Yep, 66, have changed the text.

  4. That picture of the track at the end of the video looks a lot different than the picture on the post from yeaterday.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      15th May 2009, 0:44

      I noticed that. When I saw the proposal yesterday, I found out where it was on Google Earth and measured it to be just 3.2km. When I saw that video, I instantly noticed th 4.6km bit.

  5. Truth be told, I think I liked the earlier design more. Seemed simpler and shorter. A nice break from the usual modern ~5 km tracks.

  6. Well I like to see a bit more, say from the perspective of a helmet cam. I didn’t notice a start finish line, is that another track map? I’m guessing it’s on the long straightway before the first hairpin?

    Downside:
    1. I used to go to the Long Beach GP (CART)…the best action was in the hairpin near the Aquarium…lots of opportunities for getting it wrong and bringing out the safety car. A little rain will achieve the same result.

    2. I’m counting 2 hairpins…so if I’d get a seat at the end of either and drink my vino there and hope I could see the rear wings of the cars as they drove past hidden by the concrete barriers. A bunch of big screen TV’s for me to watch the rest of the race on…almost as good as being in my living room.

    Upside:
    1. The exhaust note will be awesome bouncing off those concrete barriers.
    2. I’m in Rome…have fun.

  7. their are planning the construction of a Grand Prix circuit at Rome and they do that kind of video? :P

    not the best quality ever done… the rFactor Donington Park pictures were much better… this one even has a Ferrari with the sound that is quite similar to the 2005 Renault V10 :)

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      15th May 2009, 2:11

      Would you rather they spent all the money on the video presentation or on building the track?

    2. After all that video of donnington might be the closest we get to a track.

  8. Yes very cool video looks like it might be fun to see as an extra race so long as we don’t lose important races off the calendar.
    The cars would need the monaco steering setup of course for the tight hairpins. and a nice sweeping straight.
    I agrre that on onboard video shot would be better.

  9. So despite passing the second place Ferrari twice, Hamilton still ends up third behind both Ferraris. Looks to me like the stewards got involved once again.

    1. I think it’s Kovalainen with the red helmet ;)

  10. So Ferrari placed 1st and 2nd, while McLaren placed 3rd? So Ferrari places 12th and 13th, while McLaren grabs 14th. I was half expecting to see a Force India not far behind.

    All kidding aside though, this track looks incredibly simple and equally awesome.

  11. 28 bends!! Is that all? Can’t they get it up around 50 or more? lol

    Personally I’d prefer the simpler version

  12. wow. this video wasn’t informative at all!

  13. was that a rfactor simulation? not very good graphix. smooth anti-alising & antroscopic filtering is required. i would still prefer to have a race in a traditional circuit rather than rome. i dont like the modernization of ancient cities like london,paris,rome. there r so many abandoned circuits of europe that can be used. we all know how chaotic rome is. just imagine the traffic nightmares rome has to put up with for 3 days during the race weekend. bernie is pushing for too many new circuits too quickly. there are rumors there is going to be yet another street circuit in the capital city of india,new delhi.i think it is also something similar to rome,where the circuit winds it way through monuments.imo what we need now is a really high speed circuit like the old hockenheim , avus or even the old silverstone. but they must keep hermann tilke away from circuit design dept. i think i saw a video in youtube .it was a circuit that had a mixture of all favourite corners of homilton, like eau rouge,130 r etc. is it possible to design such a circuit?will it be a success?

    link

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3jvAqAUsZ8

    1. Unfortunately, the regulations I think mean you will never see another Eau Rouge designed afresh ever again.

      This track does not inspire me at all I’m afraid. Stop these street circuits!!

  14. They won’t go that fast with all the new restrictions ;D

  15. This video must have been done a while ago, Ferrair look quick with Mclaren up there with them! also sponsored by vodafone and have grooved tyres! it looks ok, but personally i think we have got enough street circuits now!

  16. Situated in the south of Rome, the area is served by a motorway with good links to the nearby Leonardo da Vinci airport.

    Judging from Google Maps, there are also 4 metro stations within walking distance.

    1. and a big train station and the highway to the airport right to the west of it.

  17. Two hairpins and three more hairpin-line corners. I guess there is only one point offering overtaking opportunity, which is the first hairpin at the end of start-finish straight. Other part of the circuit is so tight.

    1. You realise that they are racing counterclockwise?

  18. HounslowBusGarage
    15th May 2009, 9:02

    @ Steve_P and Prisoner Monkeys.
    This link is on the other Rome thread and was posted by Guido. It shows the correct track layout that matches the one in the CGI here.
    http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php?id=58193&sez=HOME_SPORT#

  19. I preferred the first design.
    Unless this becomes the Vatican GP I’d rather keep Monza as the Italian GP.

    1. The circuit is promoted as the ‘Gran Premio Roma’, so no Vatican or Italian Grand Prix links there. The vatican is several kilometers away, too, although that didn’t stop Imola from hosting the San Marino GP for 20-odd years.

    2. What’s wrong with Gran Premio Roma? No need for European GP or Mediterranean GP whatsoever.

      By the way, the latter was a non-championship F1 race, which later switched to F2 and subsequently F3000 rules at Pergusa.

  20. Is this going forward as a potential European GP with Monza as Italian GP?

    I do not want Monza off the calender and I think Ecclestone feels the same. Hold on, he said that about Canada too…

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      15th May 2009, 9:46

      Probably not. Valencia have signed on as the European Grand Prix for a few years; Rome is probably hoping they can either steal the Italain Grand Prix away from Monza or that a new round under a new name – under something like ‘Mediterranean Grand Prix’ – will be created for them.

    2. What’s wrong with Gran Premio Roma? No need for European GP or Mediterranean GP whatsoever.

      By the way, the latter was a non-championship F1 race, which later switched to F2 and subsequently F3000 rules at Pergusa.

      (Sorry, replied to the wrong thread.)

  21. If this goes ahead I expect to read the same deeply disappointing remarks like I did after the Valencia and Singapore grand prix’s…

    1. To be fair,Singapore was quite a good race.

      Two hours of racing was pretty cool.

      Make the drivers work for there money! :D

  22. The original design was miles better. Now, I’d be really disappointed if a GP is going to be held there, on such a bland, low speed, boring lay out.

    1. Never mind the narrowness of the track at certain places, amongst which the start-finish straight, which goes underneath an overpass, and is only just over 3 lanes wide, there.

  23. lol Looked like the Ferrari’s were holding up the McLaren. BS video really, you can’t really get a feel for the circuit and really are they gonna leave Monza?

  24. I noticed it goes dark near the end of the video. Does this mean it’s a twilight race? With half points? For the benefit of all the American fans?

  25. They couldn’t update the car models? The Ferrari still says “Vodafone” on the nose.

    1. Was about to say that myself.. is this “proposal” video a few years old now and it’s been cooking on Bernies campfire for so long?

  26. I’m from Italy and I can tell you this grand prix is pure speculation and it will never be done. Italy is in extremely critical conditions, from and economic, democratic and social point of view, and this is just expensive propaganda for the city’s and the italian government, and smoke in they eyes of italian and rome citizens. This race will never see the light.
    So no need to worry about it.

  27. Bigbadderboom
    15th May 2009, 15:55

    Hmmm, this looks like another twilight special doesn’t it

  28. does this mean the end of Monza?

  29. Worth of Formula Super-Mario

  30. Sush Meerkat
    15th May 2009, 18:09

    I know this is probably rubbish but hey, here is my contribution.

    the start of the video where all the destinations join up upon Rome and create a sign, its the sign of Helios, the Roman Sun God Helios and then we see Ferrari’s with the Shell logo on them.

    Well the Helios is BP’s logo. BURN!.

  31. Vodafone sponsorship on the Ferrari nose?

    This video must’ve been produced quite sometime ago.

    1. was thinking the same thing!

  32. HounslowBusGarage
    15th May 2009, 22:19

    @ hamz0rs.
    Do you think that this is just a vanity project then? Designed to centre attention on the Mayor Alemanno (and to irritate The Northern League)?
    I’ve only been to this area of Rome once, but I have great difficulty imagining a Formula One race there.

  33. I’ve been to Rome many times, love the place, but don’t think this will ever happen.

    If it did though, I’ll be doing a long weekend at the Es hotel (changed names I think now tho) again!

  34. When I heard “Grand Prix in Rome, I pictured something involving Piazza Venezia down to and around the Colloseum, like the Ferrari-Shell video ad. This is in some anonymous unrecognisable commercial/business district. Yawn!

    Keep Monza at all costs. Von Trips and Peterson deserve perpetual memorials.

  35. Chaz has the right take:

    If this goes ahead I expect to read the same deeply disappointing remarks like I did after the Valencia and Singapore grand prix’s…

    Same as Monaco and Long Beach or Toronto. Street circuits offer tremendous glitz with little racing (passing) opportunities.

    But I’ll still take my open wheel racing wherever they choose to put it, if there is still such a thing next year.

  36. Vanity project fits very well as a definition. As collateral damage it will annoy the northern league, they already have complained and will keep doing it, but they only do so to keep their voters calm and confident that the party is fighting for them, when most of the management of the party couldn’t care less.
    They are already perfectly satisfied of the power and wealth they enjoy at the moment. They will even get free tickets for the race if it was ever done, so why bother.

  37. BORING!
    They put chicanes on ALL of the fast bits.
    I WANT HIGH SPEED CORNERS, AND I WANT THEM NOW!!!!!!!!!!

  38. Hmm, theyve tried to come up with something more traffic-friendly by trying to avoid the Via C.Colombo, which is a main traffic artery of Rome. But the only way they figured to do that was by putting two straights on one 4-lane road. No matter how you split it, both directions will be too narrow. There’s no runoff. theres risk of debris ending upp on the other side of the barrier. That solution will NEVER pass FIA scrutiny.
    The final harpin before start/finish seems to make no sense, theres no runoff in the righthand corner preceding it and it doesnt add anything + unnecessarily narrow.
    Also, by running counterclockwise they create runoff issues in 5 corners. If it were to run clockwise there would be only 3 with the same layout, and eachof them less serious. The only thing they would have to change around is moving the chicane before the long fast turn coming up to start/finish to the other side, where there is room for a bus-stop-like solution.

    Because I dont see a solution tho the narrow paralel+ opposite direction straights, we won’t ever see racing on this layout. Maybe theyll be willing to cut the Via Colombo, or redraw a track that stays just to one side of it and with a really short start/finish straight.

  39. look at when that video was uploaded

    May 13th,2009

    lol

    1. Why’s that funny?

  40. Do we really need another slow street track with concrete walls everywhere? don’t get me wrong i do like monaco and singapore… great race circuits. but whats wrong with all the classic fast proper race circuits like san marino or the A1 ring, the day we ever lose monza for a street circuit in rome is a sad day for F1

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