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Changing tracks: Hungaroring

Keith Collantine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:08:23 +0000

This year sees the 25th F1 race at the Hungaroring.

When the track was first built it was derided for being slow, boring and lacking opportunities for overtaking.

But as track designs have become ever less varied, has the time come to re-appraise the popular view of the Hungaroring as one of the worst tracks on the calendar?

Hungaroring, Hungary – 1986

Length: 4.014km (2.494 miles)

In its original configuration the circuit was slightly shorter than it is today, and with even less room for overtaking.

The first change came in 1989 when the exit of turn three was straightened out. This had originally been a tight curve put in to avoid an underground stream.

It was a good thing the organisers managed to move it, or we might not have seen one of the most dramatic moments ever witnessed at the Hungaroring that year: Nigel Mansell’s three-abreast passing move on Ayrton Senna as the pair lapped Stefan Johansson.

Hungaroring, Hungary – 2010

Length: 4.831km (2.722 miles)

Two further changes were made to the track layout in time for the 2003 race. The start/finish straight was extended (though it remains one of the shortest on the calendar) and a new, tighter first corner built with the aim of increasing overtaking opportunities.

For the same reason the fast chicane at turn 12 was turned into a straight followed by a right-hander. The former change has had a greater effect on racing than the latter, but this is still a track with a reputation for being very hard to overtake on.

Nonetheless, after a succession of increasingly similar Hermann Tilke-designed new tracks have appeared on the calendar, perhaps it’s time we cut the Hungaroring a little slack.

As Fernando Alonso, who scored his first win here in 2003, points out, the twisty section at the back of the circuit is hard work for the drivers:

You need to drive a bit like a rally driving style all through the lap. There is no time to breathe, it’s corner after corner, it’s like a small go-kart circuit for Formula 1.
Fernando Alonso

It’s also a good venue for spectators. Set in a natural bowl, views across the circuit are good from several stands. It draws a substantial crowd from nearby countries which don’t have Grands Prix, such as Poles coming to see Robert Kubica.

After 25 years, is there now something to be said for the Hungaroring? Does it just seem better because of the quality of the new venues added to the F1 calendar in recent years? Or is it still the same unexciting, unloved venue it’s always been?

Have your say in the comments.

2010 Hungarian Grand Prix

Browse all 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix articles

Image (C) Williams/LAT

Lewis Hamilton takes McLaren back to winning ways (Hungarian Grand Prix)

Keith Collantine — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:00:32 +0000

Lewis Hamilton scored his second win at the Hungaroring

Lewis Hamilton seized the lead of the Hungarian Grand Prix and never let it go as McLaren bounced back from their terrible start to 2009.

The world champion was followed home by Kimi Raikkonen – the only Ferrari in the race following Felipe Massa’s crash – meaning KERS-powered cars filled the first two places on the podium for the first time.

Mark Webber boosted his championship chances with third – but Sebastian Vettel failed to finish and Jenson Button could only manage seventh.

Raikkonen and Vettel tangle

Fernando Alonso kept his lead easily at the start – but behind him four cars came out of the first corner side-by-side. They were led by Webber, who re-passed Hamilton’s McLaren, which had made its usual terrific KERS-boosted getaway.

Raikkonen had also made rapid KERS-powered progress and took up fourth behind Hamilton, squeezing Vettel aside as they headed towards turn two. That damaged the Red Bull, and he slipped down the order behind Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen. Shortly afterwards the stewards announced they would take a look at it after the race. and Vettel laid blame for the contact unequivocally at Raikkonen’s feet.

Button was beaten away from the line by Kazuki Nakajima and fell to ninth. But – just as he did at Bahrain and Sepang – a crucial pass on the second lap put him back in front of the Williams driver.

Alonso’s race ends early

Alonso’s light Renault quickly scampered off into the lead, but Webber couldn’t keep Hamilton back. On lap four another well-timed jab of the KERS button got Hamilton alongside the Red Bull and past around the outside of turn two.

Despite carrying more fuel, Hamilton began cutting into Alonso’s lead. Alonso’s 2.9s advantage lap five was trimmed back to 1.2s by lap nine. From there Hamilton wasn’t able to get much closer – but Alonso was about to come into the pits for a stop which proved the undoing of his race.

The front-right wheel didn’t attach to the R29 properly, and by the second corner the wheel fairing had blown free. Even more alarmingly, in light of recent accidents, the wheel then fell off completely, but mercifully no-one hit it. His race ruined, Alonso limped back into the pits for a new wheel, and later retired.

Red Bull pit problems

Hamilton now took up the lead and quickly extended his advantage over Webber. Despite having gone to the grid with more fuel, Webber came into the pits before Hamilton, on the same lap as Raikkonen.

Webber, too, ran into trouble on his pit stop and the team ended up releasing him as Raikkonen was passing by. The pair avoided contact – and there was no word of an investigation by the stewards – but Raikkonen took the position.

Vettel had more serious problems. After his pit stop on lap 21 he complained to the team that his car felt un-driveable, and there were signs of smoke from the back of the car. The team summoned him to the pits to have the car looked at, but after a brief return to the track with a new front wing tyres, he retired the Red Bull, blaming his problem on the contact with Raikkonen.

Hamilton dominates

After the early round of pit stops Hamilton held onto his lead with Button now up to second – though yet to come into the pits. He was catching Hamilton quickly, but not happy with his car’s performance on the super soft tyres. But a switch to soft tyres on lap 25 only made things worse and he slipped out of the points positions – Giancarlo Fisichella overtaking the Brawn as it came out of the pits.

Hamilton’s hold on the lead never looked anything less than solid, and so did Raikkonen’s grasp on second, despite a slow getaway after his second stop. Webber dropped back from the Ferrari and was caught by Kovalainen and Rosberg. The McLaren driver pitted first of the three, falling behind Rosberg, but Webber held his position.

Timo Glock ran two very long stints which worked well for him, and would have done better had he not got stuck behind Raikkonen. After his final pit stop he came out ahead of not only team mate Jarno Trulli but also Button, and spent the run to the chequered flag vainly chasing Kovalainen. Trulli in turn had Nakajima and Rubens Barrichello close behind him – the second Brawn driver enduring a compromised race after starting outside the top ten.

At the back of the field, newcomer Jaime Alguersuari finished ahead of just one other runner but it was an important one: his team mate Sebastien Buemi

. The Swiss driver spun off at turn two late in the race, and both Toro Rossos set their fastest lap on the final tour.

The result lifts Webber to second in the drivers’ championship race, making him the leading rival to Button. The Brawn driver’s lead is trimmed to 18.5 points and Brawn’s lead in the constructors’ championship is now only 15.5.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, more than doubled his championship tally, moving into eighth place with 19 points.

Driver of the race

Hard to pick anyone other than Lewis Hamilton for driver of the race. Here’s who you picked on Twitter:

lukeatherton – hammy baby!!
dcowlives – Has 2 b Hamilton, expected him 2 take lead but not stay there & in such commandng fashion. 10/10 to the boy from Stevenage.
rubvic – I think Lewis did the best job, and managed to open a confortable gap.
HansiF – Congratulations to Jaime Alguersuari who finished ahead of his team mate in his first ever Grand Prix
shaohanmandy – I should say ….Lewis
noelinho – Hamilton has to be driver of the race, but a great drive from Rosberg too. He’s definitely worth an honorary mention.
TweetingSteve – Hamilton no doubt – great start, great overtaking of Weber and great race from the front.
Jake360 – Kimi drove the best in my opinion with a car not as good as the Mclaren. Can’t take anything away from Lewis though.
Pearlaceous – Got to be Ham for me
Greg0800 – Glock

Who was your driver of the race? Have your say below.

Update: Raikkonen has not been punished for his actions at the start. Red Bull have been reprimanded for releasing Webber unsafely into the path of Raikkonen.

Update 2: Renault banned from European Grand Prix following Fernando Alonso’s wheel loss

The state of the 2010 F1 calendar

Keith Collantine — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:00:08 +0000

Hockenheim, along with Donington and Fuji, looks uncertain for 2010

With so much attention focused on which teams might be racing in F1 in 2010, less is being said about what circuits might feature on the world championship calendar.

Many circuits are facing pressure from falling audiences and Bernie Ecclestone’s unrelentingly high prices. There is significant doubt over the planned races at Hockenheim, Fuji and Donington Park.

With this in mind, which tracks will still be on the 2010 F1 calendar, which new or returning events could arrive – and which ones will be squeezed out?

British Grand Prix

Significant doubt surrounds the British Grand Prix’s proposed move from Silverstone to Donington Park.

Construction work at the circuit has caused races to be cancelled or postponed, track owner Tom Wheatcroft is demanding millions in unpaid rent from race organiser Simon Gillett, and few details have emerged concerning how the circuit upgrade and race contract will be paid for.

Ecclestone has emphatically denied that, if Donington isn’t ready, F1 could return to Silverstone in 2010. But as well as suggesting the British Grand Prix could skip a year in 2010 while Donington gets ready, he has also indicated that a return to Silverstone could happen after all.

Silverstone, meanwhile, has bagged Donington’s Moto GP race for 2010 and is planning revisions to its layout to accommodate the bikes. But rumours suggest other F1-friendly developments are in the pipeline too. Among the most radical suggestions are that Ecclestone could buy the circuit.

Read more

German Grand Prix

The German Grand Prix is supposed to rotate between the Nürburgring (this year’s host) and the Hockenheimring (next year’s).

However in December the Badem-Württemberg government said it would no longer provide financial support to the race which was believed to have lost €6m (£5.1m/$8.6m) last year.

The two circuits had begun sharing the event since the retirement of Michael Schumacher has seen a significant fall in race attendance – despite five of F1′s 20 drivers having German nationality. The Nürburgring round receives government support estimated at $15m per year in 2007.

Japanese Grand Prix

The Japanese Grand Prix is also operating a rotation system, between Honda-owned Suzuka and Toyota-owned Fuji.

However earlier this week it emerged that the organisers of the Fuji race are considering dropping the event after just two runnings at the modernised venue in 2007 and 2008.

Read more

Fuji Speedway to disappear from 2010 F1 calendar, things are looking up

South Korean Grand Prix

South Korea's F1 track in Jeonnam (click to enlarge)

The South Korean Grand Prix is expected to be the major new addition to the 2010 F1 calendar.

The 5.4km Jeonnam Circuit was designed by (prepare to feign surprise) Hermann Tilke and is located in the south-west of the country.

The addition of a new round to the calendar doesn’t necessarily mean another event has to be dropped. This year’s calendar was cut from 18 to 17 rounds following the last-minute dropping of the French Grand Prix.

Read more

2010 South Korean F1 track shown in new pictures on official website

Recently dropped races

Several races that have fallen off the calendar in recent years have expressed a desire to return.

France’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon has stated a desire to return the French Grand Prix to the F1 calendar in 2010. It is absent from the world championship calendar this year for the first time since its cancellation in 1955 following the Le Mans disaster.

However there are several obstacles hindering the hopes for a race at the proposed Flins-Mureux track (which, unusually, has not been designed by Hermann Tilke). The President of the Conseil General of the Yvelines departement Pierre Bedier, a key supporter of the race, has had to stand down from his position after losing an appeal against a corruption charge. And residents near the proposed site of the Flins track have raised many objections.

Similarly the promoters of the Canadian Grand Prix, which was dropped at the end of 2008, have had a series of meetings with Bernie Ecclestone aimed at returning the circuit to the F1 calendar.

However there has been little talk of a potential return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the United States Grand Prix. There have recently been rumours that speedway boss Tony George, who arranged the 2000-2007 races with Bernie Ecclestone, was to be dismissed from the circuit, but this failed to materialise. He is likely preoccupied with the affect of the recession on his circuit and the Indy Racing League.

The 2011 and 2012 F1 calendars

The Indian Grand Prix, which was originally planned for 2010, is now aiming to be on the F1 calendar in 2011. Ecclestone told the BBC in January:

Of course we will deliver… otherwise we wouldn’t have entered into an agreement. [India is] a large, large country with a big population and it’s good for the sponsors, car manufacturers and everyone involved in Formula 1.

A Rome Grand Prix looks increasingly likely for 2012. The circuit layout has been planned (video lap here) and Ecclestone is believed to have registered the name ‘Formula 1 Gran Premio di Roma’. This would likely scupper any lingering hope Imola has of returning to the calendar, despite getting a facelift since being dropped by F1 in 2006.

The Hungarian national government, which puts around $14m per year into the Hungarian Grand Prix, is considering whether to continue that level of support after 2011.

The Turkish Grand Prix’s contract is up for renewal after the 2011 race. Many circuits are suffering poor attendance at F1 races at the moment but the Istanbul Park circuit’s shortage seemed particularly acute last year. Keep an eye on those stands this weekend.

Read more

Which events do you think will fall off the calendar in 2010? Will we continue to see European races fall by the wayside? And will the South Korean race happen? Leave a comment below.

2009 F1 tracks compared

Keith Collantine — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:00:53 +0000

F1 cars exceed 350kph on Monza's long straights

After looking at the 2009 F1 cars from various angles many people have remarked on how different many of the designs are.

But if we take a look at the circuits alongside one another it seems F1 tracks are becoming increasingly similar.

2009 F1 tracks – top speeds

Venue – Top speed (kph/mph)
Monza – 351/218
Istanbul – 315/195
Interlagos – 314/195
Suzuka – 313/194
Spa-Francorchamps – 310/192
Shanghai – 310/192
Bahrain – 309/192
Catalunya – 308/191
Valencia – 306/190
Melbourne – 303/188
Nürburgring – 300/186
Sepang – 297/184
Singapore – 297/184
Silverstone – 294/182
Hungaroring – 291/180
Monte-Carlo – 286/177

A few years ago the Hockenheimring would have been up there with Monza as one of two tracks where F1 cars are trimmed out for maximum speed.

But, besides the fact it is not on the calendar this year, it’s 2002 re-modelling by Hermann Tilke has drastically changed its character, and it’s no longer the flat-out forest blast it used to be.

2009 F1 tracks – lap length

Venue – Lap length (km)
Spa – 7.004
Suzuka – 5.807
Abu Dhabi – 5.8*
Monza – 5.793
Sepang – 5.543
Shanghai – 5.451
Valencia – 5.44
Bahrain – 5.412
Istanbul – 5.338
Melbourne – 5.303
Nürburgring – 5.148
Silverstone – 5.141
Singapore – 5.067
Catalunya – 4.655
Hungaroring – 4.381
Interlagos – 4.309
Monte-Carlo – 3.34

For proof that F1 circuits are becoming increasingly similar, look no further than this graph. In terms of length F1′s newest circuits are a homogeneous bunch, most measuring between 5-5.5km.

On the face of it this may not seem like too big a deal, but it seems like a requirement of the regulations that stifles creativity.

There are plenty of arguments for having a greater variety of circuit lengths in Formula 1. Longer tracks with more corners are more challenging to master, require more of a compromise in setup and, as drivers have fewer chances to reach the pits, can be more demanding in terms of strategy. On shorter tracks traffic is more of a problem.

But the bottom line is this: variety is good and by this measure F1 tracks are becoming much less varied.

*Construction not complete. See here for pictures of the Abu Dhabi circuit plans: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch pictures

2009 F1 tracks – longest flat-out section

Venue – Longest flat-out section (m)
Spa – 1,865
Shanghai – 1,370
Monza – 1,320
Suzuka – 1,230
Interlagos – 1,220
Istanbul – 1,200
Catalunya – 1,140
Bahrain – 1,050
Valencia – 930
Silverstone – 890
Sepang – 830
Nürburgring – 800
Hungaroring – 750
Melbourne – 735
Singapore – 650
Monte-Carlo – 510

Thanks to increased downforce on F1 cars and resurfacing at Spa-Francorchamps, corners such as Eau Rouge which once required a lift of the throttle are now comfortably flat. Though with downforce reduced this year, perhaps drivers will have to think twice about tackling them without lifting?

That could undermine Spa’s claim to have the longest flat-out blast in F1, just over 1.8km long. That’s slightly longer than half a lap of Monte-Carlo, by the way, another reason why greater variation between tracks is A Good Thing,

What is also curious here is that Shanghai, the venue with the second-longest flat-out section, has the third lowest proportion of the lap spent flat out.

2009 F1 tracks – full throttle

Venue – % of lap spent at full throttle
Spa – 70%
Monza – 70%
Suzuka – 67%
Melbourne – 65%
Sepang – 65%
Interlagos – 65%
Silverstone – 64%
Bahrain – 63%
Istanbul – 63%
Nürburgring – 62%
Valencia – 59%
Hungaroring – 58%
Catalunya – 57%
Shanghai – 55%
Singapore – 44%
Monte-Carlo – 42%

It would be fascinating to see how this data compares from F1 in the 1960s and 1970s, when laps of tracks like Monza, Silverstone and the Osterreichring were tackled with little deceleration at all.

Similarly, what about the superspeedway ovals of America like those used in the Indy Racing League? The percent of a spent at full throttle at track like Michigan must be in the high 90s.

Some might think this is heresy, but I’d love to see F1 take in a couple of oval tracks during a season, to bring more variety and a whole different discipline of racing to the sport.

2009 F1 tracks – tyre wear

Lewis Hamilton has had tyre trouble on both his visits to Istanbul Park

Venue – Tyre wear
Suzuka – high
Istanbul – high
Silverstone – medium/high
Hungaroring – medium/high
Spa – medium
Shanghai – medium
Interlagos – medium
Catalunya – medium
Bahrain – medium
Valencia – medium
Sepang – medium
Nürburgring – medium
Singapore – medium
Monte-Carlo – medium
Melbourne – medium/low
Monza – low

Tyre wear is likely to change dramatically in 2009 as F1 makes its long-awaited switch back to slicks from grooved tyres.

Early tests on Bridgestone’s slick rubber suggest drivers will struggle with high wear particularly on the rear tyres. But much of the off-season testing has taken place at lower temperatures than those usually seen at Grand Prix weekends, so it remains to be seen exactly how the tyres will work.

That said, a high tyre wear track will still be a high tyre wear track, just as there will always be some drivers who dish out more punishment to their equipment than others. Step forward Lewis Haimilton, who’s borne the brunt of tyre wear trouble at Istanbul for the last two years. This year Suzuka, another high tyre wear track, returns to the F1 calendar for the first time since Hamilton arrived in the sport – so make a note to keep an eye on the state of Hamilton’s Bridgestones there.

2009 F1 tracks – brake wear

Venue – Brake wear
Singapore – very high
Melbourne – high
Hungaroring – high
Bahrain – high
Nürburgring – high
Monte-Carlo – high
Monza – high
Suzuka – high
Shanghai – medium
Valencia – medium
Silverstone – low
Spa – low
Interlagos – low
Catalunya – low
Sepang – low
Istanbul – low

For years Montreal was renowned as the most punishing track for brakes. Sadly, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is not on the 2009 F1 calendar.

Taking its place as the most tortuous track for brake discs in Singapore. Each 5km lap has 23 corners, most of them quite slow, and high ambient temperatures won’t help. The track is being mildly revised for the 2009 race, but expects its brake-munching tendencies to remain.

2009 F1 tracks – downforce level

Venue – Downforce level
Singapore – very high
Hungaroring – very high
Monte-Carlo – very high
Valencia – high
Silverstone – high
Catalunya – high
Sepang – high
Melbourne – high
Shanghai – medium/high
Interlagos – medium
Istanbul – medium
Bahrain – medium
Nürburgring – medium
Spa – low
Suzuka – low
Monza – very low

Singapore joins the Hungaroring and Monte-Carlo in the maximum downforce club, where top speed is sacrificed for maximum cornering grip.

One of the talking points of the off-season has been whether the new aerodynamic regulations will actually reduce downforce. If they have been successful, differences in the performance of the cars at high downforce tracks versus low downforce tracks should be visible.

2009 F1 tracks – gear changes

Venue – Gear changes per lap
Singapore – 76
Valencia – 74
Sepang – 60
Melbourne – 60
Bahrain – 58
Nürburgring – 58
Monte-Carlo – 54
Shanghai – 52
Spa – 52
Hungaroring – 50
Monza – 46
Catalunya – 44
Istanbul – 42
Suzuka – 42
Interlagos – 40
Silverstone – 40

Before semi-automatic gearboxes arrived the number of gear changes per lap was especially crucial. A mis-timed gearchange could let a chasing driver slip by or, worse, over-rev an engine causing a DNF. This was a particularly worry at Monte-Carlo in the days when the race was 100 laps long, and some drivers would reach the chequered flag with the skin missing from their right hand.

Data: BMW, 2006-8

What do you think of the 2009 F1 tracks? Does the F1 calendar need more variety? Leave a comment below.

Read about every track used in Formula 1:

2009 F1 calendar

Images (C) Ferrari spa, Daimler

How Hermann Tilke conquered the F1 calendar, 1996-2009 (Video)

Keith Collantine — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:00:18 +0000

Hermann Tilke's A1 Ring was first used in 1997

Yesterday’s discussion about a potential Rome Grand Prix circuit turned into a debate about Hermann Tilke’s abilities as an F1 track designer. Daniel put forward the case for the prosecution:

Why do they still get this guy to build tracks? Every track he has designed is boring. With all the new tracks that have appeared in the last five or six years, the old ones are still the most entertaining: look at Spa and Monza.

Paul responded:

Tilke is rather limited to what he can produce by (presumably) FOM/Bernie and FIA regulations [...] I really don’t see any bad track he’s produced aside from Valencia, and we only have fifty or so laps to base that upon.

Has Hermann Tilke ruined the F1 calendar? Let’s take a look at what he’s done for F1 track design in the last 14 years.

In 1997 the Austrian Grand Prix returned to the calendar on a circuit based on the popular old Osterreichring. But the new A1-Ring was a radically different affair to its predecessor: the fast, long-radio turns of the original were replaced by tight, slow corners.

This is one of the hallmarks of Tilke’s designs and by comparing the calendar of 13 years ago with today’s schedule we can see the influence it has had.

1996 F1 calendar

Melbourne, Australia
Interlagos, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nürburgring, Germany
Imola, San Marino
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada
Magny-Cours, France
Silverstone, Great Britain
Hockenheimring, Germany
Hungaroring, Budapest
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Monza, Italy
Estoril, Portugal
Suzuka, Japan

Since 1996 every new track that has been introduced on the calendar has been developed by Tilke GmbH. And on almost every other occasion where an existing track has been changed, the modifications were handled by Tilke’s team – with the possible exception of Indianapolis in 2000 (I’m not sure who handled that one):

1997 – A1-Ring
1999 – Sepang International Circuit
2000 – Monza (first chicane)
2002 – Hockenheimring (major re-design)
2002 – Nürburgring (new corners at start of lap)
2003 – Monte-Carlo (Rascasse reprofiling and moving of barriers)
2003 – Magny-Cours (new corners at end of lap)
2003 – Hungaroring (new corners at end of lap)
2004 – Bahrain International Circuit
2004 – Shanghai International Circuit
2005 – Istanbul Park
2007 – Catalunya (new chicane at end of lap)
2007 – Fuji (major re-design)
2007 – Spa-Francorchamps (new chicane at end of lap)
2008 – Valencia
2008 – Singapore
2009 – Abu Dhabi
2010 – Donington (major re-design)

Regardless of what you think of Tilke’s tracks, you have to ask whether only having one circuit designer is good for Formula 1. Where are the new ideas going to come from in a monopoly? How can good value for money be ensured in an industry where there is no competition?

2009 F1 calendar

The first race at Tilke's Valencia street circuit was processional

Here’s this year’s calendar with the tracks entirely designed by Tilke marked in bold and the tracks where he’s changed at least one corner in italics:

Melbourne, Australia
Sepang, Malaysia
Shanghai International Circuit, China
Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
Circuit de Catalunya, Spain
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Istanbul, Turkey
Silverstone, Great Britain
Nürburgring, Germany
Hungaroring, Budapest
Valencia, Spain
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Monza, Italy
Marina Bay, Singapore
Suzuka, Japan
Interlagos, Brazil
Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

On top of that, the German and Japanese rounds are being rotated between two other circuits which aren’t hosting Grands Prix year, but will be on the 2010 F1 calendar.

These are the Hockenheimring, which was substantially re-designed by Tilke in 2002, and Fuji Speedway, which has also had a complete Tilke overhaul.

Culprit or scapegoat?

Tilke gets a hard time from a lot of F1 fans. His designs are derided for being unimaginative, with too many slow corners.

I think Tilke gets a bad press. As this Youtube video posted by Gabal on the forum shows, he is more of a petrol head than people give him credit for:

It’s hard to match the idea of Hermann Tilke grinning through hot laps of the Nordschleife in a Lamborghini with the man who gave us horrible Mickey Mouse bends like the final sector at Fuji Speedway. So what’s the problem?

As I’ve said before I think the regulations are partly to blame. Why should the world’s most technologically sophisticated racing cars be prevented from tackling no more than ten degrees of gradient?

I also think the safety demands placed on modern circuits saps them of their power to impress us. This is not an argument for making tracks less safe, but I think it shows why the first turn at Shanghai doesn’t impress us the same way Eau Rouge or Blanchimont does. (Also, it helps that corners on old tracks usually have proper names).

Motorland Aragon – his finest work?

Motorland Aragon

Ironically, one of Tilke’s most promising tracks may never be used for an F1 race. Motorland Aragon in Spain includes the closest thing you can get to Laguna Seca’s fabled Corkscrew on an F1-ready track.

But with Spain already holding two Grands Prix at Catalunya and Valencia, its chances of getting on the calendar look slim. This is a great pity, as it looks like one of Tilke’s best efforts, and includes a dramatic pit building designed by Sir Norman Foster, the man behind the McLaren Technology Centre and many other exceptional pieces of architecture.

Although I’m not sure Tilke deserves all the criticism he gets, equally I’d like to see more variety in F1 track design. For example, given enough run-off space, why couldn’t F1 have high-speed circuits like the Monzas, Silverstones and Osterreichrings of old?

Do you think the Tilke track monopoly is good or bad for F1? Would Tilke produce better tracks if the rules were freer? Have your say in the comments.

Images (C) BMW ag, Red Bull / GEPA

It’s Hungary for me in 2009

Keith Collantine — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:03:17 +0000

Robert Kubica during last year's Hungarian Grand Prix

This year I’m planning to visit the Hungaroring to see the Hungarian Grand Prix for the first time.

Have you made any plans to go to an F1 race in 2009?

I know what everyone says about the Hungaroring: it’s slow, it’s boring, the racing is usually rubbish. Don Speekingleesh went in 2004 and said it was, “Possibly the dullest race of all time. Still had a great weekend though.”

The Hungaroring has given us some moments of drama in recent years – Jenson Button’s shock win in the wet in 2006, the McLaren affair in 2007, and Felipe Massa losing victory mere laps from the finish last year. But it’s not a track you can rely on to produce a really good F1 race. (At least, not with the pre-2009 specification cars.)

It’s an interesting venue in other ways, though: it was the only track to hold a world championship F1 race during the Soviet era. It was also the scene of one of the races that made me an F1 fan – the terrific 1989 race, which I watched on the BBC with Murray Walker, which Nigel Mansell won for Ferrari from 12th on the grid.

Part of my reason for choosing the Hungaroring that it’s a holiday destination. We’re planning to stay near Lake Balaton, which looks very pretty, from which we can pop into Budapest as well.

A quick check on the F1 Fanatic spectators’ experiences page for the Hungaroring shows one previous visitor, Cameron, who’s left some useful tips including this:

We had two blocks of tickets, one section of 2 seats in Gold 1, and one section of 3 seats in Silver 4. Sightlines from Silver 4 are fantastic, you can see much of the track due to their position on the hill rimming the valley the track resides in. Its good fun watching cars come through the tight turn 14 and onto the straight, especially the GP2 cars as they slide as their tires begin to go off. Gold 1 is directly across from the pits and gives you a great view of the start, but next time I would try Gold 4 instead, as this give you a view of the only passing zone on the track, turn 1.

Silver 4 tickets start at €257. Of course, buying Grand Prix tickets at the moment means playing exchange rate roulette. Should we buy now and get the 5% early booking discount, or wait and see if the pound recovers against the Euro?

I haven’t forgotten about Silverstone, of course, which is holding the British Grand Prix for what could be the last time this year, and I’ll be there too if I can.

If anyone else has any tips on visiting the Hungaroring, please let me know. Have you booked tickets to see an F1 race in 2009?

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Did you go to a race in 2008?

Keith Collantine — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:00:54 +0000

Silverstone was packed for the British Grand Prix

Did you visit a Grand Prix in 2008?

If so, please take a moment to share your opinions about the experience with other fans who’ve been to the same venues:

You can read other people’s experiencess of visiting the races on the Grand Prix calendar, share your own and pass on tips to other F1 fans via these links:

2009 F1 calendar shortened

Keith Collantine — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:17:48 +0000

The FIA has published an updated 2009 F1 calendar.

The Chinese Grand Prix is now the third round instead of the 15th, and will be held in April. This means F1 will have visited the circuit twice within seven months, and next year’s Grand Prix may see different climactic conditions to what we have been used to.

At the end of the calendar the final race of the season, at the new Yas Island Marina circuit for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been brought forward by two weeks, reducing the total duration of the season by the same amount. The Brazilian round has been moved forward two weeks and the Japanese round by one week.

There is no indication that the missing rounds at Montreal (Canadian Grand Prix) and Magny-Cours (French Grand Prix) may be reinstated.

Full updated calendar details here: 2009 F1 calendar

2009 F1 calendar: better than ’08? (Poll)

Keith Collantine — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:37 +0000

F1 gains Suzuka (above) but loses Montreal in 2009

The official 2009 F1 calendar has been published with the Canadian Grand Prix mysteriously absent. That’s not the only change for next year, with Abu Dhabi arriving on the calendar as the new season finale.

Has the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone done a better job with the 2009 F1 calendar than the 2008 schedule? Compare the two and cast your vote below.

The major changes between the two calendars are:

Round	2008 race	2009 race
1	Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne	Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
2	Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang	Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang
3	Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir	Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
4	Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya	Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya
5	Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul	Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo
6	Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo	Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul
7	Canadian Grand prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	British Grand Prix, Silverstone
8	French Grand Prix, Magny-Cours	French Grand Prix, Magny-Cours
9	British Grand Prix, Silverstone	German Grand Prix*, Nürburgring
10	German Grand Prix, Hockenheimring	Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring
11	Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring	European Grand Prix**, Valencia
12	European Grand Prix, Valencia	Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps
13	Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps	Italian Grand Prix, Monza
14	Italian Grand Prix, Monza	Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore
15	Singapore Grand Prix, Singapore	Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
16	Japanese Grand Prix, Fuji Speedway	Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
17	Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai	Brazilian Grand Prix, Interlagos
18	Brazilian Grand Prix, Interlagos	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Island

*Exact title TBC. The Hockenheimring owners won’t allow the Nürburgring to use the title ‘German Grand Prix’.
**Exact title TBC. May use the title ‘Mediterranean Grand Prix’ so the Nürburgring can be the ‘European Grand Prix’.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Last-lap losers (p1/2)

Keith Collantine — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Felipe Massa led 60 laps of the 70-lap Hungarian Grand Prix - but not the last one

Poor Felipe Massa. Had his Ferrari engine gone three laps further he’d be sitting on top of the drivers’ championship now.

Formula 1 cars may be extremely reliable nowadays but they do break down occasionally. But it’s one thing to drop out of the race in the early stages – it’s quite another when you’re set to win. Of course, it’s not always the car that’s at fault…

Here are some of the racers who – unlike Massa – made it as far as the last lap before losing the lead.

1964 Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps

Jim Clark scored his third consecutive win at the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit (in its original, eight-mile configuration) in 1964 – but there was more than a little luck involved.

Dan Gurney had dominated the weekend in his Brabham, taking pole position by 1.8s and leading the race, looking set to give Brabham their first win. But when an unmistakeably hollow sound came from his fuel tank he pulled into his pit – to find they had no fuel. He soldiered on with no more than the dregs in the tank but only made it as far as Stavelot on his last lap.

Graham Hill inherited the lead but his fuel pump broke on the last lap. That left Bruce McLaren leading for Cooper but as he neared the finishing line (which in those days was after the La Source hairpin instead of before it) he too ran out of fuel. He came out of the last hairpin and rolled down the hill – as Clark blasted past him to win.

But Clark didn’t even know he’d won to begin with. The bizarre sequence of events completely flummoxed the organisers and they failed to show the chequered flag to Clark, waving it instead when Richie Ginther, fourth, crossed the line. And then Clark also ran out of fuel on the slowing down lap…

See the Spa-Francorchamps track configuration of 1964

1967 Italian Grand Prix, Monza

Clark was on the opposite end of the same kind of luck at Monza three years later.

He led early on in his Lotus 49 but had to pit after suffering a puncture. Undaunted, Clark hammered through the field and despite having gone a lap down surged through to take the lead.

It would have been one of the most incredible wins of all time – but it wasn’t to be. Lotus boss Colin Chapman’s preference for running his car as light on fuel as possible – for maximum speed – had its inevitable consequence. Clark’s Cosworth DFV spluttered on the final lap, and John Surtees and Jack Brabham passed him just as Clark had gone by McLaren at Spa.

There was a final twist: Brabham tried a desperate move to pass Surtees for the win at the final corner, but slithered wide on cement dust left from an earlier incident. Surtees got a better sling-shot out of the corner and re-passed Brabham on the way to the flag. An epic finish.

Video of the 1967 Italian Grand Prix
Read more about the 1967 Italian Grand Prix

1970 Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo

Jack Brabham features in this story too, only this time he takes the unhappy leading role.

Brabham had the race in the palm of his hand, leading comfortable, even as Jochen Rindt began a charge from second place.

But as Rindt carved whole seconds per lap out of Brabham’s advantage, the Australian became increasingly frustrated by lapped cars.

It was decided at the final corner when a moment’s misjudgement by Brabham sent him skidding off at the Gasworks hairpin (the old final corner). Rindt came through to take an astonishing victory.

Video of the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix

1982 Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo

Always a candidate for one of the most memorable Grand Prix finishes ever. Turbo engines were coming into fashion, but teams were struggling to cope with their enormous appetite for fuel which often led to several cars running out on the last lap.

Didier Pironi went into the final lap in the lead but his car came to a halt in the tunnel. Andrea de Cesaris, who would have taken the lead, stopped on the way up Massenet.

Riccardo Patrese had already thrown away the lead once by spinning at the Loews hairpin. But he got the Brabham re-started and crawled to the finishing line to score his first ever win.

This is part one of a two-part series: join us tomorrow for part two. To make sure you don’t miss it you can subscribe to F1 Fanatic by RSS or email.