F1 Fanatic

Does anyone know what track has the longest straight on the current F1 calendar? I’ve asked everyone I can think of and they’ve all gave conflicting answers! Any help would be great thanks :)

this is taken from Formula1.com website
“Q: How long is the back straight in Shanghai and how does it compare to other circuits?
A: The back straight at Shanghai International Circuit covers 1170m, equivalent to 21.4 percent of the total lap distance. This is the longest straight encountered during the Formula One season, closely followed by Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina (1140m), Italy’s Monza (1120m) and Korea’s Yeongam (1050m)”

which backs that up,
Still think its Korea though ;-)

F1.com says the back-straight at Abu Dhabi is the longest, though I still believe it’s the back-straight at China. The longest ever straight must be at AVUS, Fuji’s start/finish straight was the longest straight in F1 whilst it was on the calendar.

EDIT: I’ve looked into it a bit more, apparentely Yas Marina’s back-straight is three metres longer than Shanghai’s. Ratboy has found one article which says that Abu Dhabi’s straight is 1140m, the one I’ve found says the same straight is 1173m. I’m surprised this needs to be debated, there really should be a concrete answer.

http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2009/10/10143.html

When is a straight a straight? You could argue the back straight at Abu Dhabi should be disqualified because it has a teeny little kink at the end of it… but that would be nitpicking!

To answer a question that hasn’t actually been asked, because I think it’s quite relevant, the longest flat out section in F1 is almost certainly from La Source to Les Combes at Spa. Obviously that’s not a straight in the geometrical sense of the word, because it has a big Eau Rouge shaped wiggle in the middle, but since when has anyone ever cared about flat out corners? Look at Monaco for example, I bet the longest straight line section on that track is barely 100 metres, but we certainly don’t refer to their being a Start- Finish curve!

Oooh that is a very good point Ned. I suspect that in terms of measuring a geometric “straight” i.e. a straight line with no kings or curves in the acceleration zone, you would use the centreline and take it from the point immediately after the preceding corner and then to the point immediately before the following corner. Obviously you would measure to the transition curve arc rather than the actual arc of the corner where applicable.

And what you said there reminds me of the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans, it has a kink in it because someone’s (FIA perhaps?) rules state that a straight can only be 2km long. I think. Correct me if I’m wrong. Actually come to think of it I’m 89% sure that an F1 “straight” (whatever that actually means!) can only be 2km long. I think…

The longest straight in F1 history was at Avus at about 4100m long.

I’d like to throw in that the straight on the Pescara circuit may have been the longest seen in F1. At a rough estimate on google maps, it appears to have been about 4600 meters (2.8 miles) long. Even longer before they added the bus stop chicane before the pits, but that was before F1 raced there.