F1 Fanatic

Except for that stupid double haiprin before the existing one. Otherwise, it’s pretty much just the same as my idea of making it a figure-eight design.

Yes I’m bringing this thread back to attention. A.) because the GP is coming up and B) it’s fun. Although Calum’s is the tastiest solution I’ve seen, (the twisty turny section before the hairpin could be ironed out a bit), here’s one I made a while ago but don’t remember posting anywhere. The decent thing about the plot is that the area towards the end of sector 1 is big enough to allow for tweaking.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1858/abudhab.png

The Maggots/Becketts-esque kink is already a bit of road as far as I can see. The hairpin is also wider here. the chicane in the middle of the two straights as you can see is relaxed, but it could always stay as it is…after all we saw overtaking there in 2009, of all years! And at the end of the second straight I’ve done a bit of a reverse Lesmo.

I’ve tried consider the need for safety (like, slowing down) whilst not knocking down buildings down if you’re reading this, Hermann

This is my version. I’ve always hated the Abu Dhabi circuit but even I’m happy with the changes I’ve made.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/6717/abetterversionoftheabud.png

From the start finish straight to the end of turn 3 is untouched. Turn 4, 5 and 6 is the extra quick little bit of track rather than the straight run down to the turn 7 hairpin. Speaking of which, turn 7 has been opened out to a third gear corner, sort of like Rivage from Spa because a short slow corner into a ~1km long straight (As proved with many Tilke circuits) only creates space between cars and therefore no overtaking. Medium speed corners actually create overtaking opportunities.

The turn 8 and 9 chicane has been opened out making use of other bits of circuit (Presumably the club version of Abu Dhabi). It’s sort of like a Les Fagnes [believe it or not my favourite corner on Spa] or maybe more like turn 5 and 6 from Montreal.

The fiddly little complex of the original circuit has been change to a double left, the second apex a lot faster (If not flat-out).

I’ve kept the first of the right turns of the original circuit because it’s part of a long run straight down to what would become the final corner bypassing ALL of the marina section because that’s REALLY boring. It’ll also hopefullyl create a third overtaking opportunity. I’ve noticed an access bridge that goes over the second of the back straights but it’s Abu Dhabi, they have all the money in the world to change it :P

Okay, here’s my latest idea – turning Abu Dhabi into a Suzuka-style figure-of-eight:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5179228

The big problem with the circuit is the section along the waterfront and under the hotel. It’s slow, and it’s boring. It’s also the biggest problem with reconfiguring the layout because there is no space in the infield to circumvent it. So it has to be used. The trick is to use it effectively.

In this version of the circuit, the cars line up on the grid in the opposite direction to what they currently do. The last turn becomes the first. The cars then use the roads that are in place to allow for shorter layouts to enter the back section of the circuit. They then go down to the bottom of the circuit, where the chicane has been reprofiled to become a single corner. Hopefully, this corner and the next will actually be a long double-apex bend that can either be treated as one corner or two.

The cars go up around the hotel, and as they exit it, they hit a purpose-built flyover that carries them over the first turn. This is the only new section of the circuit, curving around to the run-off under the grandstands at the switchback (which no longer exists) and onto the back straight. The cars then take the current first sector of the lap in reverse, bypassing the chicane after the hairpin and then zig-zagging up over the hill to the current first corner, which is now the last turn.

That’s a track I’d love to race on.

I still prefer my modifications but I do love your imagination Dan ;) I actually like your last one, a race with that layout would be totally unique.

I got the ball rolling for a figure of 8 a few months ago, but that layout I did was rubbish.
Here’s my new one, I think it’s a lot better than my previous one:

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2395/calum.png

Sector 1 remains, the first few corners aren’t too bad, quite quick and flow so they are a positive.
The hairpin complex also remains, it gets a lot of stick but it has to be there to slow cars down enough in order for them to get close to the expensive seats of the wrap around grandstand.
The first change is on the main straight: use the chicane just to break speeds so it’s not all full-throttle – this changes the dynamic of this section of track.
Next up, the big change (that we’re unlikey to see) – needs lots of new infrastructure – build bridge over the pit straight, and after the straight bridge have a fast left hander gently downhill sloping towards the hotel section.
Under hotel section is a must! must! must! for this track, it’s part of making it a success – having the hotel where rich fans will pay top dollar for F1, and also makes a unique selling point for the race, anyway a very sharp right hander is needed to slow the cars enough to make them pass safely under the hotel – so leave this section as it is currently.

Now we are at the marina section – current turn 15 and 16. Lose the strict geometry of the 45 and 90 degree corner by making it like turn 13 and 14 at Sepang but in reverse – it starts tight but widens out. More fluid and natural rather than rigid angles of track.

Move onto the current 11,12 and 13 turns – get rid of them and utilise the space by making a multi apex Turn 8 style corner.

Current 8 and 9 stay the same, with another tight corner added to take the track under the bridge and back onto the home straight.

—————————
That would be fun to drive, gets rid of a lot of the nine 90 degree corners, makes them more fluid, adds some talking points like the bridge and “turn 8 Turkey” replica.

Feel free to use this….

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2395/calum.png

…..Herman ;)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5185785

First of all, the chicane before the hairpin is faster. It still slows the cars down for the actual hairpin, it just doesn’t require the cars to come to a near-halt.

Secondly, the switchback. The first corner is no longer as sharp, and it then joins up with part of the circuit that isolates the back half.

Thirdly, the bottom corner. The chicane is gone; it’s now a heavy braking zone before opening up into a corner that the cars can accelerate through. This also turns the existing Turn 15 into a very fast left-right flick.

Finally, the hotel and the final corner. There is actually a car park on the inside of the penultimate corner; this circuit cuts through it, and then turns the final corner into a double-apex bend where the first apex is slower than the second.