[Guilherme]

So, the last race was saved from being a complete disaster by the tension surrounding the title finale, but nevertheless it was a pretty horrid race. In yesterday round-up Prisoner Monkeys, Itchyes, Feynman and Invoke posted images for possible solutions to the overtaking problem in Yas Marina, so I think it would be nice to open a thread and gather the greatest number of ideas on what to do on that big hotel parking lot… (here’s hoping that Richard Cregan reads F1F :)

My solution is a fairly simple one. There’s nothing much you can do to the last sector, because it was built around the marina and the hotel, but we really need to get rid of the chicance between the straights. There is only one possible line there and it’s not a tricky corner so no one takes it the wrong way. The two straights need to be linked by a quick corner, but not as quick as Abbey or 130R. It must not be flat out. I think the ideal would be just slight braking and then dive into the apex. The length of the following straight should be enough to counter the slower cornering speed from the car behind. Also there is no need for the other chicanes on this track. I was never too harsh on chicanes, but the ones on this track are just horrid!

EDIT: this version is a hundred times better:

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/Captbill/yasmarina.jpg

[Prisoner Monkeys]

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/6366/abudhabi3.jpg

It only works because the run-off at the switchback goes uner the grandstand, so you could theoretically change it and use it as the circuit itself.

[Ads21]

race at Imola instead?

[Guilherme]

Pretty nice idea PM. I also see why you changed it to clockwise… no one would want a repeat of Le Mans ’55…

@Ads: personally your idea is a far better one, but we have to stay realistic because we will have to endure this track for a long, long time :

[Stretch]

Flood the track. Imagine that, a wet race in the middle of the desert! BahRAIN could do with that as well.

[Anonymous]

PM’s configuration looks much more interesting. But personally I’d love to see Kyalami back on the schedule… at the expense of Valencia (which is just, just dire).

[sbl on tour]

@ads21, tell bernie meister your idea, sounds good to me, but more realistically if the championship had of already been decided it wouldnt have really mattered that ym was……(oh i just woke up)

sblot

[VettelS]

How about ripping it all up and starting from scratch. Then I’d put myself in charge of the new development, and ban all steam rollers from the site.

[Icthyes]

Here’s the one of mine Guilherme mentioned: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4159557

Sector 1 is meant to sweep a bit more, it’s just hard when you have to draw with straight lines. Turn 1 is tight as it should be, the chicane is replaced by a heavy braking zone that immediately becomes a right-hander and the next straight leads into a sharp hairpin. The final sector is meant to be a little more open to prevent the cars spreading out so much.

Ideally the bit under the hotel would have been built to the west and not the east, swapping three useless corner for a challenging (because of entry speeds) 90-degree left.

[Mark]

I don’t see too much of a problem with the existing chicane at the end of the main straight (having been seated in the grandstand there for the last two years). The problems lie elsewhere

and what happens at the chicane is just a symptom.

OP has the right idea as a starting point…

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/Captbill/yasmarina.jpg

1. The ‘jink’ just before the northern hairpin is bad. It just slows the cars to a halt and bunches them up. Then the leading car gets on the throttle first and away from the pack all the way down the main straight so by the time they get to the chicane the following cars just haven’t been able to get close enough for an overtaking move.

Solution: get rid of the ‘jink’ before the northern hairpin and make the hairpin rounder and wider on the exit, instead of the slow pointy V it is today.

2. The chicane at the end of the main straight is a tight Z (upside Z) shape. So even if a car gets inside to overtake at the first part, it is hard for them to make it stick as a car running wide can just take the inside line at the second part and get back in front.

Solution: keep the first part tight but make the second part more rounded with a more open exit onto the back straight ie a 2 (back-to-front) shape.

3. The rest of the circuit is fine as it is

So how would this benefit ? Well if you put these changes in place then

a) it would create a new straight leading into the northern hairpin creating a new overtaking opportunity

b) it would allow cars to get a more equal and faster exit onto the main straight, giving following cars a better chance down the main straight

c) it would allow cars that get on the inside at the chicane to have a better chance of making it stick on the exit of the chicane and those that did not would be right on the back of the car in front exiting the chicane

d) the more equal and faster exit from the 2nd part of the chicane would give following cars a better opportunity for overtaking down the back straight and into the 90degree corner in front of the south grandstand.

e) and with having to defend at both the northern hairpin and at the chicane, any and defensive compromises and mistakes made by the car in front would improve the chances of the car behind being able to make a move. Get your defence wrong at one of the corners and the car behind will get you down the next straight and into the next corner.

[Mark]

I don’t see too much of a problem with the existing chicane at the end of the main straight (having been seated in the grandstand there for the last two years). The problems lie elsewhere

and what happens at the chicane is just a symptom.

OP has the right idea as a starting point…

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr12/Captbill/yasmarina.jpg

1. The ‘jink’ just before the northern hairpin is bad. It just slows the cars to a halt and bunches them up. Then the leading car gets on the throttle first and away from the pack all the way down the main straight so by the time they get to the chicane the following cars just haven’t been able to get close enough for an overtaking move.

Solution: get rid of the ‘jink’ before the northern hairpin and make the hairpin rounder and wider on the exit, instead of the slow pointy V it is today.

2. The chicane at the end of the main straight is a tight Z (upside Z) shape. So even if a car gets inside to overtake at the first part, it is hard for them to make it stick as a car running wide can just take the inside line at the second part and get back in front.

Solution: keep the first part tight but make the second part more rounded with a more open exit onto the back straight ie a 2 (back-to-front) shape.

3. The rest of the circuit is fine as it is

So how would this benefit ? Well if you put these changes in place then

a) it would create a new straight leading into the northern hairpin creating a new overtaking opportunity

b) it would allow cars to get a more equal and faster exit onto the main straight, giving following cars a better chance down the main straight

c) it would allow cars that get on the inside at the chicane to have a better chance of making it stick on the exit of the chicane and those that did not would be right on the back of the car in front exiting the chicane

d) the more equal and faster exit from the 2nd part of the chicane would give following cars a better opportunity for overtaking down the back straight and into the 90degree corner in front of the south grandstand.

e) and with having to defend at both the northern hairpin and at the chicane, any and defensive compromises and mistakes made by the car in front would improve the chances of the car behind being able to make a move. Get your defence wrong at one of the corners and the car behind will get you down the next straight and into the next corner.

[Author]

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