New Jersey F1 circuit layout details revealed in official plans

2013 F1 calendar

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Plans for the street track in New Jersey which will host America’s second F1 race on the 2013 F1 calendar have been revealed online.

The design by Hermann Tilke confirm the proposed 5.15km (3.2-mile) layout that was revealed when the race was announced last October.

The clockwise layout will have its start/finish line next to the ferry terminal by the Hudson River.

The track will cross a bridge over a railway after which the cars’ passage through a series of natural curves will be slowed by the addition of a chicane.

The final part of the lap include a long, high-speed stretch from the turn 17 hairpin to a pair of 90-degree turns which return the cars to the start/finish straight and pit complex.

You can view the plans in full here.

Thanks to Ryan Williams for the tip via Jalopnik.

F1 in New York

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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83 comments on “New Jersey F1 circuit layout details revealed in official plans”

  1. At least in the US the roads are so silly wide a road track might acctually allow for some over-taking… but F1 really needs less road tracks… they are dull at the best of times…

    1. Just depends on what they mean by “road”.

      Monaco/Melbourne road, as in roads that are similar to normal roads and actually used, or Valencia road, as in Tilke Cookie cutter with closer walls.

      1. The correct terminology is street circuit, which is different to a road course.

        1. being dyslexic i wasn’t even going to try and spell ‘circuit’ hahaha

  2. I have no idea why I’m looking forward to this race next year as much as I am. Something about this track, above all other new circuits recently, just gets me excited and I don’t know why.

    1. Really? It doesn’t get me excited at all. I don’t think there could be anything worse than seeing yet more boring, slow, 90 degree corners on the f1 calendar. It’s not even as if its based in a hot-bed of f1 fans

      1. I’m not a huge fan of the current F1 street circuits (i.e. Singapore and Valencia). However, I think this track has great potential: it is very hilly from turns 4 – 14; there is a high speed final sector. Also, there are only 8 90 degree corners out of the total 19 corners (so less than half the corners). The rest are quite fast, and some full throttle on a light load of fuel. Having seen videos on youtube, the track surface looks to have varied cambers compared to the smoothed out carpets we’re used to seeing.

        1. Tom,

          People said the same thing about Valencia before the first race there. They said it had high speed corners and that even though it was a street circuit, it was very fast (faster than other “normal” tracks). So on paper it looked really good and had many proponents. But come the race it was a bore fest every single year.

          I dont like to be pessimistic, but when it comes to new tracks for F1 i gave up on enthusiasm, until i actually see a race there. I hope they prove me wrong at Jersey.

      2. New York City has its share of every kind of fan of anything. The beauty of the course practically being right next door to the Manhattan skyline is paramount and it really is Monaco meets Spa with its undulation and turns and riverside location. It should be a good one and I can’t help but be excited since I live in Brooklyn, a mere 30 minutes away by train. Will be incredible.

        1. I know, one of the great things about this location is how easy it is to get to on public transportation from anywhere in the NY metropolitan area, not to mention the entire tri-state area.

          I can walk there from where I live now (northern Hoboken), but I’m planning to move and am looking into apartments that are only a couple blocks away. Party at my place! ;-)

          1. Should we take that as an open invitation to come and visit and have a nice GPweekend-meetup at Robyn’s?

            Just don’t be surprised if you have a 1000 F1Fanatic turning up :-)

          2. Count me in. Im already taking off work from the time the trucks arrive till Tuesday (im expecting a bit of recovery time will be needed.

          3. @bascb Hahaha! I *suppose* I should wait until I know what sort of shoebox-sized apartment I’m going to be living in before I invite the whole site over… ;-)

            @javlinsharp Ah, good thinking! I’m going to do the same.

          4. I suppose counting on having a roomy flat with terrace or even a house with a garden is pretty much out of the question close to NY, eh @aka_robyn!

            Or maybe you should take out a loan, buy a multiple suit penthouse next to the track and flog full service GP weekend trips to have a nice extra income :-)

          5. Hahahaha! No one could accuse you of not thinking big, @bascb! ;-) A roomy flat isn’t out of the question, at least in Weehawken/Hoboken, but then again it’s possible my definition of “roomy” differs somewhat from yours. You should see what people around here can get used to…

          6. whats up fellow f1 fan. I live in westchester NY and I cannot wait for this race!!! Ill see you there hahahahha!

          7. Well, @aka_robyn from those tweets by @F1US I would say the quarter of a million a year might help pay installments on that roomy apartment!

      3. The majority of attendees to this race will be people who know nothing about cars, much less racing. Street courses in the US are more about spectacle than about catering to those who actually follow the sport. These are the people that go to Long Beach, St. Petersburg, Baltimore, and the like.

        Those sorts of fans don’t have much interest in venues like Infineon and Sebring which are in desolate wastelands.

        1. How grossly presumptuous of you. Again, NYC has every kind of fan of every sport you can imagine. It’s not exactly Podunk, USA. TONS of racing fans here and it will be a popular and successful event.

          1. +1.

            @clustr1 lives 2 miles from the track site and @aka_robyn lives in Northern Hoboken with you (Foggy) it makes three, sure thousands more love the sport.

        2. I think it can be said that MOST race tracks all over the world are in desolate wastelands because…

          1. The land is cheap
          2. Few neighbors to disturb with screaming racecar noise.

          If you want to hate America, or NYC, at least pick from the myriad relevant, and actually true reasons

        3. My heavens, it’s wonderful to see such willingness to be inclusive and welcoming to new fans.

          And such willingness to be incredibly condescending.

      4. Brian @clustr1
        17th May 2012, 13:23

        I live 2 miles from this track, and I had been riding my road bike on these very roads for a year before the race was announced. I can tell you, it will be amazing. The elevation change all over the circuit is extreme. The T5 and T6 chicane will be one of the better turning combos on the calander, I kid you not. Even on the straights the road has changing camber and rises and falls continuously. Words cannot describe how excited I am for this!

    2. You have to go the youtube videos of people driving the track in the cars. Its natural terrain (no articfical undiulation of the straight), which gives some great challenging corners, brilliant vistas, (somehow) a forested section, and pretty high speed at that!

      Think of it as Valencia pits & paddock, with a walled off Imola-esque (sort of – using poetic licence) back two thirds of the track. Awesome!

    3. I feel the same, but I guess it has to do with the place. Being close to Manhattan makes it really special.

      1. While I’m sure it’ll have some grandiose name like “The Grand Prix of The United States at New York” or something along those lines, I will never call it anything other than “The Grand Prix of Weehawken.”

        Spa-Francorchamps. Monaco. Weehawken.

        1. @wonderduck I believe the “grandiose” name they’re planning to use is “Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial.”

  3. Isn’t that chicane the part where the upward drive meets the avenue (traffic light in daily traffic)? This track really does look nice, especially for a city track

    1. I do think so @bascb, and from what @clustr1 says about those chicanes being a great combo, I assume that’s true, quite a steep chicane, and tight blind corner with camber change during it, will be very interesting.

  4. You view the plans in full here.

    Is that an order?

    Yes

    Uhm, okay…

  5. It’s actually very similar to the Montreal layout, give or take a few 90-degree corners, that is. Could be alright.

    1. I thought exactly the same thing.

      This could end up a classic, especially with the elevation changes.

  6. It looks great for a street track, really. A bit of an old-school kind of track.

    I like it!

  7. Love it! I must go, what is expected race date?

    1. @funkyf1 – I believe the current plan is to hold the race the week before or the week after Montreal.

  8. It may not mean much to some, but I think location is a very important aspect of this race. Might as well be called the New York Grand Prix. So excited.

    1. Except it’s in New Jersey, not New York.

      1. soundscape (@)
        17th May 2012, 14:04

        I believe that’s why Foggy said “Might as well”.

      2. Exactly. That’s why I said, “Might as well.” Are you a New Yorker? If it’s right by the Hudson, it’s New York City. It’s the equivalent of Lambeth, London. Across a river but you can still see Westminster from it. You get my drift :)

        1. Apples to oranges. New Jersey is a seperate state, not part of New York.

          1. I believe I’m right in saying that absolutely no-one outside the USA – possibly no-one outside a 100-mile radius of Manhattan – gives a monkeys whether it’s a different state or not. :)

          2. Technically yes. But my cardinal point is that it isn’t taking place in Asbury Park. A simple river divides the track with Manhattan Island. It’s essentially the New York Grand Prix.

          3. The New York Jets, New York Giants (American Football) and New York Red Bulls (football, or soccer as we call it here) All have their stadiums in NJ. We do have a concept of “the Greater NY Area”. This is basically a 50 mile radius from Manhattan. Believe me when I tell you that NOBODY, not even the residents of Weehawkent NJ(where this race is to be held) will have ANY problem in calling this the Grand Prix of New York. That area has been NY’s little brother for centuries. The name of the town immediatly north of Weehawken is called West New York.

            Geez, not only do I have to deal with tourists when I walk the streets of my home town, now I have to see them in cyberspace too? This is NYC. We live here and we like it; we also (in)politely remind others that they are more then free to get out if they dont. Return to you’re hovel of a city and reflect on the idea that you could not “make it here”. Best of luck where ever you try next.
            ;-)

    2. The Grand Prix of Weehawken.

      1. Nah. Grand Prix of New York, no offense.

  9. Just so long as as they don’t re-lay the damn road flat. I won’t whisper this loudly, but if they quietly produce a wider monaco-type circuit (with the hillside to boot) then I’m quietly excited. But if they tame the surface and aren’t prepared to shift crashed cars expediently to avoid safety cars, then it’ll be a flop like Valencia.

    1. Yes, I think you’re right about the rapid car-recovery squads. They do it well at Monaco; maybe New Jersey should invite the Monaco crews over!
      I think it looks like a great track, I love the fast curves along the top of the ridge. But there isn’t much distance between the grid and the first 90 degree (left hand) turn, so there could be a quite a bit of action here on the first lap.

  10. It appears there has been one minor change – Turn 2 was once a ninety-degree right-hander, but it’s now much more of a sweeper.

  11. From most of the comments on here I get the impression of an exciting race, but when I look at the 90 degree bends and I see Valencia combined with Abu Dhabi.

    1. “Remember chaps, if it’s not a right angle, it’s a wrong angle.” Hermann Tilke™

      1. Excellent :D !!!!

  12. The section in the bottom left looks extremely boring, the rest really cool.

    Here is a youtube video somebody talked about earlier, most of the layout and gradient look fantastic. Some sections look ridiculously narrow, but others are very wide. Here you can check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E06Md2lGt8Q Here is a crude simulation in rfactor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m10_f1o_0So&feature=related

    It doesn’t look ideal for overtaking, but very crash sensitive to outright dangerous at this point.

  13. I agree with some above, the layout looks extremely dangerous to me…

    1. Some of these corners look as if they have little run-off given how fast they will probably be. It looks narrow with little opportunity for error…. Monaco-style… however everyone thinks that Monaco wouldn’t get approved on safety grounds if it were a new circuit so it will be interesting to see if this New Jersey circuit gets through.

  14. I personally think america doesnt need 2 grand prixs they have nascar, instead of extending the calender even more just keep the classic races, going to miss spa badly, bernie needs to be taught a lesson!

    1. Aw, come ON. Noone cares if they have Nascar. This is Formula One, and there should be just as many American tracks as we have in Europe. There’s also a million wonderful pre-existing (non-oval) tracks over there. Unfortunately, they’ll probably make new ones instead, which is a great shame.

    2. @um1234
      Ah This old chestnut…
      Allow me to give you some facts.
      1. The distance from NY to Austin is over 1700 miles. There are what… 8 GPs in Europe within that same radius

      2. The population within that radius in the US is far greater than the same area in Europe

      3. America is an un-tapped market for F1, this means lots and lots of NEW money for Bernie E. fyi, Bernie like money.

      4. America has a long and rich racing tradition, while different than Europe’s, it is at least as long. There are many motorsports fans in the US, just waiting to have their money liberated (Queue Berni again

      5. Do we really need races in unsafe 3rd world nations where most people dont even OWN cars like Bahrain? or India? (before you test me on this, know that my spouse is an immigrant from India, and I have been there many many times to almost every part of the country except the extreme north. I know of what I speak.) The reason for GP in thoses places is the same as for America. More NEW money for Berni and the shareholders he is beholdent too.

      Why should F1 not go all year round?
      I work every day. I dont get 3 months off at the end, I fly around for business every month. Like F1 people, I choose this life, and can quit it any time I like.

      1. “Bernie like money”

        Somehow, the typo works, comically haha.

      2. @javlinsharp

        Why should F1 not go all year round?

        A slight problem with that is the teams need to build and develop next years cars. As for point 2, it may well be true, but the population density is surely much lower than in Europe: there’s probably about 10million people that live within 5hrs of each European grand prix.
        And America may have a rich racing tradition but it mostly involves oval racing; the reason F1 is based in Europe is because the teams come from Europe. Not that I’m not in favour of U.S grand prix’s (because I am) but to have as many as Europe? Personally I think F1 should remain focused in Europe as that is where the history is, but have several footholds in all corners of the globe.

        1. “But have several footholds in all corners of the globe”

          … including one in arguably the greatest city on earth haha. sorry i’m a homer and this GP excites me no end.

        2. @vettel1
          I agree with you, the spiritual home of F1 IS Europe, (for me, Silverstone specifically), and like you, I would not want to see the beating heart of F1 ripped out for commercial interests any more than it already has.

          Similarly, it is important that 15 million people get more than 1 or 2 chances to see a GP where there hasnt been one consistantly for a very long time(3 years at Indy really doesnt count for growing the fan-base).
          If Tiny Spain can have 2, why cant America?

          Yes, most of motorsport in America is Oval. Think of all the good to be done by introducing these folks to what Real racing is…

          By the same token, Its not like the European fans are ripping the doors off to get into races, and from what I know attendance at GP has been flat. This will happen when an event becomes commonplace, as it will in America some day.

          I know its impossible for F1 to go year round, no matter how much I would like it. You mentioned the primary reasons, and Ill add that its important that each season have an END, that way the mystery and excitement can build for the START.

          1. I completely disagree with the European GP in general; if it’s in Spain or Britain or anywhere else. I think Bernie doesn’t help attendance by charging huge amounts of money to host grand prix. And as I said, I am in favour of the American grand prix, but not too many.
            On a separate note, as long as Tilke hasn’t destroyed the circuit too much it is looking good, as is CotA.

      3. Are you sure about #2 – the population?
        I thought the entire population of the US was 300 million and that Europe (the EU, so not European Russia etc) was 497 million in 2007; source is Eurostat 81/2008.

  15. I’m surprised this is still going ahead. It just looks incredibly dangerous from what Iv seen so far.
    Very high speed narrow elevated section with lots of twists. It will probably have concrete barriers running all along that back section so (unless they widen the road) visibility of the coming 200kph+ corners is going to just about nil.
    If a car spins for whatever reason and is blocking the track there is going to be no room for coming cars to get by and very little time for marshals to get their flags out.
    Speedy vehicle recovery up there is going to be very difficult too.
    Just have to wait and see how it all looks once they’ve finished.

    1. From the nature of the corners and fact it’s a steep gradient frequented by heavy traffic surface grip is going to be very low, and terrible in the wet. Spins are guaranteed up there.

      1. Just what Bernie wants!

  16. thekingofspa (@)
    17th May 2012, 15:55

    Full of tight 90 degree turns? Thumbs down.
    Turns 7 to 11, 16 and 17? Thumbs up.

    1. Actually, I kind of like the series of 90 degree corners around the start/finish area – it reminds me of Adelaide turns 4 – 8.
      Not 100% convinced by the chicane in the middle of an awesome looking series of bends in an otherwise quick part of the track, but I assume that’s to do with existing road layouts.
      Overall, i think it looks a really cool track, especially with the elevation changes.

      1. thekingofspa (@)
        18th May 2012, 13:48

        I think the best turns in Adelaide were the first three turns.

  17. Wonder if this will be a Double-DRS track? Plenty of straights for it!

    Possibly T7 to 11 into the tight-right hander, and then one coming into or out of the hairpin (T14)

    General layout seems okay-ish. Not sure about the very tight sections at the start and end of the lap, looks like a bit of an accident blackspot to me…

    1. Make it interesting, leave the hairpin in the middle of the DRS zone, should separate the men from the boys.

  18. Looks a little dull, hopefully the location will add to it.

    1. It should.

  19. I’m really looking forward to this. I will definitely try and go as well. Somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit and coupling it with a Grand Prix would make for an amazing weekend.

    The quick ‘esses’ type bends look like fun as does the left hand corner just after it. From what I remember that left-hander sweeps down hill as well.

  20. maybe I’m bad at reading circuitmaps, but I am just as excited as when Valencia was introduced! Boy, let’s hope this really is a good track!

  21. This is the 1st place I’ve been to where most have been down on this track.

    On all the other message boards, forums & chat rooms i’ve been to pretty much everyone has been raving about how great this track looks & how great the location is.

    As to where it is, Most the F1 teams have been asking Bernie to get a race in or near New York for a long time, Eddie Jordan spoke about that on the BBC when this track was 1st announced last year.

  22. Maybe im not reading it correctly, but it appears there are no grandstands across from the pits or start/finish line. Will be terrible atmosphere for the race winner to take the chequered flag in front of no one, and this track looks like the only time you will see the cars for more then a second is when they are in the pits. I hope the podium is somewhere sensible.

    Looks like a great track for TV, but terrible for watching live trackside, you may see a car for .2 sec per lap if your lucky.

    1. Todd (@braketurnaccelerate)
      18th May 2012, 9:19

      If you can zoom in a little, you can read “Proposed Temp. Platform” on either side of the ferry docks. I assume they are probably going to tie some barges to the sea-wall and put up some grandstands.

  23. having vowed never again to enter te USA since the onset of paranoia , this might just tempt me !

  24. Peter Habicht (@F1US on Twitter) is visiting the site today and posted this photo, which I thought was pretty cool:

    https://twitter.com/#!/F1US/status/203506888166490113/photo/1

    1. Hope he’s rented that apartment for race week!

  25. Suzanne Ramshaw
    23rd June 2012, 13:17

    Does anyone know the provisional date of this race??

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