US Grand Prix

[ISLAMATRON]

killer boring

[ESPImperium]

Why is it too short?

At track ideally should be 4.3km in length, if you take Interlagos and Hungaroring as the 2 shortest tracks that arnt a street circuit.

Most US "road course" tracks would need a bit of work to them in terms of lengthining, run off areas, access areas and pit facilities.

Some Lengths & Figures:

Road Atlanta - 2.54 mi (4.088 km) = 75 Lap, 306.600km race distance
Laguna Seca - 2.238 mi (3.602 km) = 99 lap, 303.138km
Watkins Glen - 3.40 mi (5.43 km) = 57 Lap, 309.510km
Road America - 4.048 mi (6.515 km) = 47 Lap, 306.205km
Infineon Raceway (NASCAR) - 1.990 mi (3.2 km) = 95 Lap, 304.000km
Infineon Raceway (CHAMP CAR) - 2.22 mi (3.57 km)= 85 lap, 303.450km
Daytona (Sports Car) - 3.56 mi (5.7 km) = 53 Lap, 302.100km

Just for some fun:

Bristol Motor Speedway - 533 mi (.858 km) = 350 Lap, 300.300km
Martinsville Speedway - 526 mi (.847 km) = 355 Lap, 300.685km

All figures are based on the formula 300km devided by lap distance plus one more complete lap to get the laps and distances per race. As to the FIA code to determine race lengths.

[Jersey Tom]

Why is it too short?

At track ideally should be 4.3km in length

Haha. Says who?

[ESPImperium]

Why is it too short?

At track ideally should be 4.3km in length

Haha. Says who?

FIA track charter or something. There is a minimum distance per lap. I cannot find it for the love of me, but theres a regulation somewhere.

[Scotracer]

At track ideally should be 4.3km in length

Haha. Says who?

FIA track charter or something. There is a minimum distance per lap. I cannot find it for the love of me, but theres a regulation somewhere.

Yes but there's a difference between "minimum" and "ideal"...

[ESPImperium]

Ill take that point, as Monaco would be going for ever and a day. But, who wouldnt want to see a F1 car go thrugh the Corkscrew 99 times in a race??? I would love to see that for arround 1 hour 45 mins if you take 1:06.000 a lap, to me that would be a real test of a F1 car and its driver.

[jddh1]

Here is a supposed street circuit in NYC.

That is pretty nice...

I once scribbled out a track down around Battery park, just wish I knew how to (quickly & easily) make it look pretty like that one.

Battery Park and the area, would seem much more "doable" for an F1 race than central park... but I dont care if they put it in Jersey, I'd still be there.

As I've said before, NYC residents would complain of noise pollution in a heartbeat. Yes, you'll have about 3 million wanting the race and only about 100 old farts complaining but too bad it's not me telling them to shut up.
Still, the Battery Park area would be a little more feasable. Yes, the pavement in Central Park and Central Park East Avenue is pretty flat. But 57th street and then back up on 59th is pretty bad. Same thing just off Columbus Circle and onto Broadway. Pretty horrible tarmac. Then let's not forget that on Central Park East you have million dollar appartments. Trust me, the residents there would never agree to have F1 cars run down the street there. It's just sad but it is what it is.

I think the Glen would be fantastic if they put some money into widening the track and building the facilities for the teams. There's a load of hotels in the area and I'm pretty sure a lot of New Yorkers and Bostonians would go to watch the race. The weather could play a part every now and then because of the location.

Vegas would be a boring race but tons of fun off-track.

[Miguel]

Antonio Lobato (the spanish F1 commentator on TV) made the same error. I'd like to point out that the minimal distance for an F1 race, with the exception of Monaco, is not 300 km but 305. ESPimperim'd have to add another lap to his figures.

Oh, and IMHO the Indy layouts for both MotoGP and F1 suck. I understand the history and significance of the brickyard, but people living in the US deserve better than F1 cars through 2nd gear corners.

[Jersey Tom]

I understand the history and significance of the brickyard, but people living in the US deserve better than F1 cars through 2nd gear corners.

This makes no sense.

[ISLAMATRON]

I understand the history and significance of the brickyard, but people living in the US deserve better than F1 cars through 2nd gear corners.

This makes no sense.

Turn 13(reverse Indy turn 1) was one of the best during its time, and even the double 180's at the end of the back straight provided some good side by side racing.

[Miguel]

I understand the history and significance of the brickyard, but people living in the US deserve better than F1 cars through 2nd gear corners.

This makes no sense.

Let's try again. Formula 1 cars shine especially in fast corners, and the Indy F1 layout has only Turn 13, which is full throttle anyway. If you are selling your product, you try to highlight its stregnths. IMHO, the current layout doesn't do that.

Do I make more sense now? Maybe I misunderstood you and we just happen to have different opinions.

[ISLAMATRON]

So you are saying F1 should drop Monaco too?

[modbaraban]

So you are saying F1 should drop Monaco too?

You can't compare Indy to Monaco. Monaco GP is a properly traditional venue. Current Indy GP layout shares 1 straight and 1 corner with the historic Grand Prix. They even go the wrong way. A few bricks at the main straight and an odd pile up in T1-T2 is not enough to make it all attractive.

[ISLAMATRON]

So you are saying F1 should drop Monaco too?

You can't compare Indy to Monaco. Monaco GP is a properly traditional venue. Current Indy GP layout shares 1 straight and 1 corner with the historic Grand Prix. They even go the wrong way. A few bricks at the main straight and an odd pile up in T1-T2 is not enough to make it all attractive.

Ok, so no race in the US is a better idea.

I was there for the first race in 2000, and with 400K plus people there it definitely seemed like F1 should have been there and stayed there. Sure it is not the best F1 track, but they could have improved it easily, there are much worse tracks(Valencia) that we have to suffer through now.

[Miguel]

So you are saying F1 should drop Monaco too?

I'd keep Monaco for historical reasons, but I'd drop Singapore and Valencia tomorrow. In any case, F1 cars really look great in Casino, Tabac and, above all, the swimming pool. Truth to be said, I'd also drop Bahrain and revert sector 3 in Montmelo in a heartbeat.

And modbaran never said that no race should take place on the US.