The track had character, but now it has the same boring Tilke characteristics as every other track he has done. "hey, I'll just throw together a bunch of sharp 90deg bends and hairpins, throw an esses section in there, all done." I don't know why F1 keeps using the guy to design circuits, because he has no creativity. All his tracks are the same boring crap. COTA is just alright, but it could have been better, and the ultra wide hairpin entries are stupid and pointless. Anyway, I think the old layout brought up to current f1 safety standards would have been much more exciting. I would have loved to see them take that last 180 bend at 150+ "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" -everyone with good sense in the world "If it ain't broke, break it. If it's already broke, break it even more!" - FIA 2009-2015
I agree - although Bilster Berg and AMP are Tilke designs and they are cool Maybe driver safety these days ruins great layouts - the old style are good for sim racing, but bad for real life and spectating. Thanks goodness for modders (and ISI) who give us old style circuits
Kinda agree, but somehow I also liked it, can't put my finger onnit though. maybe because history, or that is still looks like an old(er) track and not so super-modern. If, and when, and if, F1 is indeed going to become 6 seconds faster next year (was it next year?) and they implement some of the many cool features that we hear about every other day, it might suddenly become an awesome track. Hey, maybe even Monza becomes exiting for that matter
The main difference was probably the atmosphere around it Having grandstands filled to the top with cheering supporters compared to tracks like india/south-korea (and quite some more) where you have half-filled grandstands with people that are mostly new to the sport. What I mainly hope to see for next year is that there has been way more races there, so that the overall grip, especially off line is better (to aid overtaking), and of course a not-so-dominant mercedes would greatly help as well because this race wasn't to exciting (maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't because of the track, but great races certainly help the excitement/love people feel for tracks) EDIT :: and to the OP, the problem with this track is the space next to the track. The track is being swallowed up by the city, there simply wasn't any more space at the outside of some of those corners (like the last corner), so the only way to improve driver safety as you suggested, is by slowing the cars down before such corners, or to remove/change those corners completely. Besides, it's not like the F1 is the first series there that didn't use that corner. I have seen champcar races around ..... 2004 or something??? ..... where in one year the went through the baseball stadium (as F1 did now, albeit with slightly wider 90degree corners), and the year after having a chicane where they otherwise entered the stadium. And I think A1GP some years after ALSO used that chicane (so the still took the entire last corner, but with way slower speeds, so it isn't the same either).
Driver safety these days, and all this "green" ****...Come on!! This is RACING for god sake! F1 is supposed to be about speed, and nothing else. Do they REALLY think that the carbon footprint of a few Grand Prix races contributes to even 0.00001% of the 40 BILLION TONS of CO2 we pump into the atmosphere every year?? There are a billion cars on the road DAILY, and they think that 20 F1 cars running for a few hours every couple weeks makes any difference at all? They could run on pure coal and still wouldn't even begin to compare. It's extremely ignorant to think making F1 "greener" will make any difference at all in the grand scheme of things. LOL they need to do an IQ test before appointing FIA board members. And don't blame Bernie, he hates these little lawnmower engines they're using. FIA, Quit worrying about your "image" or whatever the hell your reasoning is and give us good racing! V10 Turbos! 2000hp! Bring it on! And anyone who whines that it's not safe enough, drivers were getting killed every year in the 1920s-1970s. In the early years of the indy 500, is wasn't uncommon for more than one to die in a single race! so shut up p***ies.
As for the carbon footprint and emissions... It is not so much for the world as it is for those that can see, smell and/or walk through it. The spectators of every race are causing themselves to die just a little faster than they might normally have. The people that live near the track there are not doing themselves any favors either. The same can be said for those that live near a highway or like to jog down city's major streets or anything else that can result in breathing harmful stuff. People making this green stuff (in any form) are simply understanding that If any of the harmful stuff can be less harmful or not harmful at all, it is a positive for everyone even if they are not involved.
So basically, greed. Which is why they should all use purpose-built RACING engines that have nothing do with any road car manufacturer. I have a feeling this is the reason behind LMP2 changing to spec engine, because no car manufacturer will build them. What's hilarious is Renault was the one pushing the hardest for these turbo engines, and then they can't build them for sh*t. What will they want next? Self-driving F1 cars to show off the latest "autopilot" tech? Pretty soon road car tech is going to bypass what can be used in a racecar without completely ruining the point of it. When we have all electric F1 cars, I'm done watching (and living ). The sport of auto racing has been slowly dying for more than a decade now, I have witnessed it, and it's time for the sport to head in a different direction. It's becoming nothing more than giant marketing campaign on wheels. We need get rid of all the greed and hypocrisy in the sport. Bring back the 1600hp turbo's with huge tires and full manual transmission, like the early days of Senna. Now those were RACE cars. F1 cars should have nothing to do with road cars anymore.
too right! A stupid decision as well as this could affect driver safety, but does add to drama. As for OP watch some Formula E and you may change your mind about electric cars - some of the best racing I have seen in ages (WEC excepted)
Pinnacle of motorsport..F1 too many rules for me Engine manufacturers.....here's X litres of fuel per race. Go build an engine, free rein. Driving Championship.....they must move around the pits, drive for every team. Team champions...chassis open for debate just a thought
