woody2goody
11th May 2008, 04:26
Where would overtaking opportunities arise if the cars could follow each other through faster corners? Many of these chances used to be available to the drivers before the 2000s when Aero (not the chocolate bar) became excessive and passing near-impossible at certain tracks. I will discuss these in detail now. Also, I will give my thoughts on the exciting (and fast) new tracks in Valencia and Singapore. Beware, this is going to be a long one...
Melbourne
The Australian Grand Prix traditionally goes against the theory that you can't pass on a tight track. At the moment, the only clear cut chances to overtake are into Turn 1, and Turn 3 is sort of a half chance on most laps. The main chance that could be opened up that isn't feasible now is the corner after the very fast chicane at the back of the circuit. Naturally the car behind would still lose some grip following through there, but they would be more likely to get a good run down to a 90 degree right hander where some guys still occasionally manage to find a way past. Also there would be a possible chance into the hairpin before the last corner. This is normally negated because the previous corner is in the 120ish mph range where the cars suffer pretty badly.
Sepang
Malaysia is known for good overtaking over the years, despite this year's uneventful GP. Obviously The Petronas hairpin (last corner), the first chicane, and Turn 3/4 (I think) are good spots to pass. When the circuit first opened there was more overtaking at the hairpin after the double-apex right hander at the back of the circuit. Now this is negated by the speed of said corner. That would be made more likely by new regs. i think the corner before the back straight would work too. You occasionally see a desperate lunge into there, but would be a safer bet if the cars could follow through the flat-out turn 12.
Sakhir
Normally a good circuit for passing, but not this year for some reason. There are good chances to pass into turn 1, and turn 4 in particular. Able to follow each other, the cars would probably be able to pass frequently into the hairpin at turn 7, where Button accidentally took out DC this year. Also the last corner would become available as a passing chance. The current problem is that the corner before is a very nice 100mph right hander, which is near impossible to follow effectively. As it is an arrive and drive type corner, it isn't as big a problem as the others, as cars usually use it as a starting point for an attack into turn 1. However the ability to pass into the last corner could cause the car infront to make a mistake, even if the driver behind is only faking a pass.
Barcelona
Where do I start? Let's face it, there is only one REAL opportunity remaining at the CDC and that is turn one, and even that is very difficult to get by at. The ability to follow would do wonders for the races at this track. Turn one would only work if they returned the track to it's old state. The slow corner preceding it perversely makes overtaking harder with the concertina effect coming out of it. Turn 4 would be a realistic chance, because turn 3 is so long, being close to the car infront would give you a great slipstream and a chance into 4. You could even go round the outside at 4 and have a go into 5, a left hander. Turn 10, reprofiled in 2004 is a much better overtaking spot than how it used to be. However, if the cars could follow each other through the esses and Campsa, where Kovy went off this year, it would be a super overtaking spot.
Istanbul
One of the best. The run from turn 9 and 10 down to 12 is one of the best chances on the calendar. This is because the corner previous isn't aero-reliant as such, you can hustle the car through there to some degree. Turn 1 only works in certain instances. The ability to follow would make this track an absolute joy to pass on. 3 and 4 would be available, and you could have a lunge into 7 (at the top of the hill) if you were brave. A pass into 8 wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility, but you would need rather large cojones to do so.
Monaco
Regardless of regulations, Monaco is always going to be Monaco. Tight, twisty and difficult to overtake. Schumacher and Wurz showed it is possible in 1998, also Heidfeld and M Schumacher in 05 and Fisichella in 06. The only passing move in can think of would be into Mirabeau, but the straight is so short you would have to be brave/foolish/deperate (delete as applicable).
Montreal
Montreal would be great with new regulations. Most corners would provide passing opportunities. Currently we have turn one (sort of), the hairpin and the last chicane, but that's about it. New rules would open up chances at the chicanes at the back of the circuit, and increase your chances into turn one. Nearly every corner in Montreal is medium speed, and this is why it is very difficult to get past. being able to follow through the last chicane would greatly boost passing into turn one.
Magny-Cours
Passing has always been problematic here. it can be done, but not very easily, even though, like Barcelona, it is a great driving track. The hairpin still remains as a good chance, even though the fast Estoril corner causes problems for the attacking driver. Removing aero would allow much passing into Adelaide, and the circuit would be much better for it. you have to be brave to follow a car through the 160mph Nurburgring chicane, but if you could do effectively, the following 180 corner would open up nicely for you to have a go. Chateau D'Eau would be possible if you were close enough through the fast imola chicane, and the reprofiled Lycee would be a decent chance, as the straight is just about long enough for a pass, as Barrichello proved in 2004 when he passed Jarno Trulli there.
Silverstone
The British Grand Prix, 2003. One of the greatest races ever and the most overtaking I think I have ever seen in a Grand Prix. Albeit caused by a certain priest running onto the circuit, it proved Silverstone can still provide overtaking. My ideas of passing at Silverstone involve returning to the classic layout, but I will discuss the current track here. At the moment, Stowe and Vale are your best shots of passing, but you need a decent car advantage. Abbey is also a possibility, but it's too fast to have a lunge, just ask Scott Speed and Alex Wurz from last year.
Copse, I think will always be a no-go area. Just because it is too damn fast to make a 'safe' pass. You are risking too much going in wheel-to-wheel with someone at 170 mph, and not just your race. It can be done, but you have to be infront when you get there, and that's very difficult coming out of Woodcote. Opportunities would increase into Stowe, but I can't help thinking that Becketts, no matter how brilliant it and Maggots are, is a hinderance in modern f1 when it comes to passing. The old run down to what used to be Becketts was a much better passing chance. It in turn provided a similar run down to Stowe.
With increased passing at Stowe, it would naturally help the action into Vale and Club. Club isn't too sensitive to Aero at the moment, and Abbey overtakes would become more common, but why not just get rid of the chicane and bring the old flat out kink back? Can you imagine two cars going into Bridge wheel to wheel at nearly 200 mph? That would be a fantastic racing moment you would remember for a long time, and it would happen on nearly every lap if they got rid of Abbey chicane.
Melbourne
The Australian Grand Prix traditionally goes against the theory that you can't pass on a tight track. At the moment, the only clear cut chances to overtake are into Turn 1, and Turn 3 is sort of a half chance on most laps. The main chance that could be opened up that isn't feasible now is the corner after the very fast chicane at the back of the circuit. Naturally the car behind would still lose some grip following through there, but they would be more likely to get a good run down to a 90 degree right hander where some guys still occasionally manage to find a way past. Also there would be a possible chance into the hairpin before the last corner. This is normally negated because the previous corner is in the 120ish mph range where the cars suffer pretty badly.
Sepang
Malaysia is known for good overtaking over the years, despite this year's uneventful GP. Obviously The Petronas hairpin (last corner), the first chicane, and Turn 3/4 (I think) are good spots to pass. When the circuit first opened there was more overtaking at the hairpin after the double-apex right hander at the back of the circuit. Now this is negated by the speed of said corner. That would be made more likely by new regs. i think the corner before the back straight would work too. You occasionally see a desperate lunge into there, but would be a safer bet if the cars could follow through the flat-out turn 12.
Sakhir
Normally a good circuit for passing, but not this year for some reason. There are good chances to pass into turn 1, and turn 4 in particular. Able to follow each other, the cars would probably be able to pass frequently into the hairpin at turn 7, where Button accidentally took out DC this year. Also the last corner would become available as a passing chance. The current problem is that the corner before is a very nice 100mph right hander, which is near impossible to follow effectively. As it is an arrive and drive type corner, it isn't as big a problem as the others, as cars usually use it as a starting point for an attack into turn 1. However the ability to pass into the last corner could cause the car infront to make a mistake, even if the driver behind is only faking a pass.
Barcelona
Where do I start? Let's face it, there is only one REAL opportunity remaining at the CDC and that is turn one, and even that is very difficult to get by at. The ability to follow would do wonders for the races at this track. Turn one would only work if they returned the track to it's old state. The slow corner preceding it perversely makes overtaking harder with the concertina effect coming out of it. Turn 4 would be a realistic chance, because turn 3 is so long, being close to the car infront would give you a great slipstream and a chance into 4. You could even go round the outside at 4 and have a go into 5, a left hander. Turn 10, reprofiled in 2004 is a much better overtaking spot than how it used to be. However, if the cars could follow each other through the esses and Campsa, where Kovy went off this year, it would be a super overtaking spot.
Istanbul
One of the best. The run from turn 9 and 10 down to 12 is one of the best chances on the calendar. This is because the corner previous isn't aero-reliant as such, you can hustle the car through there to some degree. Turn 1 only works in certain instances. The ability to follow would make this track an absolute joy to pass on. 3 and 4 would be available, and you could have a lunge into 7 (at the top of the hill) if you were brave. A pass into 8 wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility, but you would need rather large cojones to do so.
Monaco
Regardless of regulations, Monaco is always going to be Monaco. Tight, twisty and difficult to overtake. Schumacher and Wurz showed it is possible in 1998, also Heidfeld and M Schumacher in 05 and Fisichella in 06. The only passing move in can think of would be into Mirabeau, but the straight is so short you would have to be brave/foolish/deperate (delete as applicable).
Montreal
Montreal would be great with new regulations. Most corners would provide passing opportunities. Currently we have turn one (sort of), the hairpin and the last chicane, but that's about it. New rules would open up chances at the chicanes at the back of the circuit, and increase your chances into turn one. Nearly every corner in Montreal is medium speed, and this is why it is very difficult to get past. being able to follow through the last chicane would greatly boost passing into turn one.
Magny-Cours
Passing has always been problematic here. it can be done, but not very easily, even though, like Barcelona, it is a great driving track. The hairpin still remains as a good chance, even though the fast Estoril corner causes problems for the attacking driver. Removing aero would allow much passing into Adelaide, and the circuit would be much better for it. you have to be brave to follow a car through the 160mph Nurburgring chicane, but if you could do effectively, the following 180 corner would open up nicely for you to have a go. Chateau D'Eau would be possible if you were close enough through the fast imola chicane, and the reprofiled Lycee would be a decent chance, as the straight is just about long enough for a pass, as Barrichello proved in 2004 when he passed Jarno Trulli there.
Silverstone
The British Grand Prix, 2003. One of the greatest races ever and the most overtaking I think I have ever seen in a Grand Prix. Albeit caused by a certain priest running onto the circuit, it proved Silverstone can still provide overtaking. My ideas of passing at Silverstone involve returning to the classic layout, but I will discuss the current track here. At the moment, Stowe and Vale are your best shots of passing, but you need a decent car advantage. Abbey is also a possibility, but it's too fast to have a lunge, just ask Scott Speed and Alex Wurz from last year.
Copse, I think will always be a no-go area. Just because it is too damn fast to make a 'safe' pass. You are risking too much going in wheel-to-wheel with someone at 170 mph, and not just your race. It can be done, but you have to be infront when you get there, and that's very difficult coming out of Woodcote. Opportunities would increase into Stowe, but I can't help thinking that Becketts, no matter how brilliant it and Maggots are, is a hinderance in modern f1 when it comes to passing. The old run down to what used to be Becketts was a much better passing chance. It in turn provided a similar run down to Stowe.
With increased passing at Stowe, it would naturally help the action into Vale and Club. Club isn't too sensitive to Aero at the moment, and Abbey overtakes would become more common, but why not just get rid of the chicane and bring the old flat out kink back? Can you imagine two cars going into Bridge wheel to wheel at nearly 200 mph? That would be a fantastic racing moment you would remember for a long time, and it would happen on nearly every lap if they got rid of Abbey chicane.