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3 Dec 2012, 22:07 (Ref:3174759) | #2501 | ||
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Between Shanghai and Bahrain... That's where India is, after all!
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Tim Yorath Ecurie Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Fan of "the sacred monster Christophe Bouchut"... |
3 Dec 2012, 22:08 (Ref:3174761) | #2502 | |
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Perhaps it is to replace a venue? Bahrain?
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Matra V12 |
4 Dec 2012, 09:48 (Ref:3174924) | #2503 | |
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No, it'd be in addition. The BIC is actually a nice layout. I rather like it.
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4 Dec 2012, 12:44 (Ref:3174981) | #2504 | ||
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Makes no sense. What has Jaguar to do with India? Unless you're suggesting that R. Tata is so immature that to fund Jaguar racing programme he requires staging a race in his backyard as a gesture of good will or something. IMO, Jag would be more likely to join a series that visits the markets Jag care about, I'd guess USA, Middle East and probably China.
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4 Dec 2012, 13:00 (Ref:3174987) | #2505 | |
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4 Dec 2012, 13:28 (Ref:3175001) | #2506 | ||
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I'm slightly sceptical about the heritage argument. Every track, even La Sarthe, had to start somewhere. If we say that the WEC can only race somewhere with heritage, we paint ourselves into a corner and exclude emerging markets. If the track is good, and if you can get the numbers through the gates, that's enough.
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Interviewer: "Will the McLaren F1 be your answer to the Ferrari F40?" Gordon Murray: "Hmm... I don't think we have anyone at McLaren who can weld that badly..." |
4 Dec 2012, 14:13 (Ref:3175020) | #2507 | |||
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4 Dec 2012, 15:34 (Ref:3175040) | #2508 | ||
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The point is that you're going to places that don't have a heritage of motorsport at all, or at the very least, not on a more major level. F1 started as a collection of the leading events for open-wheel cars for that time period, including the Indianapolis 500.
Buddh is alright, though it has failed to produce good racing for F1, despite those wide entries at Turns 3, 4, and 16 (I also just find them ugly as sin). The trouble I see is, from Turn 5 around to Turn 15, pulling off a pass within your own class will be extremely difficult, and even passing lower-class traffic may be rather challenging as well. A number of the turns in that section strike me as being of the type that may only be very quick for F1 cars. In addition, the LMPs don't have the power/torque they had to get off the corners, which are also too quick to get ultimate advantage out of having low-end torque. On top of this, the straights around the middle of the lap are short, meaning the braking zones in the middle of the lap are not terribly severe either. This will make it hard for an LMP to get up a head of steam, and be able to really decisively outbrake the GTs into the next corner. |
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4 Dec 2012, 16:27 (Ref:3175058) | #2509 | |
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I really don't understand why everybody is this critical about the Bahrain round. I thought it made for some very pretty TV pictures and the race was entertaining as well.
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4 Dec 2012, 17:03 (Ref:3175065) | #2510 | ||
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I have trouble telling Sakhir's corners apart in daylight. At night the pretty pictures were just that, headlights moving about on the dark screen. Quite difficult to understand what's going on.
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4 Dec 2012, 17:26 (Ref:3175071) | #2511 | |||
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La Sarthe did have to start somewhere but there was already a healthy motor sports following, there isn't one in Bahrain. |
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4 Dec 2012, 18:25 (Ref:3175079) | #2512 | ||
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They aren't interested or they can't afford a ticket?
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4 Dec 2012, 18:31 (Ref:3175080) | #2513 | |||
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Posted in another thread, this is probably the better place for it.
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4 Dec 2012, 18:40 (Ref:3175084) | #2514 | ||
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and aren't allowed near the circuit anyway. I'm fine with the race in the desert, and it's a better track than Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi, but the WEC going there in the face of the repression and unrest there this year was ridiculous; should never have happened.
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4 Dec 2012, 18:44 (Ref:3175086) | #2515 | ||
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"If you're not winning you're not trying." Colin Chapman. |
4 Dec 2012, 19:55 (Ref:3175106) | #2516 | ||
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And I'll have to disagree, Rodger. I find Dubai to be the best of the Middle Eastern tracks, followed by Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and then Qatar.
Dubai isn't as featureless as Bahrain or Qatar, and has a more apparent variety of corners and corner combinations. It has some more noticeable elevation changes, and has some cambered corners (a rarity on "modern" circuits). There were definitely some interesting passes made at Dubai when A1GP visited. (Dubai Autodrome was laid out by Apex Circuit Design, not Tilke.) And no, I don't have an inherent dislike for desert circuits. I think Riverside and Stardust were both quite good. I also like Willow Springs. |
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4 Dec 2012, 22:33 (Ref:3175161) | #2517 | ||
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Aside from circuit layouts I think WEC would benefit from not running at F1 tracks, especially when motorsport interest is low to begin with. I think spectator numbers would be better if the WEC round was THE event of the year on the circuits they visit.
Exceptions could be made if the circuit it self is something especially good, like Spa or Suzuka, or if the country has a huge interest in motorsports, like Brazil (how was the spectator numbers there anyway?). I'd rather see them run in Dubai if they have to visit the middle east or Zhuhai if they have to race in China. |
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4 Dec 2012, 23:06 (Ref:3175173) | #2518 | ||
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I am all for races in new markets; I think it's very important. But those, too, should be at unique tracks, if possible. That would better help spread auto racing in new markets. |
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5 Dec 2012, 01:42 (Ref:3175208) | #2519 | |||
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5 Dec 2012, 01:48 (Ref:3175210) | #2520 | |||
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5 Dec 2012, 12:08 (Ref:3175336) | #2521 | ||
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IMO, the other problem about emerging markets, is that marketing there through racing is probably FAR less efficient than in places with racing heritage. So while European and US fans are missing out, the Chinese Panamera buying public wouldn't care less if 991 RSR has a new-gen DI engine or not.
So moving calendars towards 'emerging markets' makes a lot less sense than in F1 where FOM get their 20-40 mil per race regardless of local interest. Perhaps a second WEC round in the USA would make a lot more sense than adding one in India? Mallya doesn't own Jaguar, fortunately enough! Last edited by Pandamasque; 5 Dec 2012 at 12:16. |
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5 Dec 2012, 12:21 (Ref:3175337) | #2522 | |
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5 Dec 2012, 12:32 (Ref:3175340) | #2523 | ||
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As much as I'd like that, it wouldn't be the first choice of the bean counters.
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5 Dec 2012, 14:53 (Ref:3175375) | #2524 | |||
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FIA WMSC press release concerning the WEC in 2013-2014:
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Quali rule seems a tad too over-complicated to me, further cost reductions for LMP2 and GTE-Am are a good idea though, makes it more cost-effective for the gentleman drivers. |
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5 Dec 2012, 15:01 (Ref:3175378) | #2525 | ||
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Qualy rule seems daft. It's all well and good making sure all the drivers have time in the car before the race, and perhaps saying they must be within a certain percentage of the others if you want to make sure they are good enough. But that system will be almost impossible for fans to follow, especially trackside.
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