Double-Straight-Raceway

[the_calculator]

This track is situated in a valley with the river as it's lowest point.
The river banks are completely flat, thus a great place to build the pit complex.
Travelling away from the River the track starts going uphill.

In a few tracks posted on this forum you agreed that "straights should be evenly distributed along the track".
My opinion is that it's not always necessary.
This is one of the reasons I made this track.
I'll explain why; overtaking.
If you defend the first overtaking spot (the second on the track, A) too much, you'll mess up you're speed through the chicane and the following straight.
You will then be in a lot of trouble when you reach the second overtaking spot (B).
On tracks like Interlagos you'll see this numerous times.
It also gives the track two faces; the twisty/winding section through the hills opposed to the flat, flat-out speed straights along the river bank.

The second reason is the (re-)appreciation of the chicane.
Not very popular on this forum, but.....
don't we all enjoy the race losing and winning "Wall of champions" in Canada?
didn't we all love the totaly brutal "bus stop chicane" of Spa in the 90's?

Comments/critics are very welcome

[ascarracinguk]

looks like areal drivers circuit, yeh the chicane makes it look a bit wierd but it will give good overtaking opportunities....and we do love the wall of champions....

...if you line the straights with a wall and make them wide enough youd have a drag strip too!

[LuiggiSpeed]

Yes I'm one of those that thinks straights need to be distributed thru the circuit. Though I like your shapes, I still think your track is a bit un-practical.

[the_calculator]

Originally Posted by LuiggiSpeed

I still think your track is a bit un-practical.

Please explain.

If you are talking about run-off areas, meaning you'd be hurdling down the mountain, you're probably right.
I'm also aware that a club circuit layout would be a problem with the given layout and elevation.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I like the overall layout and presentation however I'd scale it down to a single straight 1-1.2km long, forget the straight-chicane-straight concept.

Also by scaling the the whole thing down, you'll be reducing the corner radius which will help the racing. For example, scaling down T1 goes from being a 52m radius curve into something like a 20m radius hairpin.

Likewise at the end of the lap, the high point corner at 80m radius, bring that radius down, so the corner becomes a get the line correct corner before blasting down the hill into the penultimate corner, itself tightened into a "last chance" overtaking point.

[bio]

I like this one. The only thing I'm not at peace with is the ultimate chicane. The problem, imho, is the pit entry. Don't forget that the cars must slow down entering the pit. And here there's no place to slow down only out on the track - and on the racing line. And outgoing cars having to slow down ON THE RACING LINE at the final possible overtaking spot - that doesn't sound to be a good scenario...

Apart of that I like this one a lot.

bio

[the_calculator]

Originally Posted by bio

The only thing I'm not at peace with is the ultimate chicane. The problem, imho, is the pit entry. Don't forget that the cars must slow down entering the pit. And here there's no place to slow down only out on the track - and on the racing line. And outgoing cars having to slow down ON THE RACING LINE at the final possible overtaking spot - that doesn't sound to be a good scenario...

I was thinking of something like this

[bio]

Yeah, I was thinking of Montreal too - I remeber drivers complain about it.

In Montreal it's kind of an emergency solution - I guess it's not without a reason you don't really see this solution a lot on other F1 tracks...

bio

[ScotsBrutesFan]

If the chicane was to be kept there is a way of doing it, unfortunately I'm on my way out to work right now, so will put together a diagram later.

Essentially it would involve having the straights and chicane being changed around.

The final curve would bring the straight out "lower" the chicane would then become left-right with the second straight the S/F being "higher".

The pit entry would be before the chicane and loop around the outside of the gravel trap of the second part of the chicane with the pits being on theinside the circuit as shown and on the inside of T1.

THis way the pit entry would be off the racing line as would the pit exit.

I hope that explanation works if not a quick diagram tonight will clarify.

[Purist]

I'm going to have to disagree with some points here. Champions Wall at Montreal is important for being a wall right there on the exit of a tricky corner. The fact the said corner is a chicane is mere coincidence. Honestly, that corner would be plenty challenging, and provide decent scope for overtaking, even if it was still the old 4th gear esse.

Also, I've never particularly cared for the Bus Stop at Spa, in whichever form it came. The track already has equivalent, or better, overtaking spots at La Source, Eau Rouge, Les Combe, Pouhon, Les Fagnes, and Blanchimont. And I've seen too many pile-ups at artificial chicanes to consider them to have any real redeeming value anyway.

If you leave the chicane in, I would readjust it so that the pit straight is shorter, and the straight before the chicane is more like 1150m.

To those calling for a scale-down, that will really destroy the "tow faces" aspect of the track. I'm estimating the track in its posted form to be ~6400m (~4.0mi). Shrinking the place down to 2.4mi, with a 1.2km straight and no chicane, just gives you that one major straight, and not much else but a rather fiddly section around the back side, and does not leave enough of the lap at higher speed to necessitate a more compromised set-up.

SBF, Turn 1 will be just fine for overtaking with the track in its original form. Actually, the more open corner will probably make passing more possible, while alleviating much of the risk of a pile-up with a bunched field. The final two main corner, apart from the chicane, will be fine in their original forms as well. The turn in the top left is slow enough by the look of things that there may be some passing there coming out of the Esses. The corner after that one I don't think will be flat-out, so getting it right is essential. Getting it wrong will gift the following driver with a huge opportunity to pass down the straight or into the chicane.

[werner]

I like this track a lot. Thumbs up! It must be great to drive. I hope that I can expect a bit more detailed version in the future, complete with run-off, infrastructure, spectatorfacilities etc?

[the_calculator]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

If the chicane was to be kept

That's indeed the whole point of the track.

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

I hope that explanation works.

Perfectly clear and a good one. Thanks.

But there are more options;
e.g. moving the pits to the straight before the chicane and start the pit entry before whats now the penultimate turn.
(probably would ask for a direction switch of the chicane too to divert the racing line)
I also thought about lengthening the pit entry in a way that you'd have to brake say 100 meters after the chicane, before entering the speed limit zone.
But that would involve braking on tarmac not often braked on being very slippery.
And would give the same problem Bio discribed in an opposite way

For now I go with SBF's one.
Other solutions are welcome.

Originally Posted by Purist

The track already has equivalent, or better, overtaking spots at La Source, Eau Rouge, Les Combe, Pouhon, Les Fagnes, and Blanchimont.

Overtaking at Eau Rouge? Blanchimont?
Man, you are fearless

Originally Posted by Purist

To those calling for a scale-down, that will really destroy the "tow faces" aspect of the track.

Thank you.
One straight, no chicane would make my little introduction story useless