Venues for first and last rounds?

[OZ_HCR32]

Do we need a change?

Two of the dullest races this year were Bahrain, the first round and Abu Dhabi; the last round.

Seems to me that there is a little possibility that these two circuits can provide good racing. Which, when you reflect on the fact that Australia as the season opener usually provided a bit of a spectacle to welcome in the new year. Be it Adelaide or Brazil...the final round used to provide a bit of entertainment because the venues allowed racing

So with a 4 way title fight going to the last round, it would have been far more interesting and more to play for if the final venue was Brazil or similar. Somewhere a driver has a chance of racing through the field if need be.

LOL, or am I just another unreasonable punter that wants too much from Bernie ?

[Mr V]

Bahrain is dull dull dull but i like Abu Dhyabi.

[Knowlesy]

I think you are being unreasonable. This is about hotels and pretentiousness not sport.

[AndyS]

Australia as the opener and Brazil to close.

[duke_toaster]

I'd go for that as well, although it is tempting to start with Singapore so that round one is a normal time race, but Brazil makes a good final race venue. For some reason I think Interlagos as a day/night race like Abu Dhabi could be quite spectacular.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I'd go for that as well, although it is tempting to start with Singapore so that round one is a normal time race, but Brazil makes a good final race venue. For some reason I think Interlagos as a day/night race like Abu Dhabi could be quite spectacular.

But would be at a daft hour of the day for Bernie's all important European market.

[jab]

Brazil to open, Australia to close

OK, never going to happen as long as the Melbourne Cup continues (although the F1 finale these days comes after it) or they don't switch back to Adelaide, but I can dream

If not, well, Albert Park as season opener and Japan as the decider. Suzuka should either have the last race or the penultimate one. Next year it's 5th from the end, isn't it?

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally Posted by OZ_HCR32

Do we need a change?

Yes.

Originally Posted by AndyS

Australia as the opener and Brazil to close.

That.

[Spritle]

In the name of cost cutting the penultimate and final races shouldn't be a world apart.

I realize there are lots of factors in play but logistics isn't F1 strongest suit.

[blaffer]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Australia as the opener and Brazil to close.

Absolutely.
And return to a 'normal' starting hour in Melbourne. I don't mind getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning for the season opener.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally Posted by Spritle

In the name of cost cutting the penultimate and final races shouldn't be a world apart.

I realize there are lots of factors in play but logistics isn't F1 strongest suit.

It does seem bizarre that the season ended so close to where it started, when normally races that are geographically close are grouped together. Not that I am advocating back to back Middle East bore-fests.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by Spritle

I realize there are lots of factors in play but logistics isn't F1 strongest suit.

There was a time (before Bernie had quite such a tight grip on everything as he has now) when US and Canada were on consecutive weekends and Brazil and Argentina were consecutive weekends. How very sensible.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by fourWheelDrift

But would be at a daft hour of the day for Bernie's all important European market.

A day night Brazil race at the end of the season would be a great time for European TV, slap bang in the middle of primetime, possibly about 8pm UK time start. That's why I suggested it; the last GP of the season should rise above the early afternoon sport feast and enter in to primetime. 6pm Local Time would obviously be more night than day, it would start about 28 minutes before official sunset. Even so - Sao Paulo at night, fireworks in the colours of the winning driver's car as the WDC trophy is presented (OK, the WDC trophy isn't presented at the last race but it should be). Obviously ending the season in the USA could do the same, but I just think Interlagos is a good race to save the best until last, the fact that S do Senna is not mentioned on the same level as Eau Rouge (it's like Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, but also an overtaking spot) is something I have never got.

[stripedcat]

I don't mind the season opener being in Australia, but can we have it at Philip Island not Melbourne. Melbourne isn't that great a track. Only rain really livens things up for overtaking. Okay, I accept it is unlikely to happen.

Brazil and Interlagos is a great track. I know the teams moan about the facilities, but it usually produces some good races.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

I don't mind the season opener being in Australia, but can we have it at Philip Island not Melbourne. Melbourne isn't that great a track. Only rain really livens things up for overtaking. Okay, I accept it is unlikely to happen.

Brazil and Interlagos is a great track. I know the teams moan about the facilities, but it usually produces some good races.

Yes, but F1 isn't about great tracks and races. Its about fine hotels and taking care of celebrities and media and getting lots of publicity for high speed motoring processions.
Abu Dhabi works because it is expensive and 'beautiful'.
Interlagos doesnt because Sao Paulo has high crime and poverty and we don't want to tarnish F1's image.

There is more chance of losing Interlagos because of Sao Paulo's problems than there is of losing Yas Marina because its problems.....

[werner]

Originally Posted by stripedcat

I don't mind the season opener being in Australia, but can we have it at Philip Island not Melbourne. Melbourne isn't that great a track. Only rain really livens things up for overtaking. Okay, I accept it is unlikely to happen.

Brazil and Interlagos is a great track. I know the teams moan about the facilities, but it usually produces some good races.

I don't think PI would provide a lot of overtaking opportunites, and it is way, way to dangerous. they would have to tarmac acres of grass and tame some corners quite a bit to match the safetystandards I'm afraid. Not to mention the absense of glitter, glamour, luxury facilities etc.

Having said that, Formula 1-cars speeding through the last and the first bend at PI *drools*

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

There is more chance of losing Interlagos because of Sao Paulo's problems than there is of losing Yas Marina because its problems.....

There is no chance to lose Interlagos.

[Birddog07]

Melbourne followed by Sepang I always liked. And Brazil as the last round with Suzuka as the penultimate or Argentina if they want to bring that back.

[grklein]

As fas as I know, Interlagos is confirmed as the last race of next season (at least that was what the brazilian tv commentators said during the last race), and it seems the track facilities will be upgraded for next season too.

[strider]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Australia as the opener and Brazil to close.

Agreed. That didn't take long.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

Melbourne followed by Sepang I always liked. And Brazil as the last round with Suzuka as the penultimate or Argentina if they want to bring that back.

What about running the US before Brazil at the end of the season? One possibility would be to move Singapore to the start of the season Asian swing (not necessarily race one, just race two or three), it's lunacy to go two flyaways within the distance of a Grand Prix other than on the same trip.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

Melbourne followed by Sepang I always liked. And Brazil as the last round with Suzuka as the penultimate

That's perfect.

Originally Posted by Bononi

There is no chance to lose Interlagos.

What if Button had actually been kidnapped and hadn't started the race? That could happen next year, of the following.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by werner

I don't think PI would provide a lot of overtaking opportunites, and it is way, way to dangerous. they would have to tarmac acres of grass and tame some corners quite a bit to match the safetystandards I'm afraid. Not to mention the absense of glitter, glamour, luxury facilities etc.

PI is also I think too short a lap distance for a new circuit (less than 4.5klms)

Originally Posted by werner

Having said that, Formula 1-cars speeding through the last and the first bend at PI *drools*

No need to wait for a GP..... just go to the Phillip Island Historic meeting, always on the week before the GP, and where I will be always in preference to the GP.....

Then you can witness the spectacle of a larger grid (even with non starters some 28 cars) of F5000 cars thundering into T1.... and you can watch with no extra charge from the roof of the pitlane garages. (its only $50 for an all area access ticket for the three days of the meeting) Plus you will see overtaking a plenty. And yes, the earth beneath you will move as they thunder past!

Plus you can wander in and out of the pitlane garages taking all the photos you want of some far more interesting and historically more important cars than any current F1 grid.
There are plenty of clips on youtube (Search Phillip Island Historics F5000).

Edit: Oops. Forgot in my F5000 excitement to answer the thread question.
Simple answer: Albert Park for starters and Interlagos for a good climax

[Yannick]

When I got into F1, the opener was at Kyalami and the closer was at Adelaide. Both are no more in F1. With annual regulation changes, you risk the opener being a bore every year because nobody dares to try offbeat strategies, like has happened this year at Bahrain. The Yas Marina Circuit is fine with me as the venue for the final because it has proven twice that it's capable of providing spectators with good races.
However, I can understand that people would want to move the closer, too, to a destination that has more life in the stands and around the circuit.

A season opener at Istambul Park would be a nice change, I guess.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by E.B

PI is also I think too short a lap distance for a new circuit (less than 4.5klms)

It's short for a new circuit. But Montreal and Interlagos do fine with under 4.400 metres, and Indianápolis, Ö-Ring and Magny-Cours did ok too. I believe that F1 should try more of these circuits with 1'10 lap times and about 70 laps per race.