Autódromo Internacional do Lisbon

[Beetle]

An FIA Grade 1, 3.53 mile racetrack 30 minutes outside of Lisbon, Portugal. My first attempt at a "real" racetrack, not a street circuit. Tell me how you like it!

Turn Names

1 ~ Fangio
2 ~ Moss
3 ~ Clark Carousel
4 ~ Brabham Bend
5 ~ Phil's Hill
6 ~ Senna Loop
7 ~ Schumacher Slope
8 ~ Farina
9 ~ Mansell
10-13 ~ The Scheckter Esses
14-15 ~ The Heart Attacks
16 ~ Surtees
17 ~ Piquet
18 ~ Villeneuve
19 ~ Hunt Hairpin
20 ~ Lauda
21 ~ Alonso
22 ~ Stewart
23 ~ Vettel
24 ~ Rosberg
25 ~ Rindt
26 ~ Hawthorne

[SKG]

There are some particular sections of this circuit that I really like.

Turns 1-4. Even though I feel turn 3 is slightly too much of a corner, I like the idea of having a really long, sweeping corner at the start of the lap.

Turns 9-13. It reminds me of suzuka, and Im pretty sure that suzuka was in mind when designing this part of the circuit, and anything suzuka-inspired is good in my opinion! Suzuka!

Turns 16, 17, 18, 19 would be good fun and I think turns 21 and 22 would be a challenge to get the right line at high speed.

I do feel that overall it seems a bit busy overall though. 26 corners does seem like a lot, but maybe thats just me though! Good effort, I'd like to see what others here think of it too

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Is T1 an overtaking point? If not the the run to T2 would be too short

T5 has run off issues

The only other overtaking point is T22

I have to agree that it's to busy, it could probably be refined down to 18-20 turns without changing its character too much.

[bio]

Yep, I agree with the above: it's a really interesting one with good sections. However, it should either be (much) longer or simplified a little. 26 turns for an 5.8 km track is too much. I can see two good overtaking spot, the ones before and after the S/F straight - that measn you almost have to go through all the track to have the next overtaking spot if you miss out on one.

Also, if you meant T1 as an overtaking spot, Ithink t would benefit from some tightening. Or, you could loosen it, to make T2 an even better overtaking spot. I'd do this.

bio

[Beetle]

Thanks for all your great responses. It is highly appreciated. I feel that I could simplify the track a bit, and that it is actually, in real life, supposed to be a little bit longer. Actually, a LOT longer! I'd bump the track length up to about 4.2, near the length of Miller Motorsports Park (full track), which is on the busy side. The Bahrain Endurance Track was extremely busy and it's 3.9 miles, so on the bright side I've beat that.

Turns 1-2: turn 1 gets cars slowed down and prepared to brake into a hairpin which is turn 2. I modeled it a bit after Degner Curve at Suzuka. Great outbreaking opportunity.

Turn 3: The Carousel, after Watkins Glen, Road America, the Parabolica in Monza, and countless others.

Turn 4: The final corner at Bahrain, great passing opportunity after gaining momentum out of Turn 3.

Turn 5 straight: modeled vaguely after the back straight at Paul Ricard... just about half as long.

Turn 5-6-7: Very much based off the hairpin at Suzuka. But instead of a downhill sweep to the hairpin as it is in Suzuka, it is a steep uphill climb to the highest part of the track, and turn 7 swoops back down.

Turn 8: just a random corner

Turn 9: challenging; an unnatural-looking kink in the road sets drivers off the road or severely compromises their speed through the esses... the trademark corner on the track.

The Esses: based solely off of Suzuka's esses.

The Heart Attacks: a push hard corner, very scary at high speed... hence the name "The Heart Attacks"!

Turns 16-19: Loosely based on the final corners at Sandown Raceway... a fun spot to say the least. Well, after the race, I'm sure Whincup isn't so fond of that corner.

Turns 20-21: a slightly wider, less angular version of Istanbul Park's turn 8. 2 apexes rather than four!

I've decided that turns 22-26 would serve as the endurance layout and that the outer version would serve as the normal, F1 and GT layout. That means the DRS zone would be (possibly) changed to that point. A long straight resembling Istanbul's back straight before the curves towards the end of the track.

So... 4.2 miles... not 3.5!

[ScotsBrutesFan]

What happens next won't come as a surprise to some of you....



Because of the fast start to the lap there is now an option ascari type chicane to break up the high speed run.
The infield hairpin has been reprofiled into an overtaking place.

There are a number of short cuts that while taking distance off the track create overtaking points, for that particular loop.

The final sequence of corners now have a hockenheim stadium type feel to them.

[LuiggiSpeed]

Nice first attempt, I kind of like the general idea but there are two safety risks at turn 5 and turn 9, as they're both hi speed corners and way too close to the next section, so somebody blowing t5 will invade track (or hit a barrier) , same thing for T9 that aims at T3( which is a big carrousell with hi corner speed too). with Bio, too may turns for such a short distance, you need a couple more overtaking spots but you're walking the right way.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

What happens next won't come as a surprise to some of you....

Attachment 38616

Because of the fast start to the lap there is now an option ascari type chicane to break up the high speed run.
The infield hairpin has been reprofiled into an overtaking place.

There are a number of short cuts that while taking distance off the track create overtaking points, for that particular loop.

The final sequence of corners now have a hockenheim stadium type feel to them.

I don't want to be rude, but I like my track better.

You got rid of the whole challenges of some of the corners. Simplicity is never the way to go, IMO. But I would appreciate a Google Sketchup mockup of the track. J.K.!

Although I like the Hockenheim stadium feel though.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by LuiggiSpeed

Nice first attempt, I kind of like the general idea but there are two safety risks at turn 5 and turn 9, as they're both hi speed corners and way too close to the next section, so somebody blowing t5 will invade track (or hit a barrier) , same thing for T9 that aims at T3( which is a big carrousell with hi corner speed too). with Bio, too may turns for such a short distance, you need a couple more overtaking spots but you're walking the right way.

Thanks Luiggi!

[bio]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

What happens next won't come as a surprise to some of you....

Attachment 38616

Because of the fast start to the lap there is now an option ascari type chicane to break up the high speed run.
The infield hairpin has been reprofiled into an overtaking place.

There are a number of short cuts that while taking distance off the track create overtaking points, for that particular loop.

The final sequence of corners now have a hockenheim stadium type feel to them.

Well... this one still seems way too crammed to me. I don't really see the reason for reversing the track direction - but I understand you simply had to - it's like one of your trademarks, after all

Jokes aside, I still see some major simplification in this track's future.

bio

[Alwaysfirst]

Here's my edit:



I've tried to keep the general shape & idea of the corners whilst also slimming it down slightly and making run-off etc slightly more realistic for a top level circuit.

I've lengthened the run to a new T1 which is the circuit's principal overtaking oppertunity, kept the fast T2 which leads into a more open T3 onto a straight with a kink (T4) into the T5 hairpin which has a more Suzuka-like profile than the original, as well as being more of an overtaking spot.

Another sweeper through T6 into T7 which is similar to the original, as it the fast, double-apex T8 into the esses (T9-12). T13 is also similar to the original, if more coherent as a single, long, flowing corner. This leads after a short straight into the sweeper-into-hairpin combo of T14-15. The tight T15 leads onto the straight, building speed through T16 & T17 which have a slightly tighter profile than the original but would retain a similar kind of challenge, being close to flat out, but maybe not quite.

This leads into the altered final section: The left-handed sweep of T18 leads into the tight 90 degree right of T19 which should work as an overtaking spot. The short run into the cambered T20 should allow cars to stay very close to each other on the run onto the straight, hopefully leading to more overtaking at T1.

I've also added quite a few short-cuts. I'm afraid I didn't have time to do the full run-off/gravel traps & 3D grandstands, but hopefully you'll like the edit anyway!

[werner]

It might not have been the point, but how far will this track be from the former F1 and current Moto-GP track of Estoril? And how much is the economic growth and public debt in that 10mln. country with 2 (3 if you count the streets of Porto, 4 if you also count former ETCC-venue Braga) international circuits already?

[bio]

I like this modified version much more. It definitely has a better flow IMHO.

bio

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

Here's my edit:



I've tried to keep the general shape & idea of the corners whilst also slimming it down slightly and making run-off etc slightly more realistic for a top level circuit.

I've lengthened the run to a new T1 which is the circuit's principal overtaking oppertunity, kept the fast T2 which leads into a more open T3 onto a straight with a kink (T4) into the T5 hairpin which has a more Suzuka-like profile than the original, as well as being more of an overtaking spot.

Another sweeper through T6 into T7 which is similar to the original, as it the fast, double-apex T8 into the esses (T9-12). T13 is also similar to the original, if more coherent as a single, long, flowing corner. This leads after a short straight into the sweeper-into-hairpin combo of T14-15. The tight T15 leads onto the straight, building speed through T16 & T17 which have a slightly tighter profile than the original but would retain a similar kind of challenge, being close to flat out, but maybe not quite.

This leads into the altered final section: The left-handed sweep of T18 leads into the tight 90 degree right of T19 which should work as an overtaking spot. The short run into the cambered T20 should allow cars to stay very close to each other on the run onto the straight, hopefully leading to more overtaking at T1.

I've also added quite a few short-cuts. I'm afraid I didn't have time to do the full run-off/gravel traps & 3D grandstands, but hopefully you'll like the edit anyway!

THIS IS BRILLIANT! Quite brilliant, and an amazing touch you've got for SketchUp, too! Thanks a lot!

Sorry SBF!

Always first: Your's is better than mine.

[LuiggiSpeed]

Magic touch Alwaysfirst!

That track looks the right style for me, I'm very much into it, you have a classic there IMHO

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by werner

It might not have been the point, but how far will this track be from the former F1 and current Moto-GP track of Estoril? And how much is the economic growth and public debt in that 10mln. country with 2 (3 if you count the streets of Porto, 4 if you also count former ETCC-venue Braga) international circuits already?

That's a good point. Let's change this circuit name to Norway International Circuit. Lot's of elevation and just 20 minutes away from downtown Oslo.



Norway International Circuit
3.59 miles; 5.77 kilometers
Slattum, Norway
FIA Grade 1

[bio]

Was there a special reason you chose that particular spot?

bio

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by bio

Was there a special reason you chose that particular spot?

bio

Yes. 20 minutes out of a major city and lots of space to build. Also, not too many tracks in Norway.

[bio]

Originally Posted by Beetle

Yes. 20 minutes out of a major city and lots of space to build. Also, not too many tracks in Norway.

What I really meant is the topology of the area. Do we know which sections of the track will be flat/ascending/decending there? That can make all the difference.

bio

[Yannick]

I actually prefer SBF's edit over Alwaysfirst's because this brings out the track's "inspirations" a little more, such as the first sector of Sepang, the first sector of Magny-Cours, the Esses of Austin (and maybe there are other things I can also see in this design.) However, I would just change the track to clockwise without so many changes as you have applied to it, SBF.

But changes need to be applied if it were anticlockwise even, since the approach to that corner at the top right hand side of the design needs more runoff towards the inside - hence switching around the direction would be an unexpensive solution for that.

[SpeedingTortoise]

I like Alwaysfirst's edit, but there are parts from the others i would include. I like Beetle's original T1+2+3. If made correctly, T2 could be easy to overshoot and provide overtaking while T3 could allow some hairy overtakes if you get a better exit from T2. I would then switch onto Alwaysfirst's edit. I like how he's made the hairpin a good overtaking opportunity and the esses after it have a great flow. After the two right handers I would have a Parabolica-esque left hander. I feel as though having Alwaysfirst's original left hander would be too much like T1 and 2, and id prefer to make every corner unique. Id then have SBF's first sector reversed. The last 2 corners remind me of Brooklands and Luffield at Silverstone.