New Imola (Videos)

[shambles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QrX7Xa1Iyw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkrV-Lk-u8

[nickyf1]

nice, cheers for that

[werner]

Did they tighten the variante alta!? That seems to be much slower than it used to be. That's a shame. The new S/F-area looks cool, but they might have done something different with the pit-entry. I doubt a wheel-to-wheel-fight is very comfortable when you're on the right side.

[Flaming_Wuzzle]

Originally Posted by werner

Did they tighten the variante alta!? That seems to be much slower than it used to be.

They did, but that happened around 2006, I think.

[bio]

Yep, in 2006:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G...no_Changes.svg

[Fish_Flake]

I still would like to see the Villeneuve chicane eliminated, but it's progress.

[mclaren2007]

See my tracks thread for an edit.

[nickyf1]

I agree with you there Fish.

Is anyone else with me when i say that all of this safety is not necesary for F1? I mean, look at Kubica's horrifying accident at Montreal last season, a corner with no gravel, or tarmac run off, a flat out kink and a concrete wall. He survived, and this is only a freak accident. So are all these acres of tarmac run offs necessary? Roland Ratzenberger went off at a similar corner in a sort of similar way (front wheels lifted in the air) so this shows that F1 has become more safe, car structure wise. Anyone else agree?

now ive went off topic...

[the sniper]

I can see why there has been complaints about the pit lane entry, it looks really quiet dangerous!

[Fish_Flake]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

I agree with you there Fish.

Is anyone else with me when i say that all of this safety is not necesary for F1? I mean, look at Kubica's horrifying accident at Montreal last season, a corner with no gravel, or tarmac run off, a flat out kink and a concrete wall. He survived, and this is only a freak accident. So are all these acres of tarmac run offs necessary? Roland Ratzenberger went off at a similar corner in a sort of similar way (front wheels lifted in the air) so this shows that F1 has become more safe, car structure wise. Anyone else agree?

now ive went off topic...

The thing about the Villeneuve chicane is that while it was the point of the track where the highest speeds were reached in 1994, Formula 1 cars had been entering the kink at the end of a mile-long section of track that was full-throttle. Adding the chicane at Tamburello bisected that flat-out run, so speeds would be down around 20 MPH there anyway. Plus, the circuit expanded the run-off area for the Villeneuve chicane, so they could have done the same for the kink.

Altering the Variante Bassa after Barrichello's accident was a matter of common sense: there was no reason for that first right-left combo to be there in the first place, and certainly not with that high curbing. There had been serious accidents at Tamburello before Senna's crash, so altering that corner was inevitable. But the Villeneuve chicane was and is a knee-jerk reaction made under the notion that a driver died there, so something must be done. In reality, if a driver went off at a restored kink in 1995, the improved side-cockpit protection and reduced corner entry speeds made it very likely that he would walk away from it. The same remains true today.

[Purist]

Given how close the walls are around parts of Eau Rouge even today, the run-off at the old Tamburello doesn't seem that out of line. The high curb prevented the gravel from scrubbing off speed in Senna's crash.

Even with the Variente Bassa gone, the chicane at Tamburello isn't profiled to be conducive to overtaking. Also, I'm not convinced, even if you removed the Villeneuve Chicane, that you would see passing into Tosa without a flat-out Tamburello. Unless you have the room to get a run going and set up the guy in front before you get to that right-hand bend ahead of Tosa, that bend will foul up most attempts at passing made right before Tosa.

[shambles]

They need to re-profile the Tamburello chicane because as Purist says it's not really the kind of lap after lap overtaking spot you'd like to see there.

We all know that they'll never re-instate the original Tamburello although I don't see why it shouldn't be feasible from all angles other than perhaps a certain sentimentality. I'd love to see an Imola back on full song; in it's heydey it was truly one of the greatest racing circuits we've ever seen.