Challenge - Spa + Herr Tilke :)

[bio]

A conversation at another thread gave me this idea... Let's play a little, shall we?

Here's the deal: Imagine you're Herr Tilke. Then imagine that Bernie drank too much - or lost a bet to you. So, he gives you the task of modifying the Spa circuit and shape it according to your taste.

Forget the terrain. Forget the site boundaries. Forget the traditions. Spit Spa's spirit in the face and turn it into a Tilkedrome!

Come on, butchers.

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

HAHA alright, i'm well up for this.

I've never seen a topic intensionally encourage bad butchering!!

Selby

[JackN]

As you can see, the first change is Eau Rouge. Now a tight chicane, this will not only fail to improve overtaking but will also ruin the character of the circuit to Herman's level of satisfaction.

Les Combes is the same, Herman loves medium speed chicanes, but Rivage has now been split into 2 90degree corners, again allowing for more theoretical overtaking.

Although it can't be seen on the map, Pouhon is now a quadruple apex left hander, based on Turn 8 at Istanbul. The Fagnes chicane/Stavelot is now a sequence of three tight hairpins. We all know tight hairpins increase overtaking so to have three in a row will create some breathtaking slow speed action. The Bus Stop is unaltered. Tilke wanted to keep some of essence of the old circuit.

It must also be pointed out, each corner has 1.4km of tarmac run off on the exit.

[ECW Dan Selby]

lmao Oh cmon, poor Mr Tilke ...

Selby

[bio]

JackN,
you captured the spirit spot on! Exactly what I meant with this challenge!

My favourite is your Eau Rouge

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

I'm actually going to have a semi-serious go at this... Semi-serious

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Was just about to do it but Photoshop's broke on my computer at work Just about sums up my day, unfortunately.

Selby

[bio]

Oops...

Herr Tilke did your PC in...

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

If he did, i'd be having to sit on the other side of the room for health and safety reasons

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Here we go...

Selby

[JackN]

Haha I like what you've done with Pouhon!

[nickyf1]

Hasn't Tilke already had his hands on the Bus-Stop/S/F and Pit Buildings?

Even Herrman Tilke would disagree with those changes Dan, there is just no need for those sharp corners at Pouhon, not at such high speeds and at such a steep downhill section, there should be enough run-off there already. As for the section between the Bus-stop and Les Fagnes.. Not sure that would be necessary even to Tilkes mind either..

He would also most likely shorten it in the style of Hockenheim.

[jab]

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4229552

I've tried to at least be a little sensible. The obligatory chicane at Eau Rouge, a new hairpin at Les Combes bypassing Malmedy and Rivage, quadruple-apexation of Pouhon in the style of turn 8 at Istanbul, then a hairpin cutting out Les Fagnes and Stavelot

It's not actually that bad a circuit...

[bio]

Nicky,
I guess I wasn't clear enough - I meant this challenge to be sarcastic, to inflate the bad things, to be a caricature. What you say is absolutely true - but this was what i had in mind

bio

[bio]

Jab,
fantastic job!

bio

[Purist]

Jab, I think you've been eying that oozy for a bit too long.

Selby, did the shape for your Eau Rouge chicane come from somewhere in particular? It looks slightly familiar. As for what you've done with Blanchimont, that looks like the esses from the end of the lap at the Helsinki street circuit.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

Hasn't Tilke already had his hands on the Bus-Stop/S/F and Pit Buildings?

Even Herrman Tilke would disagree with those changes Dan, there is just no need for those sharp corners at Pouhon, not at such high speeds and at such a steep downhill section, there should be enough run-off there already. As for the section between the Bus-stop and Les Fagnes.. Not sure that would be necessary even to Tilkes mind either..

He would also most likely shorten it in the style of Hockenheim.

Yeh it wasn't really meant for any accuracy - that was the idea of the initial post Just a bit of fun. Although I must say, if it wasn't Spa, it'd be quite an interesting layout, and it's a very unique shape.

But yeah I totally agree, he'd definitely shorten it. I've actually increased its length by adding a needless infield section (which, arguably, Tilke enjoys), but the idea was to rid of the 'blatantly too quick' Blanchimon (sp?)

Jab's rendition is scarilly realistic...

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by Purist

Jab, I think you've been eying that oozy for a bit too long.

Selby, did the shape for your Eau Rouge chicane come from somewhere in particular? It looks slightly familiar. As for what you've done with Blanchimont, that looks like the esses from the end of the lap at the Helsinki street circuit.

It's kind of like a smoother version of T4-5 at Valencia Street Circuit. But I suppose it could be likened to the makeshift chicane used for Eau Rouge back in 1994, too.

Selby

[Yannick]

Dan: Your Pouhon edit is priceless. LOL.
jab: Your Turn-8-ified Pouhon is not bad, either!

Therefore, my own Tilkefication uses Dan's Pouhon, too. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4229961
Other changes include the removal of Eau Rouge (no surprise). I've replaced it with the old road loop that was used to bypass the steep climb for road cars up until the late 90s when the track was still part of public roads. About where the old road loop rejoins the track at Raidillion, I have placed a tight almost 180 degree left and 90 degree right chicane made of kerbs, for the sole purpose of cars having to enter the Kemmel straight at a slow speed to promote overtaking into Les Combes, which got "sharpened" form a chicane to a set of two hairpins, like all Tilke's chicanes are. To keep laptimes down, I've then decided to put in a 180 degree corner that leads steeply downhill on exit. It's probably the most daring corner and I have no idea whether Tilke's rulebook would have allowed him to do something that drastic. Next, we head into the braking zone for ECW Dan's double left-hander of Pouhon. I've then decided to change the right-left Esse after that to make it tighter. Stavelot corner on the back of the circuit was turned into two sharp right-handers in much as the same fashion that Pouhon was turned into two sharp left-handers. The 2nd got its purpose from the overtaking zone at the bus stop. And Blanchimont with its dangerous cliff behind the armco got moved away from the edge into the forest and got turned into a single kink, similar to the one on the backstraight of Istambul Park.

bio: which one will be next? Zandvoort?

[bio]

Yannick,
another excellent candidate Your Eau Rouge is a true Tilke-spirit solution

bio

[Tathrim]

Why limit yourself to the circuit?

My decision was to use the perimeter road and then shorten the laptime by moving Puhon forward a little.

You could then have a couple of sweepers before a hairpn at Stavelot, before the long run of Blanchimont to test the balance of low downforce setups.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Brands Hatch could be another good one..

Selby

[bio]

Tathrim,
I see you've mastered the tilkean way of thinking :P Superb!

bio

PS: Looking at that image... When did they relocate the Eau Rouge to the place of the bus stop?

[bio]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

Brands Hatch could be another good one..

Selby

Yep, there's a lot to butcher there, too

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by bio

Tathrim,
I see you've mastered the tilkean way of thinking :P Superb!

bio

PS: Looking at that image... When did they relocate the Eau Rouge to the place of the bus stop?

hahaha You got in there before me...

Selby