Circuit update

[MuttWagon]

As a kid who loved everything F1 I used to play the games around at that time. I think I started with Pitstop 2 and then progressed to Geoff Crammond. There were fewer circuits back then but my point was I knew every corner and thr overtaking spots. That carried through to watching the live races and made it so much more engaging. I have good memories of the old Hockenheim Circuit. Spa with the stop and Magy Cours.. Some of the circuits haven’t changed Inter Lagos being one.

Roll on 30 odd years and I feel like I barely know any of the modern circuits and I think that reduced my enjoyment of them. So I decided to address it and play a bit of the F1 2023 game ahead of each race weekend and learn them. It’s actually been great! Miami turns out to be pretty good fun and I’d forgotten how good Imola is even with the added chicane. It’s not the best sim by any means but it’s good fun if you don’t take it too serious.

So for all the bores out there that complain they have lost interest (but still stay on an F1 forum), I recommend reigniting the passion again and learning the 24 odd tracks we now have.

Does anybody else do anything similar?

[GlobalRacer]

Well actually I stay on a Motorsport forum that has a lot of posts about F1.

[HardtopManual]

MuttWagon said:

So for all the bores out there that complain they have lost interest (but still stay on an F1 forum), I recommend reigniting the passion again and learning the 24 odd tracks we now have.

My passion would be reignited by something resembling a championship battle, preferably inter-team, but intra-team will do.

Learning some street circuits on a computer game, not so much. I know Silverstone and Spa like the back of my hand. A dull procession of massive, undramatic cars is still a dull procession of massive, undramatic cars even if I know that the next corner is a 4th gear right-hander.

Yours,

A. Bore

[thegreenhell]

There was a time when every corner on every circuit had a name, and I knew all of them. All of these new circuits just have numbers, and I find that indicative of how memorable a circuit is. There's just no romance in numbers. Ask me to describe turn 6 on any Tilkedrome or Liberty street circuit and I'd be lost, but names like Becketts, Parabolica and Blanchimont immediately conjure up an image of the corner.

[MuttWagon]

thegreenhell said:

There was a time when every corner on every circuit had a name, and I knew all of them. All of these new circuits just have numbers, and I find that indicative of how memorable a circuit is. There's just no romance in numbers. Ask me to describe turn 6 on any Tilkedrome or Liberty street circuit and I'd be lost, but names like Becketts, Parabolica and Blanchimont immediately conjure up an image of the corner.

Yep I totally agree. 130R is another that stands out for me

[MuttWagon]

HardtopManual said:

MuttWagon said:

So for all the bores out there that complain they have lost interest (but still stay on an F1 forum), I recommend reigniting the passion again and learning the 24 odd tracks we now have.

My passion would be reignited by something resembling a championship battle, preferably inter-team, but intra-team will do.

Learning some street circuits on a computer game, not so much. I know Silverstone and Spa like the back of my hand. A dull procession of massive, undramatic cars is still a dull procession of massive, undramatic cars even if I know that the next corner is a 4th gear right-hander.

Yours,

A. Bore

I’m hoping the 2026 (and 2030) regs help reduce the size and weight of the cars too. My point is some of these circuits are actually ok it’s the cars that aren’t helping. Don’t get me wrong, I would prefer to keep to traditional circuits but that’s not the way the world is moving.

[majordad]

Agreed , smaller narrower cars are needed.

[White-Noise]

I can relate. Growing up I had every driving game I could get my hands on including gp2 as you allude to. I took up karting later on in my life and used to race those guys on the f1 games as I now had mates who were interested in racing, some who worked in f1. Gives you a different perspective.

But I found the f1 games and tracks to be a bit dull really and I was forcing myself to do it trying to enjoy it. Games like gran turismo I found much more enjoyable and playable and I think that reflects f1 as well. Instead of threading a needle through tarmac I felt like I could do some more wheel to wheel racing. I may pick up a more recent f1 game to give it a whirl and I'd like to know more about the modern tracks but they really don't do it for me.

When Sepang got put on the calendar I really wasn't interested, it was boring compared to the old tracks but today it seems to have some character compared to the new tracks. I pick that track just as an example to make the point.

F1 has lost its car, track and racing based drama and they are trying to make that drama in other ways but it feels like lots of glitter no knickers.

[entropy]

Only track in recent times that I was in awe of was Mugello / Forza / LMP1 going down Casanova and round Arrabiatta 1 & 2. Glad F1 had raced there for once a few years ago. Could do with more instead of San Marino.

[nnnitram]

Lots of tracks are fun to race in the sim even though they're terrible tracks. I am 100% in favour of leaving Monaco in the rear view mirror permanently, but I love driving it in F1 2023. Imola is great fun even though it's a bad track for F1 (and it's even more fun in Assetto Corsa Competizione because it suits GT3 cars perfectly). Agree on Miami - bad track, fun to race. And controversially, Monza which in my opinion produces dull racing is great fun thanks to the short simple lap.