RE: Mario Andretti opens Austin GP track

RE: Mario Andretti opens Austin GP track

Wednesday 24th October 2012

Mario Andretti opens Austin GP track

The modestly titled Circuit Of The Americas is open for business after an inaugural lap by Mario Andretti



The latest circuit to join the F1 circus is officially open, having been christened with a lap by America's last F1 champion Mario Andretti aboard the Lotus 79 he won that title with.

"Get that damn flag outta my eyes" etc
"Get that damn flag outta my eyes" etc
The 3.4-mile, 20-turn Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Texas is, of course, a brand new facility costing, according to the 'fun facts' page on the official site, $400m. Clearly aware that the recent crop of new F1 tracks - yes Korea and others, here's looking at you - have failed to capture the imagination of fans in the way classic tracks like Spa, Silverstone and Suzuka still do COTA has attempted to contrive a tad more drama and spectacle.

In other words, they've included some elevation change. 40m of it, much of it in the dramatic turn one. Shamelessly nicking inspiration from other tracks - Silverstone included - there then follows a sequence of esses modelled on Becketts and a variety of fast and slow turns hopefully able to create some proper racing.

A brand new GP track, yesterday
A brand new GP track, yesterday
Can a new-school track ever be as fan friendly as more traditional ones like Spa though? Hard to say but the money men are talking big numbers likely to keep Bernie and co happy. Speaking of fan-friendly it seems an earlier edict that any cameras more substantial than iPhones or point'n'shoots would be banned has been toned down in response to popular outcry. SLR cameras with lenses of 'up to 10 inches' are now permitted. "Guns, knives, pepper spray, handcuffs, nightsticks or other items" are still banned though. Sanitised modern F1 venue or not, this is still Texas. And, short of a bottle of water or two, you can forget bringing your own food and drink too. So you can leave your Thermos and packed lunch at home. With your telephoto lens and .45.

The United States Grand Prix itself takes place on November 18, videos of Andretti's lap and one in a current Lotus R30 F1 car by test driver Jerome D'Ambrosio with commentary below. Andretti was meant to have a go with that too but D'Ambrosio broke it before he could. Oops.


Andretti christens COTA

D'Ambrosio narrates a lap of Austin

 

Author
Discussion

carinaman

Original Poster:

21,224 posts

171 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Thanks for the video, I couldn't see it on the other press pieces on this.

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Lovely looking circuit.

pattieG

194 posts

148 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
So it's in Texas and is called the Circuit Of The Americas?

Does that mean it crosses over into mexico around turn 12 and we are likely to see some illegals hanging onto gearboxes at turn 14?

AlfaKev

10 posts

143 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
"Austin Commercials" trackside ad!!!

Surely out of business since the 80's?!?!?

carinaman

Original Poster:

21,224 posts

171 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
I didn't know that d'Ambrosio broke the R30. PH has had some interesting articles this week, I'm starting to get the same feel I used to get from print media. Good job PH. smile

It's a shame that this may get funding from TX state government. Austin doesn't need F1 to be a happening place, it doesn't need to buy F1 exposure.

It looks a good circuit.

Alfanatic

9,339 posts

218 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
I'd love to hear what Andretti thought of the 79 now, after all these years.

Also, is it just me or did he change his helmet for all the external shots?

Edited by Alfanatic on Wednesday 24th October 12:26

Fire99

9,844 posts

228 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Other than a bit of height variation, does nothing for me. The usual 'current' giant tarmac run-offs.

funkyrobot

18,789 posts

227 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Am I the only one who thinks that this circuit doesn't really look that interesting? Seems really, really wide with no real corners.

I may be very wrong, of course. smile

Edited to add - Fire agrees with me. smile

carinaman

Original Poster:

21,224 posts

171 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Is it the circuit, is it the fans?

Perhaps it's to do with how much the rights holders squeeze out of the venues?

I'll be unimpressed if it gets TX state funding while they cut education. There was a piece on Radio 4 or the World Service where the TX state govt. makes it difficult, or not easy to get federal handouts as they don't want those that don't get their bottoms in gear and pull their weight. But, they're prepared to give tankers full of money to those that hold the rights to F1?

BBS-LM

3,972 posts

223 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Looks like a good track, I love that up hill section, reminds me allot of the A1 circuit, and it good to see a track with gradient change. Impressed.

mat205125

17,790 posts

212 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Of all of the new circuits created from zero in the last decade, it's this one that I hold most hope in actually creating an exciting venue, and a memorable race ... due in no small part to the elevation changes deliberately included.

Fingers crossed, and mind open to change and progress!!

Spyder5

1,071 posts

164 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Play the videos side by side to see the speed differential!

Looks dull though on these videos - looking forwards to seeing the race

carinaman

Original Poster:

21,224 posts

171 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Porti Mao looks better. Well done them for not paying over the odds to host F1.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Looking forward to the GP, will be interesting to see how well supported it is in terms of spectators.

On the DSLR issue, 10 inch lenses pretty much only stops the really big fast beasts from getting in (300mm 2.8 and bigger) so 99% of people will be fine with that. The popular 70-200s will all be fine, even something like a Canon 100-400 is ok.

LotusOmega375D

7,582 posts

152 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Where's all the mud gone? wink

Also does this track appear on the recent X-Box game for the 2012 F1 season?

V12 Migaloo

805 posts

145 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Amazing the difference in ride quality between the 2 lotus's, great vid, thanks PH

Adrian W

13,848 posts

227 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
If Andretti's was the first lap what was all the cement dust?

The Black Flash

13,735 posts

197 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
I'm not keeping up, I thought that this had got canned in preference to another go-awful street circuit. Glad to see it finished.

Looks an interesting track, though the surroundings are rather sterile. But that's inevitable these days, I guess.

F1GTRUeno

6,335 posts

217 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
Too wide and not that many genuine overtaking spots.

Might as well be Korea.

Alfanatic

9,339 posts

218 months

Wednesday 24th October 2012
quotequote all
V12 Migaloo said:
Amazing the difference in ride quality between the 2 lotus's, great vid, thanks PH
Yeah, all sorts of things that could be behind that too. The 79 was aluminium, the carbon tubs brought a massive benefit in chassis stiffness. The 79 also has ground effects. With skirts, but still a level body was desirable, so it may well be stiffer.

Also, the modern cars, as far as I can tell, have built in camera mounts so the camera is quite solidly attached to the car (maybe...) whereas on the 79 it is more likely suckered or duck taped to a glassfibre bit of bodywork (looked too low to be the rollhoop) which again, being glassfibre and quite square, is going to be a lot more floppy than modern, curvy bodywork.

I'd think that there are a whole load of factors causing that much camera vibration... and then there's an engine that's probably averaging something like 7000rpm instead of 16000.