Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya modified for F1
Discussion
Hot on the heels of Spa, they have been digging (pronounced "dicking" in Spanish) around at Catalunya by ruining 2 of the best corners on the track, the last 2.
David Coulthard believes Circuit de Catalunya officials have wasted the opportunity they had to revise the final sequence of corners at the track with their construction of the new chicane.
The Barcelona circuit now features a left-right flick ahead of the final corner after moves were made to improve safety at the final two high-speed corners.
But despite the changes being made to minimise the chances of an impact with the barriers, Coulthard has said he is 'disappointed' with the manner of the improvements - especially because drivers were not consulted on the changes beforehand.
"The changes may improve overtaking into Turn One, but they are disappointing," he said.
"There were two great corners where understandably the speed had to be reduced because of FIA requirements for run-offs. But I don't know any driver who knew about the changes, and I don't know anyone who looks at this and thinks: 'wow, what a really nice solution."
Coulthard's teammate Mark Webber, who ran at the track on Friday during the first test for the new RB3 chassis, was equally unimpressed – despite the safety motivation.
"The drivers didn't see anything of it until basically the trucks were turning up at the track," he said. "And the design was done.
"It is always a balance though. The last few corners were very quick, brilliant if everything was staying on the car, but if you have a failure then you are going in hard. It is a big shunt.
"I thought it was also done a bit for the motorbikes, but from what I have been told they are going to use the old track. The first (revised) corner is not bad, but the chicane is a deliberate speed smasher."
When asked whether he believed it would help overtaking, Webber said: "No. Turn One is not that wide anyway. I don't think it will help overtaking. It is not like a hairpin off the last corner, we are still in fifth through the last corner."
Autosport said:
David Coulthard believes Circuit de Catalunya officials have wasted the opportunity they had to revise the final sequence of corners at the track with their construction of the new chicane.
The Barcelona circuit now features a left-right flick ahead of the final corner after moves were made to improve safety at the final two high-speed corners.
But despite the changes being made to minimise the chances of an impact with the barriers, Coulthard has said he is 'disappointed' with the manner of the improvements - especially because drivers were not consulted on the changes beforehand.
"The changes may improve overtaking into Turn One, but they are disappointing," he said.
"There were two great corners where understandably the speed had to be reduced because of FIA requirements for run-offs. But I don't know any driver who knew about the changes, and I don't know anyone who looks at this and thinks: 'wow, what a really nice solution."
Coulthard's teammate Mark Webber, who ran at the track on Friday during the first test for the new RB3 chassis, was equally unimpressed – despite the safety motivation.
"The drivers didn't see anything of it until basically the trucks were turning up at the track," he said. "And the design was done.
"It is always a balance though. The last few corners were very quick, brilliant if everything was staying on the car, but if you have a failure then you are going in hard. It is a big shunt.
"I thought it was also done a bit for the motorbikes, but from what I have been told they are going to use the old track. The first (revised) corner is not bad, but the chicane is a deliberate speed smasher."
When asked whether he believed it would help overtaking, Webber said: "No. Turn One is not that wide anyway. I don't think it will help overtaking. It is not like a hairpin off the last corner, we are still in fifth through the last corner."
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 30th January 17:19
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