New Abu Dhabi layout coming for 2021
Discussion
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/abu-dhabi-approv...
Fingers crossed they are successful, it's been a snooze fest of a race for sometime
Fingers crossed they are successful, it's been a snooze fest of a race for sometime
Alonso spotted testing the new layout - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijuQwnfBBZw
Looking at the physical limitations they have due to main roads and the marina I can only see changes between turns 1-7 where they have space.
Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
This overlay is from when I ran the circuit a couple of years ago. They didn't open the chicane for the runners/cyclists so it gives an idea of what the layout would look like without the chicane. Think it would be an improvement and offer passing opportunities, it's quite wide at the hairpin.
Another option they have is to cut across the middle of the circuit (where the curved 'M' shape is to the left of the green dot) but that bypasses a lot of the major grandstands so won't be desirable. It also wouldn't add much to the spectacle.
London424 said:
Looking at the physical limitations they have due to main roads and the marina I can only see changes between turns 1-7 where they have space.
Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
In Abu Dhabi anything is available if they chuck enough money at it. If needed they'll just build new roads Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
DanielSan said:
London424 said:
Looking at the physical limitations they have due to main roads and the marina I can only see changes between turns 1-7 where they have space.
Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
In Abu Dhabi anything is available if they chuck enough money at it. If needed they'll just build new roads Taking the chicane out before the hairpin would be the easiest thing to do that should improve things a bit.
Not sure what else is available.
Found this which seems to suggest it’s as I guessed above, but also turn 11-14 section but don’t know how good the source is.
https://www.racefans.net/2021/06/21/yas-marina-cha...
London424 said:
Well yes, but not in time for later in the year.
Found this which seems to suggest it’s as I guessed above, but also turn 11-14 section but don’t know how good the source is.
https://www.racefans.net/2021/06/21/yas-marina-cha...
The first bit, 4-5-6, looks about right. They’ll remove the chicane, but also have to move the hairpin in a bit, to provide enough of a runoff at the higher straight line speed. Found this which seems to suggest it’s as I guessed above, but also turn 11-14 section but don’t know how good the source is.
https://www.racefans.net/2021/06/21/yas-marina-cha...
The 11-14 section doesn’t look quite right though, they don’t want to make the turn at the end of the long straight more open if they want to keep the overtaking opportunity - it needs to follow the existing turn 11 then continue left rather than switch back right. They could probably fit another grandstand in too, where the track is now.
https://twitter.com/wtf1official/status/1407043953...
If that's it then it shortens one of the straights where they usually overtake and after the the fast turn 3 curve not enough straight to be able to get alongside and overtake into the new turn 4.
If that's it then it shortens one of the straights where they usually overtake and after the the fast turn 3 curve not enough straight to be able to get alongside and overtake into the new turn 4.
Looks good; getting shot of that chicane before the back straight would be a huge opportunity for overtakes. Fans have been asking for it for years; hopefully they go ahead with the changes.
ETA: link for the reasoning behind it all
Edited by parabolica on Thursday 24th June 11:55
Even though there hasn't been a race at the new zandvoort yet, Liberty must be very confident the banked element will be a winner of they've managed to encourage Yas to do a similar thing.
No word yet of how banked yas will be? I'm guessing quite significant though to genuinely allow high enough through-speed for overtaking before/after
No word yet of how banked yas will be? I'm guessing quite significant though to genuinely allow high enough through-speed for overtaking before/after
thegreenhell said:
It's quite interesting, the horrible off-camber chicane at the end of the straight is being replaced by a big banked corner. I don't know what effect this will have on racing, but I'm sure it will be a lot more fun to drive.
Should allow less and later braking on the approach and then far higher exit speeds. Depending on how banked it is, it could become effectively a single 'straight' section in terms of time to get an overtake done.It can only be an improvement whatever the results are
This picture shows the change at one end quite clearly - you can see the line of cars in the shot, and they are having to blend their braking and cornering, putting them on edge.
The 'new' layout is much, much simpler - good exit from that right hander in the top left of the shot, pop out the slipsstream as you enter the straight, big, flat wide braking to allow for a bit of bravery, constant radius 'not quite a hairpin' leading onto another straight for the overtakee to try the cut back and become the overtaker...
The 'new' layout is much, much simpler - good exit from that right hander in the top left of the shot, pop out the slipsstream as you enter the straight, big, flat wide braking to allow for a bit of bravery, constant radius 'not quite a hairpin' leading onto another straight for the overtakee to try the cut back and become the overtaker...
snotrag said:
This picture shows the change at one end quite clearly - you can see the line of cars in the shot, and they are having to blend their braking and cornering, putting them on edge.
The 'new' layout is much, much simpler - good exit from that right hander in the top left of the shot, pop out the slipsstream as you enter the straight, big, flat wide braking to allow for a bit of bravery, constant radius 'not quite a hairpin' leading onto another straight for the overtakee to try the cut back and become the overtaker...
Question for those more knowledgable on track design and safety than me - will the whole hairpin need to be re-sited to increase the size of the run off area given the entry speeds will now be much higher as a result of losing the chicane?The 'new' layout is much, much simpler - good exit from that right hander in the top left of the shot, pop out the slipsstream as you enter the straight, big, flat wide braking to allow for a bit of bravery, constant radius 'not quite a hairpin' leading onto another straight for the overtakee to try the cut back and become the overtaker...
resolve10 said:
Question for those more knowledgable on track design and safety than me - will the whole hairpin need to be re-sited to increase the size of the run off area given the entry speeds will now be much higher as a result of losing the chicane?
Yes. The new hairpin is moved what looks like about 30m inside the current one, to give a bigger runoff area. The outside of the track is going to be roughly where the inside barrier is now, inside the Rolex advert on the pic above.
Just listened to an interview with the CEO of the circuit, on local UAE radio. He said that, as well the the two obvious changes on the picture above, they’re also reprofiling most of the corners in the final sector - they’ll be faster than they are now, and the final corner will be flat out in qualifying.
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