Unchanged Racing Circuits
Discussion
oldslowfoot said:
Please can anyone inform me of the circuits that are used in the current F1,GP2,F3 and Sportscar calendars that are unaltered or have changed so little as to provide a useful comparison between the current cars and those from the past?
I tried to do a similar analysis recently. I couldn't find a circuit amongst the current or recent F1 venues that has been unchanged since the late '60s.
What I did instead was to look at F1 pole times and fastest laps for the least-changed circuits and chart how they have evolved. In the years when a layout changed you'll see it noted under length of lap. You can make an adjustment to the lap time for each year when the layout changed, to arrive at a fairly consistent pattern of laptime progression (although of course there were years when there was a substantial change in speeds owing to a change in regs).
IIRC, of circuits still used by F1, Monza seemed to have evolved the least during the last forty years.
SamHH said:
How about the Monaco circuit? Obviously it's of little use for comparisons of series other than F1 but I thought it has remained almost the same for its entire life?
Basically the same layout, with small changes at the chicane after the tunnel and from Tabac to Anthony Noges corner. Mainly the insertion of the swimming pool needing a diversion and a building built on the inside of the last corner to create the left hand curve and the new section called Rascasse (which should ironically be renamed Schumachers
). www.etracksonline.co.uk/Europe/Monaco/montecarlo.html
The only circuit that, as far as I know, remains fundamentally the same since the 1950s is Goodwood.
All other circuits, especially F1 circuits, have had too many changes to corners and/or chicanes inserted to make any comparisons over more than ten years totally invalid.
Until a couple of years ago, the fastest ever F1 race was the 1971 Italian GP at Monza, so that shows how much THAT circuit had changed.
Although Monaco looks superficially much the same. the changes that have taken place there since 1972 have been very extensive. The swimming pool complex was inserted for 1973 as was a whole new road that leads into Rascasse. The old road became the pit lane.
The chicane is a much more tortuous and slower series of turns than it was in the old days.
The tunnel of today is nothing like the pre-1973 affair (although the road underneath remained much the same).
All other circuits, especially F1 circuits, have had too many changes to corners and/or chicanes inserted to make any comparisons over more than ten years totally invalid.
Until a couple of years ago, the fastest ever F1 race was the 1971 Italian GP at Monza, so that shows how much THAT circuit had changed.
Although Monaco looks superficially much the same. the changes that have taken place there since 1972 have been very extensive. The swimming pool complex was inserted for 1973 as was a whole new road that leads into Rascasse. The old road became the pit lane.
The chicane is a much more tortuous and slower series of turns than it was in the old days.
The tunnel of today is nothing like the pre-1973 affair (although the road underneath remained much the same).
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 23 April 13:51
Mr Ski said:
Eric Mc said:
Zandvoort was shortened after the last GP in 1985. However, most of the original track is now back in the hands of the current circuit owners. How much does it resemble the old GP track though?
Not much, half of it is now a housing estate.
It's the same as the old GP circuit up to the short straight after Schelviak corner, but before the fast left that follows the circuit turns sharp right into the new infield section. Still it's better than it was prior to 1999.
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