New French circuit for F1 unveiled today

[FourWheelDrift]

Seems the French are not having quite the credit problems the UK is.

Autosport said:

The prospect of the French Grand Prix returning to the Formula 1 calendar moved a step closer on Thursday when plans for a new home for the event were unveiled.

Following months of discussions to try and find a suitable venue for the race, it was announced that a new track at Flins-Les Mureaux, north east of Paris, has been given the nod as French authorities' preferred option.

The track, which will be 4.5k m in length, beat off competition from four other venues that had made the final shortlist.

The track will feature a one-km long straight and, at a cost of 112 million Euros to construct, was the cheapest of the four possibilities being looked at.

The good news, it's not going to be Tilke designed.

Autosport said:

French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte will work with British construction experts Apex UK, who also helped build the Dubai Autodrome, to head up the project.

The bad news, the dwarf still has the final say.

Autosport said:

The track is expected to be ready in time for the 2011 season, although a final decision about the return of the French GP will be made by Bernie Ecclestone.

[Eric Mc]

Rouen would be nice.

[skinny]

FourWheelDrift said:

Seems the French are not having quite the credit problems the UK is.

Autosport said:

The track, which will be 4.5k m in length, beat off competition from four other venues that had made the final shortlist.

The track will feature a one-km long straight and, at a cost of 112 million Euros to construct, was the cheapest of the four possibilities being looked at.

The good news, it's not going to be Tilke designed.

great, so another fuji? massive straight, probably into a hairpin. woohoo very exciting. synthetic overtaking opportunity. might as well be another tilke circuit. it's 4.5km long, and 1km is a straight. expect the rest of it to be a pathetic tight twisty infield in order to bring the lap times up to the minimum required for bernie's circus (oh and also to add the element of excitement from a forced compromise in set-up, leading to... nothing exciting)

[FourWheelDrift]

Paul Ricard has a 1km long straight, Hockenheim had longer. The thing is for Formula One you need long straights and tight corners, to get any overtaking. Circuits that consist of lots of short straights and medium speed corners don't work for F1, they are boring.

That is the only thing about Tilke designed circuits he got right.The end of the start finish straight at Sepang and the tight corner onto it, the end of the long back straight at China and the first corner in Dubai. They guarantee and have produced the only regular overtaking in F1 in recent years. copying the way older circuits make overtaking possible like Monza's start finish straight into the chicane, more overtaking. The long straight to turn1 at Sao Paulo, Les Combes at Spa, turn 14 at Montreal. All long straights with big braking at the end of them.

Sweeping corner circuits like the Hungaroring just don't do it. They are processional.

[skinny]

drafting someone along a massive straight and out-braking them into a tight corner isn't exciting overtaking imo. i don't want processional (i was at valencia but even with the cars going past was falling asleep) but when it's too easy to pass it takes away from the skill of it.

going round the outside of 130R, that's proper overtaking

[stifler]

Eric Mc said:

Rouen would be nice.

Or Clermont Ferrand.

Drivers circuits. None of this copmputer generated rubbish.

[MartG]

Strange how in France they can get new circuits built, while in this country even existing circuits are struggling to survive in the face of NIMBY protests etc.