Thursday 2nd September 2010

Texan Formula One Track Revealed

Tilke-penned Austin GP circuit shows plenty of promise

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This is an early image of the USA's new F1 track, due to host its first GP in 2012.

When we first heard that F1 was heading back to the US - and particularly that it was to take place in Austin, Texas - we must admit that there was an audible groan in the PH office.

To us, it smacked of the 'car park' GP of Las Vegas in the 1980s, or the 1991 Phoenix street circuit that attracted just 18,000 visitors.

But these initial images are encouraging. Circuit Architect Hermann Tilke may have developed a bit of a reputation for creating F1 circuits that discourage overtaking (Bahrain, the Valencia street circuit and Abu Dhabi come to mind), but this is the man whose company created the magnificent Istanbul Park, so there is some hope.

It certainly looks as if passing is on, with a three-quarter-mile straight and plenty of tight turns hopefully providing ample opportunity for outbraking manoeuvres.

Tilke also takes some inspiration from the great European circuits for the 3.4-mile track, with turns three to six aping Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex and turns 12-15 the stadium section of Hockenheim.

Early signs are promising for F1's return to the US, then, but one thing will remain uncertain until the first race gets underway in two years time: will the American public finally take F1 to their hearts?

[louismchuge]

loving that first dash up the hill!

[Oddball RS]

I like the look of it but why do we have to copy bits from other tracks? i like the gradient, it would have been nice to have another one at the opposite end though to make the aero boys work harder.

[Mazda Baiter]

Repost

http://mobile.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=...

Any chance of merging it?

[RichB]

"Circuit Architect Hermann Tilke" what a bizarre job title, indeed I wonder how you get that job? I'd have thought most school boys who built Scalextric tracks are equally as well qualified as Tilke, if not more so! Any sentence with the word Tilke in it immediately loses my interest.

[Munter]

No No No No.

The best tracks are those that have been selected over years of racing due to their popularity. I'd say we should only run a GP there after about 5 years worth of national racing to see if it's any good. And if it isn't attracting the crowds and rave reviews then drop it before they go there.

[mchammer89]

Munter said:

No No No No.

The best tracks are those that have been selected over years of racing due to their popularity. I'd say we should only run a GP there after about 5 years worth of national racing to see if it's any good. And if it isn't attracting the crowds and rave reviews then drop it before they go there.

Good idea in theory, but then people would take the safe option and build circuits that are suitible for lower racing classes, without throwing the money away to develop it enough for F1 to race on. Once people like it and it gets the green light, they'll have to come along and dig it up and we could see many Donington situations arising at potentially great racetracks all over the world.

[ML]

What, left AND right hand turns?

[dinkel]

ML said:

What, left AND right hand turns?

LOL!

Hairpin should be the lowest point . . . just for good laughs.

Looks like a quality design track.

[stephen300o]

Will HRT make it up that hill?

[LY99]

Hopefully the first hairpin will be on-camber a la the first corner at Interlagas - usually sees quite a bit of action there

[mrmr96]

Munter said:

No No No No.

The best tracks are those that have been selected over years of racing due to their popularity. I'd say we should only run a GP there after about 5 years worth of national racing to see if it's any good. And if it isn't attracting the crowds and rave reviews then drop it before they go there.

Disagree. I'd rather they run here at an 'unknown' track in favour of one of the ones KNOWN to be st. i.e. 'it can't can't be any worse so try it.'

[Munter]

mrmr96 said:

Munter said:

No No No No.

The best tracks are those that have been selected over years of racing due to their popularity. I'd say we should only run a GP there after about 5 years worth of national racing to see if it's any good. And if it isn't attracting the crowds and rave reviews then drop it before they go there.

Disagree. I'd rather they run here at an 'unknown' track in favour of one of the ones KNOWN to be st. i.e. 'it can't can't be any worse so try it.'

Ok I'll give you that one. Dropping Hungary for an unknown would do no harm. But it'd be even better if we could drop it for a known good circuit.

[Mazda Baiter]

Repost


Irony

Edited by Mazda Baiter on Thursday 2nd September 11:27

[Steve_M]

I only live 2 hours away Lovin it!!!!!!!!!!!

[FWDRacer]

Will it follow the natural topography and be "part" of the landscape (Like Spa) or will it be artificially bulldozed? This is America after all....

[[AJ]]

A Texan friend of mine is very excited about this. It could be a good thing for F1. Americans don't pay much attention to things that are outside of their back garden, so this should open up a whole load of extra investment for the sport. As others have said though, I really hope a decent circuit isn't dropped to make way for this new venue.

[TonyHetherington]

Not sure how many times we've heard the words "drawn inspiration from Europe's greatest tracks"

[havoc]

It's running anti-clockwise though - typical Americans!

Also, am I the only one that thinks having the starting grid on an incline (esp. an uphill incline) will cause mayhem for the standing-starts?!?

[Henrico]

It's OK apart from all the hairpin bends he seems to have a fetish for. Why can't we have one massively fast track with large sweeping bends?

[JJ78]

why not run the F1 at Laguna Seca to see if Americans will warm to F1....???