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[avalanche19]

If the FIA gave you a blank sheet and told you to design a new circuit anywhere in the world, and using any past, present, or original corners, what would you come up with?

[Gaz]

spa is pretty close to perfection to be fair.

[AKR]

I would have plenty of Bridges in them. Ones that go over parts of the track and ones that go over water. I would have long fast straights like those nice ones on the old Hockenheim track in Germany that go through the forest. I would have the bit at Hockenheim which from coming out of the forest comes to the grandstand area before the pits and then the main straight. (That part is still there at Hockenheim but nothing special as the track was good the way it was and was special because of how you got from one point to another, you know what I mean). Umm I guess I'll just pick the old Hockenhim which was great but put a few Bridges in it. And I would build it in Ljubljana, Slovenija, my city.

[McLaren Fan]

spa is pretty close to perfection to be fair.

I was about to the same thing. Excluding stuff like how close the circuit is to your front door, it's a wonderful track for fans and drivers alike. As a driver, you want challenging circuits that have a certain character to them. As an engineer, you love the challenges of setting up a car for such a diverse circuit and working out your racing strategy. As a fan, you want all of that, plus being able to get close to the action. Spa's incredible history motivates everybody.

[AKR]

spa is pretty close to perfection to be fair.

I was about to the same thing. Excluding stuff like how close the circuit is to your front door, it's a wonderful track for fans and drivers alike. As a driver, you want challenging circuits that have a certain character to them. As an engineer, you love the challenges of setting up a car for such a diverse circuit and working out your racing strategy. As a fan, you want all of that, plus being able to get close to the action. Spa's incredible history motivates everybody.

They should just ditch all these new circuits which most are crap anyway and bring back all the old ones. Spa is great, Monza is to, so is Monaco (although different), now bring back Imola and the old Hockenheim, ditch that new Japanese circuit and bring back Suzuka. I think you all get my drift. I grew up with knowing these circuits. I also grew up with the knowledge that these circuits have been around for years and have much history like do the teams such as Ferrari, Williams and McLaren So bring them back because it is what most F1 fans want. Forget your Chinas, Bahrains, Malaysias etc......

[McLaren Fan]

They should just ditch all these new circuits which most are crap anyway and bring back all the old ones. Spa is great, Monza is to, so is Monaco (although different), now bring back Imola and the old Hockenheim, ditch that new Japanese circuit and bring back Suzuka. I think you all get my drift. I grew up with knowing these circuits. I also grew up with the knowledge that these circuits have been around for years and have much history like do the teams such as Ferrari, Williams and McLaren So bring them back because it is what most F1 fans want. Forget your Chinas, Bahrains, Malaysias etc......

I agree. Those old circuits were brilliant. Suzuka is one of my favourite circuits, not too far behind Spa. I couldn't believe it when it was taken off the calendar, even though Ecclestone have been threatening it for a while. I adore Imola, even after being butchered up after Senna's death. It perhaps didn't produce a hell of a lot of overtaking, but the flow of the circuit was brilliant. Tamburello is still a good corner, for it's more tough than other corners to choose the braking point should somebody be trying to pass you. Villeneuve still offers a challenge and getting the entry right to Tosa is as tough as ever. The comes Piratella, Aqua Minerale - still a great corner - and the run up to the Variante Alta - which was ruined in 2006. The the wonderful run down the Rivazza section and the still tricky Variante Bassa. Sorry, I'm going on a bit now.

[AKR]

They should just ditch all these new circuits which most are crap anyway and bring back all the old ones. Spa is great, Monza is to, so is Monaco (although different), now bring back Imola and the old Hockenheim, ditch that new Japanese circuit and bring back Suzuka. I think you all get my drift. I grew up with knowing these circuits. I also grew up with the knowledge that these circuits have been around for years and have much history like do the teams such as Ferrari, Williams and McLaren So bring them back because it is what most F1 fans want. Forget your Chinas, Bahrains, Malaysias etc......

I agree. Those old circuits were brilliant. Suzuka is one of my favourite circuits, not too far behind Spa. I couldn't believe it when it was taken off the calendar, even though Ecclestone have been threatening it for a while. I adore Imola, even after being butchered up after Senna's death. It perhaps didn't produce a hell of a lot of overtaking, but the flow of the circuit was brilliant. Tamburello is still a good corner, for it's more tough than other corners to choose the braking point should somebody be trying to pass you. Villeneuve still offers a challenge and getting the entry right to Tosa is as tough as ever. The comes Piratella, Aqua Minerale - still a great corner - and the run up to the Variante Alta - which was ruined in 2006. The the wonderful run down the Rivazza section and the still tricky Variante Bassa. Sorry, I'm going on a bit now.

I love your analysis, dosen't bore me. But regarding the turn where Senna died, although fast and exciting, they had no choice with that as a repeat of what happned to Senna was just not acceptable which is fair and most people would agree.

[McLaren Fan]

The corner itself was fine. The dangerous thing about it was that there was no safe run-off area. If anything happened, you went straight into a concrete wall. There is a river running behind the wall, so it couldn't really be moved back anyway further. Gravel would not help, in fact, would be more dangerous, for the car's steering and brakes would not work properly. Several layers of tyre barriers could work. In fact, they would have saved Senna's life. The sad thing was that he visited the circuit only a few months before he died and was asked about safety improvements. He talked about the wall being moved back, but left things when he discovered the river. It's a tragically sad that he didn't think of tyre barriers.

[AKR]

The corner itself was fine. The dangerous thing about it was that there was no safe run-off area. If anything happened, you went straight into a concrete wall. There is a river running behind the wall, so it couldn't really be moved back anyway further. Gravel would not help, in fact, would be more dangerous, for the car's steering and brakes would not work properly. Several layers of tyre barriers could work. In fact, they would have saved Senna's life. The sad thing was that he visited the circuit only a few months before he died and was asked about safety improvements. He talked about the wall being moved back, but left things when he discovered the river. It's a tragically sad that he didn't think of tyre barriers.

Yes I heard about that river. Can't do much there. A tyre barrier wouldn't be 100 percent, but would of been better than no tyre barrier. It may of saved Senna's life. But like with a lot of things in life, people who are in charge always wait until something bad happens until they act. It sucks because people have to die or get seriously hurt before things are fixed.

[avalanche19]

I had an idea for the a new French Grand Prix in Paris. I realize its probably impossible for a number of reasons, but none the less it is an interesting idea.





The track starts on the Champs de Elysee, and goes around the Arc de Triumph, through the streets of Paris, and eventual in front of the Eiffel Tower. The race would go over the Seine River twice, and would also go past the Place de la Concorde, on the east end of the Champs de Elysee.

[darwin dali]

The old Nürburgring incl. the Nordschleife, simple as that.

[billindenver]

The old Nürburgring incl. the Nordschleife, simple as that.

Agreed. Widened for overtaking....

[IceManpjn]

The old Nürburgring incl. the Nordschleife, simple as that.

Agreed. Widened for overtaking....

I'd have to regard that as sacrilege.

[McLaren Fan]

The old Nürburgring incl. the Nordschleife, simple as that.

Okay, you win.

[Denthúl]

I'd probably just draw Spa or Suzuka. There are a couple of 'from-scratch' tracks made for rFactor that I think would work brilliantly in the real world, but unfortunately that probably never has the chance to happen.