The Indian Tilkedrome

[UltimateDanGTR]

alas, the layout for the next Tilke drome is revealed, this one situated in yes, you guessed it, India. link;

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/11/15/2011-indian-f1-track-design/

my initial reaction is that it reminds me of kyalami. and actually, it has some good looking corners. time will tell if this will be a good track, or like other boring places not so.

and so it looks likely that another half attended grand prix in asia will be on the calender next year. most likely meaning 8 asian races in 2011. this year there were 9 european races, drawn your own conclusion from that.

so as us fans wait for a return to where we should be having grands prix; argentina, usa, france (and IMO scandinavia and south africa as well) bernie keeps swanning off to asia and eating money.

same old, same old.

[harsha]

looks like a horribly boring track

[Josti]

Also with the Korean Grand Prix in prospect, it's getting quite ridiculous I have to say. On the other hand, all of them deserve a fair chance, despite Bernie's usual motivation: Money.

[Sonic]

Can't tell too much from the picture - no idea if it has any blind crests, cambers etc to male is interesting.

But I do agree with your general point. This is supposed to be a WORLD championship and whilst in the past F1 has been to Eurocentric it is now becoming too Asian orientated - no doubt this will be yet another night/twilight race. F1 needs to have a USA GP (especially if USF1 want to survive long term), we need more south American races and a return to Africa so that F1 can be what it says on the tin.

So this is my ideal calendar (although some of the contries I list don't have an up to spec track but as this is just for fun - who cares?)

1. Brazil
2. Argentina
3. South Africa
4. Turkey - poor crowd numbers I know but I think it could grow into a great event.
5. Bahrain
6. Spain - start of traditional euro season
7. Monaco
8. France
9. Britain
10. Germany
11. Russia
12. Belgium
13. Italy - end of traditional euro season
14. Canada - although I don't know what the weather is like in mid septemeber
15. USA
16. Japan
17. China
18. Abu Dhabi
19. Australia - I always liked it better as end of term.

IMO this gives a more balanced World Championship with 4 races in the America's and a fairly even Euro and Asian mix.

[pettersolberg29]

I want Finland to have one too - I know it's not possible at the moment but in the future Scandinavia should definately get one.

[Sonic]

It'll cost ya for Finland ;)

Just call me Bernie :d

[Saint Devote]

Gag me with a spoon!

I see nothing interesting in the circuit and these twilight night races are gimmicky. After Ass Marina I think I will start giving certain races a miss from 2010 onwards.

The issue for me, aside from f1 now associating with dictators in certain places, is not that it is becoming too Asian centric, but that the tracks are just goddam awful and boring.

I mean just read what people such as Domenicali and Whitmarsh for example are saying a couple of weeks after the Ass Marina f1 low point.

Formula 1 has become a sport where its governors collude with governments.

It is not right for a sport that demands hundreds of millions of POUND Sterling each year, considers opulance normal and demonstrates it has no regard for its fans to take money that through the force of taxes from the working people that own it.

I am beginning to dislike Bernie Ecclestone for the little dictator that he has molded himself into and I have equal derision for the cowards that run the racing teams by not willing to stand up to him.

The ONLY reason f1 can go to most of the places is because money channeled by governments is paid.

Formula 1 should not take a centilla from any government. The sport should rise or fall on its merits - which it is not doing currently.

The reason why grands prix in the more traditional palces are failing is because formula one has an inflated price tag. It is way above its true worth. Hence it must seek out funding by colluding with extortionists.

Pandering to the spoilt drivers of today ought to stop. You don't want to race for a million dollars a year? Then goodbye.

Frank Williams is correct towards drivers. They are employees and cannot be allowed to dictate terms. His teams has had problems, but they are one of teh most successful too and just look at the good line-up for 2010.

[UltimateDanGTR]

after sonic posted his ideal season, i will post mine:

1.Australian-Melbourne
2.Arabian-Yas Marina
3.Moroccan-Ain Diab (yes, that track they once visited way back in 58)
4.USA West-Long Beach
5.Portuguese-Algarve
6.Spanish-Catalunya
7.Monaco-Monte Carlo
8.French-Les Mureaux (that new place they're building)
9.Mexican-Mexico City
10.USA East-Detroit (well, its east-enough)
11.Canadian-Montreal
12.British-Silverstone
13.German-Nurburgring
14.Scandinavian-(quite were dunno but its a key market to aim at)
15.Italian-Monza
16.Belgian-Spa
17.South African-Kyalami
18.Japanese-Suzuka
19.Argentine-Buenos Aries or Portrero de los funes
20. Brazilian-Interlagos

id love that. if we had over 20 grands prix then great, add a couple more asian races. until then, this is my perfect 20 race scheduale.

[Sonic]

Oooo now you've gone and done it Dan, I want more GP's in my list!

[woody2goody]

First of all, I really like the look of the Indian track, the middle sector looks really nice to drive and will surely create overtaking. I think Hermann has cracked it with this one.

As it's the trendy thing to do ;) , I'll post my ideal season, with 23 races (I think we all reckon the teams could do this many):

1. Australia - Melbourne
2. Malaysia - Sepang
3. China - Shanghai
4. India - Jaypee
5. Korea Republic - South Jeolla
6. Canada - Montreal
7. Spain - Barcelona
8. Portugal - Portimao
9. France - Magny-Cours
10. Monaco - Monte Carlo
11. Britain - Silverstone
12. Europe - Nurburgring
13. Germany - Hockenheim
14. Hungary - Hungaroring
15. Italy - Monza
16. Singapore - Singapore
17. Bahrain - Sakhir
18. Turkey - Istanbul
19. USA - Indianapolis
20. Argentina - Portrero de los Funes
21. Brazil - Interlagos
22. Japan - Suzuka
23. Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina

I've grouped most of the races in logical travelling order, for example races 1-5 would be easy to travel to, then on to Canada and back to Europe.

This would make it a lot more cost-effective and provide more of a show for us with 5 more races.

[Rollo]

alas, the layout for the next Tilke drome is revealed, this one situated in yes, you guessed it, India. link;


I hope that this Tilkedrome is better than all the other flippn' yawn-fests that the other Tilkedromes have worked out to be. I'd rather see them race at the Technodrome or beyond the Thunderdome... drome.

[ShiftingGears]

Looks like the butchered 1990's Kyalami except with less flow and more Mickey Mouse corners. Cannot wait.

[harsha]

I wouldn't bet on there being an Indian GP anytime soon

[woody2goody]

I wouldn't bet on there being an Indian GP anytime soon

It's set for 2011, I wouldn't bother betting ;)

[F1boat]

I like the look of the new Indian track, but I fear that F1 is losing its roots. My opinion is that certain tracks must be guaranteed an entry in the WC for historical values. I mean Monte Carlo, Spa, Monza, Silverstone, a French GP /I'd like to see them in Le Mans, but I like Magny-cour as well/, German GP /I prefer Nurburgring to Hockenheim/, Suzuka, Australia and Interlagos. These races, I think are very important for F1 and should always be the part of the championship, which IMO should be no longer than 17 races. The rest may rotate. For example Turkey and Bahrain. Or India and Korea. Valencia and Barcelona etc. China is a big market so it has its place and Yas Marina and Singapore are IMO work of art, so they should stay as well. But the rest may rotate. And from time to time, why not re-visit some classic track like Imola or A1ring?
About the US races. The Canadian GP is a great event, but the US GP... for me it seems that the States were never crazy about F1 and in 2005, to throw things on the drivers... ugly IMO.

[truefan72]

track looks terrible ... from first impressions.

Can these organizers not select a different person/group to design a track?

Just out of variety or to keep things interesting. After a while, any designers gets stale, and new visions are required. F1 tracks shoudl be as varied as possible not the same tilke style ; 2 long straights and twist and turns, tracks

[Sonic]

Exactly truefan! Its becoming a Tilke monopoly.

What's the point of traveling 6000 miles or whatever when the tracks are so similar? Don't get me wrong, the guy has done some good work - Sepang and Turkey are my personal faves, but as you say there is only so many layouts with two monster straights before they all look the same.

[Allyc85]

I really hope this track has some steep elevation changes like Turkey and Spa else its going to be very boring. I just dont get why there arnt more fast, flowing sections.

maybe they should get drivers involved in circuit design and let Tilke and co get on with the pit buildings etc?

[nigelred5]

Almost all of his tracks are souless and boring if you strip them of the architectural opulance they are known for. Plop dang near any one of them down in the middle of no-where, ringed with natural vegitation and only hillside viewing and F1 wouldn't turn a wheel on any of them. Look at Aragon. Looks to be a great track, Far Far better than Valencia, but not even on the F1 radar screen, even being a tilke track.