F1 Tracks you wish we're removed from the Calander and why?

[Coulthard Fan]

Monaco-Always a dull race, just a follow the leader race! Don't care about the location if I'm sitting in Pompey watching it on telly! It's just a race for the posh to show of their big boats! It should be removed for racing reasons who really wants to see cars trying to do overtake but realising there's no room!

Bahrain last year was pretty good but most of the time it's extremly dull too many corners not enough straights but then again you can say the same for most tilke tracks!

[Zico]

I strongly disagree.

Spa and Monaco are my two favorite GP's of the year. Although I agree it can be a bit of a procession and the media circus aspect of it aside, I've always really enjoyed Monaco, so tight, so demanding and ready to heavily punish the slightest of mistakes. The sensation of speed and danger you get from such a tight, largely enclosed track is second to none. It's unique, has so much history and I feel that its pros outweigh its cons by a big margin.

[Coulthard Fan]

It's not wide enough for proper racing though! I want to see close side by side racing and lots of overtakes that's entertaining! Not just have the odd crash!

[steveaki13]

I agree with Zico.

I love Monaco. Its an epic challenge of the drivers concentration.

If you love wide tracks then that rules out Monza as well. You would end up with F1 going only to 4 or 5 tilke dromes created for overtaking.

I prefer F1 to visit many tracks of differing challenges. (i.e - Monaco - concentration, Spa - bravery, Silvestone - precision, Monza - Out & Ot speed)

F1 without these more challenging and historic venues would be a duller and poorer series.

As for the tracks I would remove.

Bahrain - Dull race despite being wide. Political situation is not ideal either.
Korea - No soul, just another Tilke sytle drome.
India - Same as on the whole. Doesnt inspire me.
Abu Dhabi - Dull, lifeless, repetative and just awful racing.

[EuroTroll]

I wish Spa was removed from the calender, as that's where Coulthard tried to kill Schumacher. Something about the track obviously encourages homicidal tendencies...

I kid, of course. ;)

The F1 calender should contain races that challenge the driver in different ways. Monaco is great, I love it! We can't do without it. We CAN do without several of the recently built tracks, though, which add nothing special in the way of challenges.

[rjbetty]

Alien life lands on motorsportforums!! :alien:

Someone call Agent Frentzen!

[zako85]

Probably Hungary

[Mark]

Agreed about Monaco, it should stay in F1 forever. If you lose Monaco F1 is dead IMO.

One's I'd happily do without on this years calendar:
China, Bahrain, Singapore, Korea, India, Abu Dhabi, United States.

[henners88]

I wouldn't be sad if Monaco disappeared off the calendar, but I'd rather Singabore, Adu Dullbi, Bore-rain, and Valencia went first.

[airshifter]

I wish Spa was removed from the calender, as that's where Coulthard tried to kill Schumacher. Something about the track obviously encourages homicidal tendencies...

I kid, of course. ;)

The F1 calender should contain races that challenge the driver in different ways. Monaco is great, I love it! We can't do without it. We CAN do without several of the recently built tracks, though, which add nothing special in the way of challenges.

I was about to retract my offer to let you be a FGP groupie over that Spa comment until I saw you were joking!

If I had to pick two tracks they would probably be Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. Some of the new tracks IMO are just to "souless" and generic.

I like Monaco. Even without the media and wealthy crowd circus it has character to me. Though passing opportunities are minimal it forces drivers to qualify well and stay focused. If they don't they have to really push hard to overtake. Even if Monaco itself was gone I think having a track like this in F1 mixes things up.



Mark, I was surpised to see COTA on your list. Though it's not a favoriate I thought it was a fairly unique track. I just watched some Grand Am racing there and the overtaking was going on all over the track.

[AndyL]

I wouldn't be sad if Monaco disappeared off the calendar, but I'd rather Singabore, Adu Dullbi, Bore-rain, and Valencia went first.

That was going really well until you got to Valencia... Dull-encia or Valenzzzia could have worked :D

[BDunnell]

I agree with Zico.

I love Monaco. Its an epic challenge of the drivers concentration.

I don't see why it shouldn't have a place on the calendar, purely as something different. However, its magic has diminished over the years. Modern cars are really too fast for the circuit, and, since many of Monaco's old Edwardian buildings were torn down, the backdrop isn't glamorous but plain ugly.

[wedge]

Valencia - completely devoid of soul. '80s US F1 street circuits had more charm.

Abu Dhabi - pointless race track. It is F1's version of the Emporor's New Clothes. There is something thoroughly wrong when the hotel is better than the track itself. At least Bahrain is a track raved by the drivers.

Korea - not really a 'wish to be removed' track. It had white elephant written all over it and it looks to be coming to fruition as Bernie has become less enthusiastic as the authorities have admitted the Korean GP is unsustainable.

India I kinda like/hate. It is a bit like a kart track with long straights.

[BDunnell]

India I kinda like/hate. It is a bit like a kart track with long straights.

At least there's enthusiasm for F1 there, too.

[wedge]

At least there's enthusiasm for F1 there, too.

I dunno. I have the feeling its like the circus has come to town then becomes worn and gimmicky over the coming years.

It seemed to be like that for Malaysia and they now get greater numbers for MotoGP than F1.

[pino]

Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Korea, Valencia.

[Duncan]

Completely agree that Monaco & Spa are must-have races on the calendar. My favorite races on the calendar are Monaco, Spa and Suzuka (pretty much in that order). Also kind of bummed that Turkey disappeared from the calendar; turn 8 by itself always made that an interesting race.

A little surprised to see that Valencia seems to be more-or-less universally hated... I kind of like it.

Anyway, my list for removal would be a bunch of mostly the more recent flat & boring tracks. Notably Korea, Abu Dhabi & Bahrain.

[Coulthard Fan]

Monaco back in the day was probably brilliant but now the cars are far too quick and big!
I would rather see a street track like Montreal or Albert Park where it's challenging but also have places for overtakes.

[dj_bytedisaster]

F1 should go back to the roots and return to the old tracks. Remove all the Tilke-dromes and get tracks like Zandvoort, Kyalami, Imola, Estoril etc back in the Calendar. Racing in the US and not going to Elkhart Lake is a stupid idea, too.

[steveaki13]

I have to agree. I feel F1 is going to much down the Tilke Drome, bland modern circuit route.

F1 is about history, not lifeless carparks.

I would much rather see todays f1 cars racing in the shadows of the past. i.e (Eau Rouge or Hangar straight)

[yodasarmpit]

Valencia, last year, was anything but boring - the atmosphere and race were one of the seasons best.
I have to admit that 2012 was an exception, previous years were a borefest.

[Jag_Warrior]

Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Korea, Valencia.

I can save the site some bandwidth by just agreeing with this ^^^

[TheFamousEccles]

Korea - No soul, just another Tilke sytle drome.


Shouldn't that read "no Seoul" ??? :D

Ok, as you were......

[keysersoze]

Monaco-Always a dull race, just a follow the leader race! Don't care about the location if I'm sitting in Pompey watching it on telly! It's just a race for the posh to show of their big boats! It should be removed for racing reasons who really wants to see cars trying to do overtake but realising there's no room!

I could see this one coming a mile away. I have two words for you, Coulthard Fan:

Enrique Bernoldi. :p

Long live Monaco!

[Mark]

Monaco back in the day was probably brilliant but now the cars are far too quick and big!
I would rather see a street track like Montreal or Albert Park where it's challenging but also have places for overtakes.

F1 cars are smaller now than they were in the past. 1.8m wide vs 2m wide.

[Dirty_Dragon]

Bahrain and UAE. Both boring and unexciting.

[steveaki13]

Bahrain and UAE. Both boring and unexciting.

Agree


Also Welcome

[dj_bytedisaster]

I could see this one coming a mile away. I have two words for you, Coulthard Fan:

Enrique Bernoldi. :p

Long live Monaco!

Give that man a break. He suffered horrible pain the last few years, when his hero was butchered by a bunch of pensioneers in the DTM :D

[zako85]

It's interesting to observe here the "battle" of the old and new race tracks. The new 21st century racetracks have absolutely stunning visuals and facilities, but you get this feel of a "Disneyland" race track on most of them. The old ones built their reputation strictly based on the history what happened there in the past.

[Matt121]

Middle East tracks (Bahrain and Abu Dhabi)

[zako85]

To be honest, I am surprised with the number of times Bahrain was listed here. I truly have enjoyed the 2012 race, the only Bahrain race I have seen. The visuals were stunning and the race was good. I think it's the only race track where you see the sand dunes as the race goes on. In defense of Tilke race tracks, I'd like also to mention that I really liked the Austin race track. The 2012 US GP was a fine race, but I think you still haven't seen the best of what this race track has to offer. I just watched the Rolex GrandAm race on the Austin race track a week ago and I think this was one of the best most action packed Grand Am races ever. The turn number 1 alone is enough to earn this race track a spot in the calendar.