Eastern Promise: Why the Turkish Grand Prix was good for F1
- Published on Jun 1st, 2010 by Adam MilleneuveEvery F1 fan up and down the land will have been on the edge of their seats yesterday with the latest round of the 2010 season attracting more viewers than the final England pre-World Cup game and a grand prix that set the record straight for Formula One. Close racing and proper fighting for the lead is what the sport has always been and always should be about.
© Getty Images / Red Bull Media
For the first 39 laps around Istanbul Park, a casual viewer may have dared to think that the race was a bit boring, but oh how it wasn't. Even before the lap 40 incident, we had four fast cars driven by four potential 2010 World Champion drivers racing around the quite frankly excellent circuit (we reckon Tilke fluked this one) with nothing between them - it was only a matter of time before something happened.
Hamilton had a bit of a go at Vettel before the pit stops where the Red Bull team got one over on McLaren to have Vettel follow Webber in 2nd place. Hamilton was still charging at Vettel with Button in his shadow and Webber leading the way - cracking stuff. Sure enough, come lap 40 and it all went a bit wrong for the fizzy drinks team, while the rival McLaren team enjoyed a bit of jostling but kept it clean.
It's this reason why we proclaim that the Turkish GP was good for F1 - it proved that we can have proper racing for the lead and cars battling for positions - one mistake from any of the leading four would have changed everything and any of those four drivers could have won the race (well until lap 40).
This race also highlighted the benefits of the (new for 2010) refueling ban - here at Badger we've always been a fan of the ban with it prompting a return to proper grand prix racing, rather than a number of short stint races, with the front pack racing so closely, all having to make it to the chequered flag it was a proper race and fight rather than being a game of chess played by the drivers' engineers studying fuel levels, pace and strategies, sure it's a shame for Vettel and Red Bull, but that's racing - it's what it's all about and we want to see more.
After such a thriller of a race, we can now look forward to Canada with great anticipation - the Gilles Villeneuve circuit never fails to deliver anything but an exciting grand prix and with the leading four so close to each other and the others not too far behind, we'll be in for a corker.
Further Turkish coverage -
- Our F1 Top 5 after the race: Badgerometer
- Mini race report and final result: The Bullfight
- The championship standings: Tables are turning...
...and keep and eye out for 'Hot Rod or Hot Dog' where we analyse the race driver by driver
"we reckon Tilke fluked this one"
He did but its really a great circuit. I'm kinda surprised they didn't make him put a chicane before Turn 8 but thank God they didn't.
That corner was a masterstroke... whether he meant it or not.
And all the undulations in the track are great aswell.
When he's designing Austin he should use this track as a template.
This was the best race of the season so far.
Except for my Fantasy GP predictions.. hmmmmmmm
I have high hopes for Canada though.
The uphill/downhill nature definitely helps. Hopefully they'll pick a suitably hilly part of Austin. Does Austin have hills? Someone help me out.
If there isn't any hills they should build some artificial ones.
Some of these new tracks look like they are in a carpark., ie., Shanghai, the new Hockenheim, with LOADS of drizzly grey tarmac and no elevation changes at all.
If Tilke was allowed to do a new "Suzuka" or "Spa" with Austin. It would be brilliant.
I really liked the look of Monticello Motor Club. Obviously it would have needed a few grandstands and some other bits and bobs but the layout was good.
Listen to me again,going off in a tangent.....
I agree Spud, Monticello Motor Club does look good, more like an 'organic' track with character rather than a bland Tilke 'trying too hard to put overtaking spots in' computer layout. Tilke did put a hill with quite a good Corkscrew corner in at Yas Marina, then it was left out for the F1 layout! Shame! He also cites the Nurburgring Nordschleife as his greatest inspiration, but his designs have little in common with the great German track.
I've never been to Austin, but looking on a terrain map of the region, there are some hills nearby, and even an area called West Lake Hills. That sounds promising. We live in hope...!
"Organic", thats a great description.
I heard Jacques Villeneuve on an interview a few years ago describing Spa Francorchamps. He was talking about, among other things, some of the corners and how a corner is there, not just for the sake of it, but because there is a hill in the way. So they went around the hill rather than bulldozing the hill out of the way. So in that sense, Spa is one of the more organic tracks out there. I love that.
Does Tilke do the designing for the buildings around the tracks aswell?
I have an appreciation for architecture, having worked in that field a few years ago, and from that point of view the buildings are fantastic.
Yas Marina is a marvellous complex even if the track isn't as good.
Canada certainly has a lot to live up to...
is the corkscrew still at Yas marina? why the hell is it not in the GP layout?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP6A_TVSG4M&feature=related
You can see it in this video around the 4:40 point.
Its ok but not nearly as steep as Laguna Seca.
cheers for that. looks like it cuts out a chunk at the start, including a long section of straight. however that should mean they wouldn't have to use that stupid chicane before the hairpin by the ferrari building/theme park.
Spud, Tilke does design the architecture at his circuits. Maybe he should stick to that and let someone else design the layout! I agree that some of the buildings are spectacular.
Regarding Spa and Suzuka, I can't imagine that Tilke will ever design a circuit similar to those. Spa and Suzuka are from another era. Spa, the hilly public roadcourse amazingly survived while others of this type like Clermont Ferrand (now Charade) fell off the F1 calender due to safety issues with lack of run-off. Suzuka of course wasn't designed as a racetrack, but as a test track, so 'overtaking points' were probably never considered!
Maybe a modern track designer should try to create a great test track or 'driving experience' and then consider overtaking points? Suzuka doesn't really have many overtaking points, but noone seems to mind, or perhaps they just relish the tougher challenge?
Interestingly, the Silverstone management chose design company Populous to do the alterations to the layout for 2010. Apparently they didn't want another designer to wreck the circuit! Perhaps this is a shift in future circuit design, but for the moment Tilke has Yeongam in S Korea, and Jaypee in India lined up.
Using the Corkscrew at Yas Marina might create more interest for the drivers and spectators, and as Scott says "that should mean they wouldn’t have to use that stupid chicane before the hairpin by the ferrari building/theme park." Formula 1 could try the Corkscrew layout one year. It couldn't be worse than Tilke's extended Sakhir layout in Bahrain that the drivers had to endure this year!
And they didn't wreck it. It looks brilliant. With the new pit complex it will look very impressive. It'll be a fine track to visit for my first GP. Can't wait.
here here