Should we have more low downforce tracks on the calendar?

[Jersey Tom]

Another note on tires... if in 2012 teams truly struggled to be able to run them hot enough in their design window, less downforce will make that problem even worse.

[WhiteBlue]

.. Michelin could have been the sole supplier easily, yes, I agree. Any number of companies could have. Ultimately none of them were that interested...
Another note on tires... if in 2012 teams truly struggled to be able to run them hot enough in their design window, less downforce will make that problem even worse.

The politics in F1 are made with the majority of the teams and they decided to employ a single supplier and eliminate competition on tyres. They simply could not afford the amount of testing a competitive tyre supply model (tyre war) would have required. In the context of 2009 that was a logical move and Michelin IMO were not prepared to accept that economic reality. I'm sure that Michelin could have done an equally good job to provide a product that kept the tyre talk alive and made their supply contract work for them as Pirelli did. They decided not to do so and that was it.

The 2014 supplier will be decided in the not too distant future and whoever that is will have to take the 2014 downforce situation into consideration. I'm sure it isn't going to be a fundamental problem. Pirelly have shown that they can jump through pretty much all the hoops that F1 sets up for them. An alternative supplier like Michelin, Goodyear or Bridgestone could probably do the same. So I'm not much worried. It is more the element of suspense where they will go in terms of technology. I would love to see some change in suspension technology and a shake up with 18" rims could bring that. But as always its the teams who are calling those kind of shots in F1.

[Ogami musashi]

running current tracks on older track make little sense.

I agree 100%

lol

edited

[Pandamasque]

Never thought I'd say this, but WhiteBlue is spot on about BCE and the commercial benefits of slow sections. It was actually mentioned during a few interviews a few years back while explaining the reasoning behind the Arena part of the reconstructed Silverstone.

[timbo]

Never thought I'd say this, but WhiteBlue is spot on about BCE and the commercial benefits of slow sections. It was actually mentioned during a few interviews a few years back while explaining the reasoning behind the Arena part of the reconstructed Silverstone.

But somehow Silverstone didn't got slower. So?

Also, Indian GP is mighty fast although not low-downforce.

It is entirely feasible to have a track with slow sections and pretty high average speed.

[Pandamasque]

Never thought I'd say this, but WhiteBlue is spot on about BCE and the commercial benefits of slow sections. It was actually mentioned during a few interviews a few years back while explaining the reasoning behind the Arena part of the reconstructed Silverstone.

But somehow Silverstone didn't got slower. So?

Errr... what?! There's that usual Tilke-style* section where cars change direction for no obvious reason several times within what looks like a small car park so that cameras and VIPs could see the logos properly. I'm not making this up, it's the official reason to have that slow section before the Wellington straight.

*yes yes I know he didn't design this

[timbo]

Errr... what?! There's that usual Tilke-style* section where cars change direction for no obvious reason several times within what looks like a small car park so that cameras and VIPs could see the logos properly. I'm not making this up, it's the official reason to have that slow section before the Wellington straight.

*yes yes I know he didn't design this

Aaand still the track is fast. My point is you can have both.
Besides, motodrome section appeared on a mighty Hockenheim way before TV became decisive factor in anything.

[WhiteBlue]

Errr... what?! There's that usual Tilke-style* section where cars change direction for no obvious reason several times within what looks like a small car park so that cameras and VIPs could see the logos properly. I'm not making this up, it's the official reason to have that slow section before the Wellington straight.

*yes yes I know he didn't design this

Aaand still the track is fast. My point is you can have both.
Besides, motodrome section appeared on a mighty Hockenheim way before TV became decisive factor in anything.

The track was build in 1938 and the motodrom was build in 1965. The first GP was run in the 70ties when the Nürburgring was boycotted after Lauda's fiery and almost fatal accident.
So one can make the point that the motodrom was there at Hockenheim before F1 but it is only half the story. Bernie not only killed all circuit layouts that had no slow sections (as seen in Silverstone) he also started a crusade to cut the length of laps on traditional circuits. This was also motivated by TV. It costs an aweful lot to cover the track with the high speed digital camera sytem that he installed in the nineties. Bernie demanded to shorten all traditional circuits with what he called excessive length. So Hockenheim and Spa were substantially shortened. The original plan to shorten Spa was even more dramatical and would have made it a mickey mouse version of what we still have, but thank god he ran into massive protest by the locals, the drivers and the fans. Sometimes I hate the commercial pressure that FOM exercises.

[Vasconia]

Well, at least we have Monza and Canada( I dont consider Spa a such low downforce circuit), I wish we could see the old Hockenheimring but that not posible.

Modern tracks always have all type of sections, which is boring, sometimes simple tracks are more exciting because they have one characteristic and this one make them special.

I am some kind of old school F1 fan, I love long straights and slow corners, where topspeed, traction and bracking are essential.