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Welcome all to the second Formula One Roundtable discussion, a series of discussions which shall be known as "The Chequered Flag Roundtable." We have compiled the views of some of our top writers for our second topic...

Formula One: The Chequered Flag Roundtable (Round 2)

by F1RT Chequered Flag (Scribe)

55

487 reads

Opinion

August 19, 2008


Welcome all to the second Formula One Roundtable discussion, a series of discussions which shall be known as "The Chequered Flag Roundtable."

 

We have compiled the views of some of our top writers for our second topic.

 

If in the future you wish to be considered for a seat at the roundtable, then please contact Michael Griffin or Ben Auty and you shall be contacted in due course.

 

So, the second in a long line of topics in this groundbreaking series is:

 

"What is your all-time favourite circuit and why?"

 

ANSWERS

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Steven Stones - Spa Francorchamps

 

To me, there is no greater Grand Prix racing circuit than Spa Francorchamps. There are many amazing tracks around the globe but I have had to go for Spa, and in the end it is an easy decision. For my money, there have been few other circuits that have thrown up as much controversy, as much excitement, and as much pure racing as this track.

 

Spa is situated in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and throws up all manner of odd weather formations. Rain is a certainty at almost any race meeting at some stage of the weekend, and the unpredictability of the rain and the time frame for its arrival or end makes for some added tension for the teams.

 

Spa's weather system is so unique that the teams simply cannot rely on data. They have that added pressure like no other circuit even in the wet can provide. As we all know, rain or changeable conditions provides some spicy racing.

 

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55 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Ben Auty 10 months ago

    GET IN THERE ... I love it when a plan comes together ... Great article again boys ... We came together good again, great work !

    I dont think that it was a shock that Spa would be numero uno but I just had to stick to my roots and go for the big bad Silverstone ! ... Great read ... 5 stars and POTD ... COME ON LETS HAVE IT !

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  2. Daniel Chalmers 10 months ago

    Fantastic arcticle.

    Spa is the deserved winner by miles. No track in the world comes close to it. It was fairly obvious that it would win the vote comfortably.

    Two or three other interesting choices though.

    Ben, its nice to see someone standing up for their country, no many people fly the flag anymore.

    The old Hockenheim was a unique circuit but for me it was extremely bland, 3 straights, 3 chicanes. It did nothing for me at all. Racing wise the new version is far better.

    Sepang is a very nice modern track but lacks character.

    Monaco is a wonderful spectacle, my 2nd favourite track. It would be number 1 if there was more overtaking opportunities.

    Magny-Cours is indeed a surprise choice, I think it is a very underrated circuit. The corners blend in together very well. I think the lack of overtaking is why most people don't rate it higher.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      I must say that if this was "choose your top 3" then it would have had Monaco in there ... Great circuit and I think my 3rd would have to be Monza ? ... Not sure ... I would have to have a good think ... Thanks for contribution Dan even in the short space of time you where given with being out of the country, Thanks mate !

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  3. Ryan Wood 10 months ago

    Fantastic job guys, *pats everyone on the back*!

    I knew Spa would win, as I said in my section above. It deserves to win, and is obviously the best track with 50% of the vote.

    Nice one Ben, your 1st paragraph sums up Britain and the british, Silverstone is very close to my heart, and certainly makes my top 3.

    Some interesting choices, I wouldn't have thought Magny-Cours would have been mentioned, but thinking about it, the track flows well, and can certainly throw up an odd result.

    ...and of course, Monaco, Monte Carlo, is an ace track, the most glamourous and a deserved mention.

    5 stars, POTD, of course!

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Thanks for your contribution Ryan ... Mucho Appreciato ... Excellent addition to the team as well mate ! Glad you liked my little intro !

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  4. Billy Sexton 10 months ago

    wow!! great roundtable there! i've given my 5* and PotD of course.
    to be honest, i'm surprised Spa won by so much, I expected some more Monte Carlo's and maybe a couple Interlagos votes... but no.

    glad to see silverstone on there (Ben) it will be a sad moment next season when it gets taken off the calender for a min. 10 years :(

    i knew the old hockenheim would be mentioned, that is an amazing track as well (probably second in my list)

    magny cours and sepang never really occured to me, but the are quite fast, sweeping corners and all that.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Thanks for your contribution Billy ... Appreciated mate ... Well done on the stars and POTD ... Lets get this bad boy some spotlight time ... Its deserved ! ... I kinda expected Spa to get it but like you I expected some more Monaco on there ... Oh well ... Guess I was wrong, ha ha !

      I just had to do it ... Silverstone is my home ! Ha ha ! Well not really but it feels like home !

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    • Billy Sexton 10 months ago

      anytime mate.
      f1 needs a PotD soon... knock "Bleacher will never be official" off that spot (been on there 3 days now??)

      thinking about it... would be good if one was living in the village of silverstone lol! about a 5 minute walk away form the track!

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Yeah its a long runner and what better article than to get it off top spot than our very own RT ... COME ON ! ... I would love to live there ... If you move there let me know I am stopping over race weekend ! ha ha ha !

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    • Billy Sexton 10 months ago

      come on... i want the AotD now!!! haha will do mate!

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Cheers mate !

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  5. Miles Black 10 months ago

    Round 2 brings another POTD surely? What a great article, excellent writing. I was actually shocked that Spa was the top track, I thought the majority would have went with Home GP or Monaco being the classic, I guess not, stars and POTD from me, well done community!

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Yeah lets hope so Miles ... We need to get AOTD to make it 2 out of 2 for us ... We are a great little community and should surely be able to do it if we all vote so thanks for your contribution man ! ... Its certainly appreciated !

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  6. Michael Griffin 10 months ago

    Nice to see Spa win, and i was surprised that I didn't recieve more emails about Monaco. Guess Spa is favoured more, and why not?

    Well done guys, POTD and 5 stars, duh!

    I chose Magny Cours mainly because I am the master of it on the game, but also because it really does blend some of the absolute best corners.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Yeah about time you showed ur face ! Ha ha ha ... Well done mate ... Excellent co-ordination as always ... You think I made it look nice enough for you ? Uniformed as ever to the first one ... Makes it mroe official as a series ! Cheers mush !

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  7. steven stones 10 months ago

    Thanks again lads, this is a top notch article with some nice variants in there. Sepang? Never even thought about it but you know what? It actually IS a great track, remember all those races as good ones, and the game is awesome too.

    Spa is a fantastic track though, and this being a democracy then it prevailed well done lads. It was a tough decision at first, but I think a top 5 tracks list would actually be harder to pick hehe!

    Thanks very much for your hard work Ben and Mike again! 5 stars and POTD but then that goes without saying

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Well done Steven, great contribution as usual ... Its another great article so hopefully we will get this bad boy up there again ... Cheers for stars and POTD !

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  8. Michael Griffin 10 months ago

    Oi Benny boy, a fiver says that Bernie will announce that the 2010 British Grand Prix will take place at Donny, then, about 1 month before the race, announces that Donny has run out of money and will not be completed, therefore, by default, Silverstone keeps the GP for 10 more years.

    Wanna take on the bet mate?

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  9. Michael Griffin 10 months ago

    Oi Benny boy, a fiver says that Bernie will announce that the 2010 British Grand Prix will take place at Donny, then, about 1 month before the race, announces that Donny has run out of money and will not be completed, therefore, by default, Silverstone keeps the GP for 10 more years.

    Wanna take on the bet mate?

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  10. mark andrew 10 months ago

    Nice work boys .

    5 * and POTD , of course .

    I had a feeling Spa would win this , Ben i knew you would stay patriotic , i nearly did but eau rouge and stavelot swayed my mind ha ha .

    Well done again

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Of course I am going to stay patriotic ... You know me oh so well ! Ha ha ... Cut me open and I would bleed red white and blue !

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  11. F1RT Chequered Flag 10 months ago

    EXCELLENT STUFF GUYS ... 2 out of 2 now ! ... We are ripping it up, thanks for all the comments and POTD and stars, we did alright again, keep a look out for "Round 3" ... If you want to be included please contact Michael Griffin or Ben Auty !

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  12. Ian K 10 months ago

    Aww, no love for Long Beach or The Glen? Honestly though, while they are great circuits even I think it would be quite a stretch to call either the greatest ever.

    I can't say I'm surprised that Spa won this. The old layout was insane and the shortened one they've used for the past 25 or so years is even better. I think my only gripe is that the Nordschleife and Montjuic didn't get any votes, but then, that's all down to personal preference.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Good comments Ian, cheers ... Thanks for your input ! I am sticking by my guns ... Spa isnt my greatest ever ! Ha ha

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  13. Andrew McNair 10 months ago

    Thanks for the invite to write again guy's. Really enjoyed it.

    Great work by all!

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  14. Michael Griffin 10 months ago

    |^^^^^^^^^^^^|
    | | '|""";.., ___.
    |_..._...______===|= _|__|..., ] |
    "(@ )'(@ )""""*|(@ )(@ )*****(@

    This article has just been plowed!

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  15. Billy Sexton 10 months ago

    great work guys... we knocked the long runner (bleacher will never be official) of the top... amazing!

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  1. Michael Griffin 10 months ago

    Oi Benny boy, I'm stumped here. I've just finished my F1 CE career fifth season tied on points with Massa, we have same victories, same 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on. exactly the same. now, what worries here is the fact that the game doesn't have a clue either.

    So, can anyone answer this question. If two drivers finish level on points and every race position, who wins the title?

    For once, I'm stumped. That has never ever happened in my 18 years of wacthing F1.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Hmmmm ... Big Brother will get back to you ...

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      The championships are awarded to whichever driver and constructor have the most points at the end of the season. In case of a tie, the FIA compares the number of times each driver has finished in each position. The championship goes to whichever had the greater number of wins; if they have the same number of wins, it goes to the driver with the greater number of second places, and so on. For example, if Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost are tied at the end of a season, and Prost had six wins and three second place finishes, but Senna had six wins and four second place finishes (even if he had fewer third places than Prost, etc.), Senna would be champion.

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    • Michael Griffin 10 months ago

      Thats fine mate, Iknew that, but what if two drivers the same of everything, even the position countback?

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Thats the best I can find so I cant answer ur question ? ... Wow ... Stumped !

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    • Michael Griffin 10 months ago

      Permission to say Cock. Damn and blast

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    • Ryan Wood 10 months ago

      haha, when would this ever happen, i dnt think they even need to plan for such an event.

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    • Ben Auty 10 months ago

      Never say never ?!

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  2. Ian K 10 months ago

    Thunderdome? That would be a fun way to settle a tie.

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