F1 Street Circuits

Daniel says:

So in the last round F1 visited Valencia for the first time. Overall what did you make of the circuit?

Paul says:

I had mixed feelings about it to be honest. On the plus side it was great to see a new circuit on the calendar - especially in Europe. And even better to see a new street circuit being raced on. But I felt that it lacked the atmosphere of the other street circuits such as Monaco and Montreal. That disappointed me a bit. But it was a good first effort

Daniel says:

I liked the circuit layout, I thought it was fast and exciting, particularly that final section. However like you say it lacked atmosphere and for me there was a lack of character, it all looked a bit bare. It was the same fencing and wall around the entire circuit. Also I thought there was too much tarmac run-off zones.

Paul says:

Yeah the run-off areas took away from the street-circuit feel. On a proper street circuit the smallest mistake should be punished, but as we seen throughout the weekend drivers were spinning everywhere and only Coulthard managed to contact the wall. But like you say the final section was good to watch from the on board cameras - it reminded me a bit of the Esses at Suzuka

Daniel says:

Overall it was more a permanent track as opposed to a street track in an urban setting. I think overall I prefer Melbourne and Montreal which are the equivalents to the track. Hopefully they will do more work over the next year and it will look a better circuit in 2009

Paul says:

I think there was a lot of people saying it will take 4 or 5 years for the race to come to it's full potential - which is long in my eyes. But without a doubt there is potential there and room for improvement. Will their experience help them for the Singapore race at the end of September?

Daniel says:

I don't think it will. Singapore looks like a completely different kettle of fish with the race taking place at night, more actual streets used on the circuit layout and I think the track alot slower than Valencia and thats what you would expect of a typical street circuit

Paul says:

What are your expectations for Singapore? Will it be a better spectacle than Valencia, or even Monaco?

Daniel says:

I think it will be a much better spectacle, whether that is in terms of the racing or the scenery is two different questions altogether though. Singapore will look spectacular at night, the cars will look shiny, the skyline will be immense, at night grip levels will be lower so that could contribute towards a different challenge and maybe surprises

Paul says:

Do you think it will be the different climate atmosphere that will make it a better spectacle, or the circuit itself? I think the circuit layout will be very challenging for the drivers to learn

Daniel says:

I think one of the main facts will be that the track temperature will alot lower due it being night time and no sun beating down on the track. That will require a different setup to get the tyres to work in those conditions. I can imagine some teams getting it wrong so we could see unusual results, it completely different conditions that nobody is used to

Paul says:

Will Bourdais have an advantage coming here, having raced at night races during his time in ChampCar?

Daniel says:

I think its possible, his champcar knowledge helped in Valencia and he will know the differences between racing at day and in the night so maybe Torro Rosso will prepare themselves better for the event, although Vettel will still probably finish ahead of him

Paul says:

Do you think we will see many engine failures at Singapore? With the air at night being slightly different to the air during the day the engines could suffer

Daniel says:

I don't think so, cool air will be better for the cars and Singapore looks a relatively slow track so I don't think its an engine breaking track

Paul says:

Are you looking forward to Abu Dhabi entering the calendar next year? The organisers have now said the circuit won't be a pure street circuit like Monaco - it will now be more of a permanent street circuit like Valencia

Daniel says:

I think it's a case of wait and see with that one, the area around where the track will built looks quite spectacularly but I am concerned that it turns out to be another Bahrain

Paul says:

Do you want to see more street circuits on the calendar, or have we got the right mix at the minute?

Daniel says:

I think about 3 street tracks is about the maximum, I think Monaco and Singapore will be very different whereas Valencia is more urban than street. I think if you start putting too many street tracks on the calendar then the novelty wears off. Going back to Singapore, do you think there are major safety concerns?

Paul says:

I don't think there is in normal circumstances because the lighting system is a tried and tested system. However, I don't think it has been tested under wet circumstances, and the problem won't be the rain itself it will be spray and the reflections of the lights on the circuit. But it shouldn't be much more of a problem than at the likes of Fuji last season

Daniel says:

I think the rain is a problem but talking about the lighting first, do you think there is a possibility that the lighting could be too bright for the drivers and a sudden change will need to be made before the competitive action starts?

Paul says:

I don't think so as long as they keep the lighting consistent. For example, if it is moderately bright when the sessions starts then the lighting has to be as strong as it will be in fully dark conditions to allow the drivers' eyes to get used to it.

Daniel says:

Going back to the rain you mentioned, I do see that as the biggest obstacle, if no rain is predicted then there is no problem but it does often rain in the evening in Singapore and heavily too. Apparently the drainage systems in Singapore are extremely efficient so standing water can be removed easily but the spray during the shower would be a huge issue. How do the organisers get around that?

Paul says:

There's not really much they can do I think. As long as they can guarantee that there will be no standing water on the track they could make it a bit easier - similar to Monaco. The painted lines will make it a nightmare if it does rain, but luckily the pits area is a permanent race area meaning there won't be any road markings there, hopefully reducing the risk of a major first-corner incident.

Daniel says:

certainly the drivers were happy with Valencia safety wise as everything possible (plus more) was done, do you think the drivers may bitch about safety when the time comes, there have already been a few words

Paul says:

I hope not. There was no yapping by the likes of Senna, Mansell, Prost, etc in the 80s when we had numerous American circuits and Adelaide on the calendar as street circuits, so hopefully the current lot follow suit. I understand their concerns, but to be honest at the end of the day it's the same conditions for everyone so they will have to make the best of them. A lot of drivers said Monaco in the wet this year would be dangerous without TC, but there was no major incidents

Daniel says:

you are quite right there, so overall looking back at what we have discussed do you think night racing will work and end up being more than just a money spinner for Bernie as some are perceiving it? I have to say that I think it could end it being a leveler, it's a new technical challenge

Paul says:

It will be a leveller at the beginning like Valencia was but as the weekend goes on the cream will rise to the top. But the night element will make it spectacular and will add an extra dimension to the race. There are concerns but I think every driver can't wait to take on the challenge

Daniel says:

it's still a month to go but who do you back to win? I think Mclaren and Ferrari will be very even as Ferrari's trump card of looking after the tyres in hot conditions won't apply to this race. I am sure one of the other teams can throw a surprise our way. I think we will all end up more impressed with Singapore than we were with Valencia which looking back didn't really match our expectations

Paul says:

I think it will be a Ferrari McLaren battle but I think we could see a spoiler in the mix, and it could very well be Vettel again. He seems mighty around street circuits and could well mix it in qualifying. And I think you are 100% right about Singapore - it will be more impressive than Valencia in many ways - not least the backdrop and unique atmosphere