The most technically challenging corners in F1!

I want to start a thread about which corners you believe are best testing driving and car ability on each track of F1, not just the thrill stakes!
These are my opinions:

Melbourne : Turn 14, which is a blind right where you have to attack as much as you dare.
Sepang : Turns 7/8, a challenging quick switch between two fast corners making it a double. It's difficult to drive, just ask Massa
Shanghai : Turns 1/2, where you just go slower and slower and shifting downs as you're turning.
Sakhir : The brilliant turns 9/10, where you break downhill as you're turning.b Very important for traction on the long straight afterwards.
Catalunya : Turn 10, because you're going downhill and the corner is so tight, that there often comes mistakes there.
Monaco : Tabac, quite fast being Monaco, and even Lewis can bin it there. You have to commit early, because you don't see the exit.
Istanbul : Actually Turn 9, where you break from 190 mph to 50 mph downhill, and then have to get the traction right for the long flatout blast.
Silverstone : The corner after Bridge; Priory, is a difficult corner, given that you have to get that one right to get a good laptime, because there really is just one way through it.
Nürburgring : The corner after Schumacher-S, where you got to trust the positive camber to really commit for the S-combination that leads onto the back straight.
Hungaroring : Turn 8 means a lot to the laptime, beacuse it gets you into a certain rhytm ahead of the tricky back section.
Valencia : The last corner is a challenge, because of the downshift in the cornering mode you're in prior to this corner.
Spa : Pouhon, balls and grip needed to get the maximum out of that corner. Probably my favourite in F1!
Monza : Lesmo 2 is so important for laptime, given the long straight that follows. Lesmo 1 is funnier, but the second one is really key.
Singapore : I think that the braking zone to the early lap hairpin is tricky because of the bumps while approaching it!
Suzuka : The Esses are demanding, but the scond stands out to me, given that the first is quite easy. It's so easy to misjudge the extit of the second part and lose time.
Interlagos : Ferradura is hugely underrated, with high speed all the way, where you really need good confidence in the car.

What are your opinions?

Originally posted by jeze
I want to start a thread about which corners you believe are best testing driving and car ability on each track of F1, not just the thrill stakes!
These are my opinions:

Melbourne : Turn 14, which is a blind right where you have to attack as much as you dare.
Sepang : Turns 7/8, a challenging quick switch between two fast corners making it a double. It's difficult to drive, just ask Massa
Shanghai : Turns 1/2, where you just go slower and slower and shifting downs as you're turning.
Sakhir : The brilliant turns 9/10, where you break downhill as you're turning.b Very important for traction on the long straight afterwards.
Catalunya : Turn 10, because you're going downhill and the corner is so tight, that there often comes mistakes there.
Monaco : Quite fast being Monaco, and even Lewis can bin it there. You have to commit early, because you don't see the exit.
Istanbul : Actually Turn 9, where you break from 190 mph to 50 mph downhill, and then have to get the traction right for the long flatout blast.
Silverstone : The corner after Bridge; Priory, is a difficult corner, given that you have to get that one right to get a good laptime, because there really is just one way through it.
Nürburgring : The corner after Schumacher-S, where you got to trust the positive camber to really commit for the S-combination that leads onto the back straight.
Hungaroring : Turn 8 means a lot to the laptime, beacuse it gets you into a certain rhytm ahead of the tricky back section.
Valencia : The last corner is a challenge, because of the downshift in the cornering mode you're in prior to this corner.
Spa : Pouhon, balls and grip needed to get the maximum out of that corner. Probably my favourite in F1!
Monza : Lesmo 2 is so important for laptime, given the long straight that follows. Lesmo 1 is funnier, but the second one is really key.
Singapore : I think that the braking zone to the early lap hairpin is tricky because of the bumps while approaching it!
Suzuka : The Esses are demanding, but the scond stands out to me, given that the first is quite easy. It's so easy to misjudge the extit of the second part and lose time.
Interlagos : Ferradura is hugely underrated, with high speed all the way, where you really need good confidence in the car.

What are your opinions?

Turkey Turn 8

Turkey is the most overrated corner in F1, even more so than Eau Rouge. At least Spa has a change of direction mid-corner. Turn 8 is impressive for people who have never watched Indycars on an oval.

Originally posted by skid solo


Turkey Turn 8

That's a challenge, but that's a very technical track with lots of interesting cornes, that's a thrilling one, but it's most about controlling a twitchy car, and you have so much runoff that if you run wide, you're straigt back on it again. That's why I think Turn 9 is a bigger challenge to get right.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Turkey is the most overrated corner in F1, even more so than Eau Rouge. At least Spa has a change of direction mid-corner. Turn 8 is impressive for people who have never watched Indycars on an oval.

Well excuse me! And your favorite corner is...?

Which corner are you referring to at Monaco?

Copse, Maggots, Becketts, Chapel etc..

Originally posted by krapmeister
Which corner are you referring to at Monaco?

I was thinking that.

Originally posted by krapmeister
Which corner are you referring to at Monaco?

Oops, edited now!

My interpretation of a technically challenging corner is one where you either get it very right and make time up but get it ever so slightly wrong and you lose alot. Corners where accuracy is more important than feel or balance.

http://www.f1fanatic...ne_map_2008.gif

I think most corners at Melbourne fall into this category apart from 13 and 14. With longer apexes and higher corner speeds than most others on the track they allow the car to be hustled through the corner and corrections can be made. Most of the other corners at Melbourne, the flicks at T1, 6 and 9 and the fast S of 11 and 12 require first stab, high commitment with huge time loss or consequences if you get them wrong as there are long straights after all of them with close walls.

Im speaking from experience of practicing driving it in the latest FSR F1 mod in which Ill be driving in this weekend in the opening round of the 2009 Championship http://www.formula-simracing.net/

Originally posted by jeze


Oops, edited now!

Thanks - but I thought Lewis lost it at Piscine (swimming pool)?

FWIW I think Massenet is also a great corner...

He hit the wall exiting Tabac in the race in 2008 and crashed in Ste Devote in practice in 2007.

Originally posted by Tenmantaylor
My interpretation of a technically challenging corner is one where you either get it very right and make time up but get it ever so slightly wrong and you lose alot. Corners where accuracy is more important than feel or balance.

http://www.f1fanatic...ne_map_2008.gif

I think most corners at Melbourne fall into this category apart from 13 and 14. With longer apexes and higher corner speeds than most others on the track they allow the car to be hustled through the corner and corrections can be made. Most of the other corners at Melbourne, the flicks at T1, 6 and 9 and the fast S of 11 and 12 require first stab, high commitment with huge time loss or consequences if you get them wrong as there are long straights after all of them with close walls.

Im speaking from experience of practicing driving it in the latest FSR F1 mod in which Ill be driving in this weekend in the opening round of the 2009 Championship http://www.formula-simracing.net/

Turn 9 is where a lot of time can be lost - just ask Mark Webber...

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
He hit the wall exiting Tabac in the race in 2008 and crashed in Ste Devote in practice in 2007.

And your favorite corner is?

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
He hit the wall exiting Tabac in the race in 2008 and crashed in Ste Devote in practice in 2007.

No, it definately wasn't Tabac last year - it was exiting the swimming pool and he only had to go around the corner pretty much to enter the pits.

These are from my "experience" on f1 games and the sorta of corners that give me trouble in karts etc.

Anything that tightens up- sepang turns 13-14 or china turn 2 and 12 are good examples.

Sainte Devote for some reason! I can never seem to get the braking right for it. I am either way too early or too late....

Maggots, Becketts. Never a dull moment!

Originally posted by krapmeister


No, it definately wasn't Tabac last year - it was exiting the swimming pool and he only had to go around the corner pretty much to enter the pits.

http://xpb.cc/viewpi...e.asp?id=249492 That's Tabac.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


http://xpb.cc/viewpi...e.asp?id=249492 That's Tabac.

It was

I'm gonna agree on the Istanbul Turn 8, it is greatly overated, mostly though due to how much downforce the cars have these days, and the fact there is a massive tarmac run off.

In fact I think Istanbul full stop is very much overated.

Fair enough - but Wikipedia has it as the swimming pool.

Mclaren's own website has it as Tabac - I guess Wikipedia needs to be corrected.

Originally posted by jeze
Melbourne : Turn 14, which is a blind right where you have to attack as much as you dare.

What are your opinions?

I think Curve 3 is the most [Low Speed] challenging curve as there were quite a lot of off-tracks and crashes there.

Originally posted by Barramut

I think Curve 3 is the most [Low Speed] challenging curve as there were quite a lot of off-tracks and crashes there.

I think that is a challenging one as well, especially in the twillight, where there are lots of shadows around for braking. Melbourne is IMO the best street track in F1

Spa's Chicane and Suzuka 130R.

Originally posted by krapmeister


No, it definately wasn't Tabac last year - it was exiting the swimming pool and he only had to go around the corner pretty much to enter the pits.

No it was definitely Tabac.

Why does turn one in Melbourne cause so much grief?

Wedding night jitters.

And it's a very quick corner really with a narrow exit, so there's not a lot of room for give-and-take.

Nice topic. From my little experience from BMW3 challenge almost for all tracks first corner very tricky, because after out lap you always do something wrong with first corner.

Melbourne : Turn 3.
Sepang : dunno (try it tonight).
Shanghai : Turns 1/2 - agree very challenge and not easy find best trajectory and right speed.
Monaco : Rascasse - after watching how Rosberg managed it in Q2 last year - i improve my time on BMW3 almost on second.
Istanbul : Turn 9 (Turn 8 very spectacular but not very difficult).
Silverstone : Turn 8 - Vale.
Nürburgring : Turn 1, Turn 7 (Dunlop Kehre).
Spa : Eau Rouge - real challenge for serial car (probably not for F1:)).
Monza : Turn 1 - really funny.
Suzuka : Turn 15 - very fast.
Interlagos : Probably turn 8.

Not F1 but the Corkscrew at the Mazda raceway Laguna Seca is surely a very difficult corner...

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


http://xpb.cc/viewpi...e.asp?id=249492 That's Tabac.

and your favorite corner is?

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Wedding night jitters.

And it's a very quick corner really with a narrow exit, so there's not a lot of room for give-and-take.

and your favorite corner is?

Originally posted by skid solo


and your favorite corner is?

he seems to be ignoring you.

I've only played GT5P and there in suzuka turn 1 is very difficult as well as spoon and degner 1.
in Fuji the toughest corners are 100R , coca cola and dunlop if i'm playing with no chicane.

Monza: Parabolica

Barcelona: Turns 6 downhill approach left hander exit taking you up the hill

Hungaroring: Turn 4 quick left hander with a crest on approach

Sepang: Turn 13 (second last corner), turning approach under heavy braking after the quick left hander

Originally posted by jesee
Spa's Chicane and Suzuka 130R.

personally i think 130R used to be more of a challenge a few years back

Originally posted by The Lonely
I'm gonna agree on the Istanbul Turn 8, it is greatly overated, mostly though due to how much downforce the cars have these days, and the fact there is a massive tarmac run off.

In fact I think Istanbul full stop is very much overated.

Should be interesting this year if the downforce stays lower.

Ive done a fair few laps at Turkey in sim racing and once you learn it its a very rewarding track. Turn 8 is difficult to learn but as soon as you know which apex to hit (third) and you have the right downforce balance it becomes fairly straightfoward. Learning it is very difficult though, one of the hardest on the calender hence why we saw everyone flying off the first year F1 was there.

For me the most technical part of Turkey is the T3,4,5,6 complex where you have to stay left over a blind crest, flick right, stay right into a slower compression left which leads to a higher speed compression uphill right (T7). Its a genius piece of track design that goes un noticed on the TV. The elevation changes are massive. The cars look lost there but thats because the racing line is mostly in the middle of the track for most of this section and isnt very obvious where you should be.

Originally posted by Tenmantaylor


Should be interesting this year if the downforce stays lower.

Ive done a fair few laps at Turkey in sim racing and once you learn it its a very rewarding track. Turn 8 is difficult to learn but as soon as you know which apex to hit (third) and you have the right downforce balance it becomes fairly straightfoward. Learning it is very difficult though, one of the hardest on the calender hence why we saw everyone flying off the first year F1 was there.

For me the most technical part of Turkey is the T3,4,5,6 complex where you have to stay left over a blind crest, flick right, stay right into a slower compression left which leads to a higher speed compression uphill right (T7). Its a genius piece of track design that goes un noticed on the TV. The elevation changes are massive. The cars look lost there but thats because the racing line is mostly in the middle of the track for most of this section and isnt very obvious where you should be.

I have to agree. The first sector of Turkey is a really good combination of corners with nice elevation changes

Originally posted by wewantourdarbyback
No it was definitely Tabac.

I was definately wrong - I stand most definately corrected...

But so was Wikipedia...

Originally posted by Tenmantaylor


Should be interesting this year if the downforce stays lower.

Ive done a fair few laps at Turkey in sim racing and once you learn it its a very rewarding track. Turn 8 is difficult to learn but as soon as you know which apex to hit (third) and you have the right downforce balance it becomes fairly straightfoward. Learning it is very difficult though, one of the hardest on the calender hence why we saw everyone flying off the first year F1 was there.

For me the most technical part of Turkey is the T3,4,5,6 complex where you have to stay left over a blind crest, flick right, stay right into a slower compression left which leads to a higher speed compression uphill right (T7). Its a genius piece of track design that goes un noticed on the TV. The elevation changes are massive. The cars look lost there but thats because the racing line is mostly in the middle of the track for most of this section and isnt very obvious where you should be.

I agree with you that Turns 3-6 in Turkey are definetly interesting, you can make up some time there, but you can also lose it. Turn 4 is the most difficult among those with its downhill braking for a 90 degree corner. Outside F1 I have to mention the Dipper at Bathurst, along with the final complex at Mosport Park, turn 10 at Laguna Seca (positive camber entices you to go in too fast)!