20 replies to this topic

[nmansellfan]

Whie waiting for my PC at work to load a huge CAD file this morning, I was idly thinking about race circuits (as my mind does sometimes!). For some reason I was thinking about Imola, and the fact that in its current configuration, it has actually had three chicanes removed over the years to be replaced with corners or straights (the Aqua Minerale, and the two chicanes approaching the pits), which raises the lap speed around the circuit - Health and Safety, heaven forbid! Watkins Glen has also had a chicane removed that was once there, at the Esses.
This isn't entirely uncommon I guess, but a lot rarer than the opposite being done - i.e. chicanes being put into a circuit layout to slow cars down. So what other circuits have had chicanes removed over the years, rather than having them added?

[Andrew Kitson]

Snetterton. Russell Bend was added in June 1965 but was a very tight left/right chicane, with earth banks at the apexes. It was eased considerably to a faster left/right flick for the beginning of 1967, almost flat for the very brave and remained like that until 1990.
The Hungaroring...it had a chicane after the 3rd corner, leading onto the straight ( where Mansell famously passed Senna whilst lapping Johansson in '89 ). I think the chicane was only used for the first Hungarian GP.

Edited by Andrew Kitson, 15 March 2012 - 13:39.

[Altitude]

Brands Hatch at Dingle Dell Corner (now Sheene Curve).
Also Barcelona, there was a chicane on the 'back' straight, with an additional 'tyre barrier' chicane preceding it in 1994.
Montreal also had a chicane at the old pit exit that was only used in 1994, as did Spa with a chicane at the bottom of Eau Rouge.

Edited by Altitude, 15 March 2012 - 13:59.

[LittleChris]

Both Spa ( Eau Rouge ) and Montreal had temporary chicanes for the 1994 GP that were subsequently removed as did Rouen for the 1973 F2 race ( with the Viarge de Roches chicane built for the following year few hundred yards down the hill at Six Freres ) Monza had a series of chicanes between 1934 and 1938 that subsequently disappeared. There was a chicane at Club corner used for the 1948 GP at Silverstone which had gone by the following year.

[LittleChris]

Beat me to it Altitude as regards Spa and Montreal 1994.

How about Monthlery where temporary chicanes were put in to slow the Mercedes and Auto Unions for the 1935 GP ?

North curve at Anderstorp has reverted to being a right hand corner rather than a right left right complex

Edited by LittleChris, 15 March 2012 - 14:21.

[Altitude]

Long Beach had a chicane on Shoreline Drive that was only in use for 1984/84, and Magny Cours had a chicane after the Adelaide hairpin that was only used in 1991.
I think that Kyalami (the new circuit) had a chicane at the penultimate corner for a few years that has now been removed, and I seem to remember a silly sort of chicane at Zandvoort for a year or two around 1980.

[LittleChris]

Zandvoort had the temporary Scheckter chicane built at Hondenvlak for the 1979 race and a permanent one for the 1980 race. As far as I know this was used until the old circuit closed.

Does the Leathemstown Bridge section at Dundrod count ? I think this was bypassed around 1965 with a straight section from Leathemstown corner to Tullyrusk

[David McKinney]

Pukekohe (NZ) had chicanes added and - thankfully - removed after only a few years

[Option1]

Goodwood usually has its chicane removed at least once each Revival weekend.

Neil

[Stephen W]

There have been several circuits where 'temporary' chicanes (the usual cones & straw bales types) have appeared and were then subsequently dropped from the layout - Aintree & Kirkistown for sprints come to mind.

[midgrid]

The Hungaroring...it had a chicane after the 3rd corner, leading onto the straight ( where Mansell famously passed Senna whilst lapping Johansson in '89 ). I think the chicane was only used for the first Hungarian GP.

It was there for the first two Hungarian Grands Prix in 1986 and 1987, before being bypassed for 1988 (I think the unused track may still be there, though). As far as I know, it was never intended to be part of the layout and was added as a temporary measure after construction work revealed an underground stream which took some time to re-route.

[Altitude]

Detroit had a chicane before the start/finish line that was used for F1. This was removed when CART took over.

[Les]

There was a chicane after the Adelade hairpin at Magny Cours in 91 which was gone by 92. Also as well as the silly chicanes at Montrael & Spa in 94 there was also a mad tyre chicane at Barcelona too.

[Michael Ferner]

Montréal not only had the temporary '94 chicane removed, but two more of the originally four on the part between the two hairpins. One was removed when the start/finish straight moved in the mid 80s, and the second one by the late nineties. I haven't watched a race there in ten years, maybe the straightening went on?

[BRG]

Silverstone - Woodcote chicane.

[mscheeres]

There was a haybale chicane at the Novo Mesto airfield track for the EuroSTC race in 2000. During the race several drivers hit the bales, pretty much removing the chicane.

[Graham Clayton]

Watkins Glen has also had a chicane removed that was once there, at the Esses.

nmansellfan,

The Scheckter Chicane was removed for the 1981 CART race.

When the NASCAR Nationwide series raced at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at Mexico City in 2005, a temporary chicane was added on the main straight. The chicane was removed in 2007 to increase passing opportunities down the straight and into Turn 1.

As part of the redevelopment of Snetterton, has the chicane before the start/finish straight been removed?

[Rob G]

Monza's Variante Rettifilo went from a double chicane to a single one, so I suppose that would count.

Hockenheim had three chicanes removed, along with about half the rest of the track.

Edited by Rob G, 16 March 2012 - 00:52.

[Duc-Man]

The AVUS had a chicane for some years. It was removed with the racing.

[LittleChris]

Back to Dundrod, there were chicanes inserted during the early 2000's ( I think ) at the corner leading onto the start finish straight ( Quarry ? ) and on the straight itself. Both have now gone.

Also there was a hay bale chicane on the start/finish straight at Tandragee which contributed to the death of John Donnan in 2007. I believe this was removed for the 2011 races.

[chdphd]

Monza's Variante Rettifilo went from a double chicane to a single one, so I suppose that would count.

Hockenheim had three chicanes removed, along with about half the rest of the track.

Same sort of thing goes for Austria. They got rid of the Hella-Licht chicane and butchered the rest.