87 replies to this topic

[Kingshark]

Thailand GP track route confirmed for 2015 race



The proposed route for the track which will host Thailand’s round of the 2015 F1 season has been approved by the government.

Thailand Sports Authority governor Kanokphand Chulakase approved the layout, which is made up of streets around the Grand Palace, on Thursday according to the Bangkok Post.

The start and finish area will overlook the Chao Phraya River. “We may be able to build the main stands in the river,” said Chulakase, “It would also be convenient for transportation of equipment.” Seating for up to 150,000 spectators is planned around the course.

From the waterfront the cars will follow a clockwise route which takes in Ratchadamnoen Avenue which Mark Webber drove along in a demonstration run for Red Bull in 2010.

A final track layout will require formal approval from the FIA before the race takes place in two years’ time. Race organisers intend Thailand’s first grand prix to take place at night.

http://www.f1fanatic...rmed-2015-race/

[encircled]

That layout looks like an Indycar street race. Mark will not like that circuit, lots of 90 degree corners.

[maverick69]

They should call the left/right at the roundabout "He-she"

[TimRTC]

Seating over the river... might pass on that.

Will they really run this as well as the Singapore night street race?

[William Hunt]

I'm very surprised about the location they've chosen, in the heart of the old part of the city, around the palace and very very close to 'backpacker street' Khaosan Road. It's a crowded area of the city. I am very interested in visiting the race now, find it hard to imagine F1 cars through those Streets.

[Topsu]

Looks like it blocks some pretty major interjections.

[Jazza]

How is the only real corner on this track (The non sharp 90 degree one in the middle of the map) even possible?

Firstly they would have to rip up the whole intersection, as the road is nowhere near wide enough due to the median strips. Secondly, it would have no run off area, yet it seems they would take a lot of speed into that corner (whatever way the track direction actually is.)

Edited by Jazza, 26 April 2013 - 15:28.

[Atreiu]

Thailand?

[charly0418]

Doesnt look very interesting. But Im guessing they'll add chicanes and what not to try to make it more challenging

[evo]

Thailand?

I'm guessing Red Bull had some influence in it?

[Jovanotti]

Is this a ****ing joke?

[BigCHrome]

Looks fine to me. I'm sure the FIA will ruin it with a bunch of extra corners and the like though.

[OoxLox]

Lol - they'd have to call it "the cordless drill". Maybe Makita will sponsor it? That's got to be either a joke or a simple PR fluffer to get some chatter and reactions going. Job done in that case. Bleurgh!

[PolarF1]

Horrible layout!

[Frank Tuesday]

I don't love it, but thankfully it isn't another track with 20+ turns. It is kind of the anti-Red Bull track, because it doesn't have long sequences of turns.

I checked it on gmap-pedometer and I got 6.52 km for the track shown here. The Autosport article says 5.99. I wonder which is correct.

Edited by Frank Tuesday, 26 April 2013 - 16:37.

[muramasa]

I'm very surprised about the location they've chosen, in the heart of the old part of the city, around the palace and very very close to 'backpacker street' Khaosan Road. It's a crowded area of the city. I am very interested in visiting the race now, find it hard to imagine F1 cars through those Streets.

yea.
so surprised by the location that i dont even care about layout at all.
If they really go ahead with this and execute it successfully, that itself will be true epic.
i mean...impossible, seriously.

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

It's ****. It's nothing more than 90 degrees corners and long straights with a couple of kinks in them.

[Lights]

I doubt this is a final version if there is going to be one.

The roundabout reminds me of Long Beach.

[PayasYouRace]

Well at 14 corners (counting the roundabout as 3) at least it has the right sort of number. ~20 is too many.

I'm not holding my breath though. Especially as we're constantly being shown "confirmed layouts" of circuits that never happen. Remember Rome? Is New Jersey actually going to happen? Still not that convinced by Russia TBH.

I'm always interested in how new circuits work out though. Especially if they go against the grain in terms of design. It's been a while since F1 had a "simple" new circuit.

[Myrvold]

Am I the only one actually liking this? Something different, something "new", if it's nada-runoff, and tight, and the layout is kept, it will be quite a unique track in modern terms! And that's awesome!

[One]

this is a fake layout...?

[Fastcake]

"Meh"

Not much of a layout to be honest, and I'm not familiar with Bangkok so I'll like to see some pictures of the proposed area too. Still, it's just a proposal and these things come and go every month.

[noikeee]

I'm a bit concerned this kind of thing (street track with loads of 90º corners) may start becoming the norm in the calendar. We already have Singapore, which admitedly is decent, but now we're also going to have Sochi and Bangkok. 1 is alright, 3 is starting to get a bit much. I'd rather have those bog-standard Tilke tracks.

[Zoetrope]

I could create such layout in MS Paint

[BenettonB192]

This can't be the final layout. Looks way too fast especially given the lack of run off areas. They gonna pop some chicanes in if this is really the place.

[muramasa]

How is the only real corner on this track (The non sharp 90 degree one in the middle of the map) even possible?

Firstly they would have to rip up the whole intersection, as the road is nowhere near wide enough due to the median strips. Secondly, it would have no run off area, yet it seems they would take a lot of speed into that corner (whatever way the track direction actually is.)

not just there...almost all corners hasnt got enough area for run off. Looks like it's Valencia/Singapore speed with Monaco track width and run off area, I imagine for this layout to actually happen, many things have to be demolished and cleared.
maybe FIA is face palming now.. but if F1 can manage to race at Monaco's T1 and tunnel-chicane, anything is possible.

[senna da silva]

I don't love it, but thankfully it isn't another track with 20+ turns. It is kind of the anti-Red Bull track, because it doesn't have long sequences of turns.

I checked it on gmap-pedometer and I got 6.52 km for the track shown here. The Autosport article says 5.99. I wonder which is correct.

I suspect it would be too "high speed" for a street race in this guise.

[Disgrace]

The word "unbelievable" is overused in the modern world, but that is in the most literal sense, unbelievable.

[Dzeidzei]

That layout looks like an Indycar street race. Mark will not like that circuit, lots of 90 degree corners.

Mark wont be racing there.

But if this layout stays... poor chievement and a boring race to follow.

[Kingshark]

I could create such layout in MS Paint

Isn't that a good thing?

People loved A1 Ring for its simplicity, so why not this track?

I'm guessing it's because the circuit is not located in Europe.

Does anyone here really want another >20 turn Abu Dhabi or Singapore?

[TimRTC]

Isn't that a good thing?

People loved A1 Ring for its simplicity, so why not this track?

I'm guessing it's because the circuit is not located in Europe.

Simplicity is fine, personally I love tracks like the old Hockenheim that were all about balls-to-the-wall speed and were this a standard circuit I'm sure it would get people's attention, but street races will have to be artificially slowed for safety and we will doubtless end up with another tight circuit with overtaking only possible on a short DRS section.

[Risil]

I'm always interested in how new circuits work out though. Especially if they go against the grain in terms of design. It's been a while since F1 had a "simple" new circuit.

Reminds me a bit of the Exhibition Place circuit in Toronto. Bit longer, presumably.

[encircled]

Mark wont be racing there.

But if this layout stays... poor chievement and a boring race to follow.

I think it is too early to say whether it will be a boring race until we see the race itself.

As for Mark won't be racing there or not, I never said anything in relation to that. Mark just doesn't like 90 degree corners and there are a lot in this track.

[William Hunt]

It always surprises me how critical people are when a new track surfaces, those people are using words like "horrible layout" when they haven't even visited the city or seen the streets where the race will take place one. I know Bangkok quite well and am actually excited to see F1 cars on those streets, although I do find it difficult to imagine that they will race in streets that are normally very crowded, it also seems like this will be a very fast track for a street circuit. But a track layout can only be judged after the cars have raced on it.

Edited by William Hunt, 26 April 2013 - 19:04.

[Afterburner]

It looks very simplistic compared to other tracks on the calendar. Maybe that's a good thing.

[senna da silva]

Reminds me a bit of the Exhibition Place circuit in Toronto. Bit longer, presumably.

Almost twice as long.

[Les]

The word "unbelievable" is overused in the modern world, but that is in the most literal sense, unbelievable.

Indeed never mind what the circuit looks like on paper but if you were to view it on Google Earth/Maps its bonkers, utterly bonkers! You've completely correct its totally unbelievable.

They should take Mark Webbers advice and add these races: http://www.f1pulse.c...-should-race-on

Edited by Les, 26 April 2013 - 21:02.

[np93]

It doesn't look particularly challenging, but then without local knowledge, we don't know about the road surface, or the potential layout limitations that may be faced, so we may have to reserve judgement until the race.... I'd rather they go for a track they know that works, like Imola or the Red Bull Ring, but maybe thats just me wanting my childhood back. Would also have loved to see Mexico back at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Peraltada looks insane from the videos, but that's way before my time.

[chdphd]

I agree with the people saying it's nice to have fewer corners for a change.

The run from the roundabout to the 90 degree right hander at Wat Po looks OK.

I don't know the city, but am guessing there's not a lot of elevation change.

Edited by chdphd, 27 April 2013 - 09:33.

[pingu666]

theres another track with a bunch of 90 degree turns that everyone hates

yep that old road america/elkhart lake

oh wait...

[Rubens Hakkamacher]

Looks different.

Starting from theCha Loem dogleg on the east-most portion of the track, plenty of run off in the braking zone of the elbow. The monument that follows should be a very interesting high speed kink.

Very high speed left looks like it would be cool. They'll probably take out the islands in the middle of the road....

Ta Wang Junction (the names for corners at this place will be fantastic....!) Thai Wang street, 90 degree right - plenty of run off for the braking zone. Not quite 90 degrees. Narrow, but very cool scenery, very unique if they don't build the walls too high.


Medium speed 90 right onto Maha Rat. Plenty of run off. Interesting junction, again not really 90 degrees, but closes to 90 with maybe a 3rd gear kink?

Na Pra Lan, not really a hair pin, maybe a 2nd gear corner, breaks to the right on entry.. So far I like this a lot, none of the corners are just 90 degree "street course corners".

45 degree left onto Pra That. Here they'll maybe need to cut down some trees to make room for exit run off, I think that's at least a 3rd gear corner. This is where they'll have the most punishing mistakes I think. A short run to this corner, but not too short. This will look like a typical street circuit here I think.

Soft 45 degree left onto Rachini. Pretty good straight leading to here, they have room to make it pretty wide, they'll have to take out islands.

Athit - soft not-quite 90 right. Under an overpass, this section does look "street circuit".

Phra Sumen - Pretty high speed soft 90 right. Nice not so quite straight, the soft right should be flat out. If they build a fairly high "old school" looking wall on the outside it should be fine, fairly long line of sight. Poor part of the city, but they should be moving through here.

And back to the Cha Loem dog leg. Should be a very heavy braking zone.


Looks interesting to me. Not too many corners, and except for the two 45 degree ones they're all a little different. *Not* typical "western city streets layout". The monument kink, the high speed turn on the "last straight" should be very interesting to watch. They'll have to take out traffic dividers and possibly reroute some overhead power cables leading into the poorer area. Should have some NATURAL character to the corners/turns, not Tilke and not a point-and-squirt street track, either.

Edited by Rubens Hakkamacher, 27 April 2013 - 00:54.

[ScuderiaSV1]

I'm trying to be objective.. But all I can picture on that circuit are Indy Car's. not F1 cars.

[loki]

I thought the Thai race was dead in the water a couple of years ago.

[Sakae]

Thailand?

I am surprised over an interest over track layout, but I think at this stage probably more interesting question is, whether this is an addition/expansion, or a replacement of an existing race, and which one then? My assumption is that government wouldn't go ahead with the project without having some kind of an Agreement in Principle or a Letter of Intent in place with the commercial rights holder. Probably the Korean or another European races could be in jeopardy. I can't see Ecclestone giving up Silverstone in exchange.

Edited by Sakae, 27 April 2013 - 17:50.

[wj_gibson]

This is not the final layout. It's akin to the initial Valencia layout that was unveiled to the press in mid-2007 - it gives an idea of the location within the city of the circuit, but it's not a final layout by any means - there will doubtless be all manner of chicanes and complexes built into it in the final instance.

It is assumed that this is going to replace Korea, but haven't there been some noises from Singapore about wanting to shift that race elsewhere in the city? If they can't then Bangkok is effectively Bernie's insurance policy.

[yoyogetfunky]

Look as unimaginative and without soul as all them new tracks.

[Nonesuch]

Forget Pouhon, Laranjinha and Spoon, this will be great: second-gear corners are where F1 cars really shine.

I don't much care for the number of corners: Spa-Francorchamps has 20 while Yas Marina has 21 - and the world of difference between the two isn't because of that one extra corner.

[One]

Forget Pouhon, Laranjinha and Spoon, this will be great: second-gear corners are where F1 cars really shine.

I don't much care for the number of corners: Spa-Francorchamps has 20 while Yas Marina has 21 - and the world of difference between the two is because of that one extra corner.

FIxed.

[byrkus]

When Istanbul track layout was confirmes some years ago, it was generally ridiculed. At about same time, track layout for Valencia was confirmed - and it received almost universal praise.

Well, after the first races, the opinions got reversed...

I don't find this layout TOO bad... It could become quite fun, IMHO. I'll just wait and see, IF it is ever realised.

[PayasYouRace]

But Spa is long enough that the corners are spread out and it doesn't feel like any of them are there just to make up the numbers. Only Eau Rouge and Les Combes are sequences of more than two corners, or rather curves because they're much more open.