102 replies to this topic

[jonpollak]

Was talking to a few drivers last year and one of them raised the question..

"For you, what's the most daunting corner in racing?"

 

This question was again brought up Tuesday night on a radio show and I thought that it would be a good topic here.

 

So, If you have driven a racing car at speed, which one is your all time butt clencher?

 

Jp

[Scotracer]

Of the circuits I've driven, the new Abbey at Silverstone is quite daunting. Nearly spun a Ferrari 430 there a few years ago...

[AustinF1]

Can't say I've driven a race car at speed, or driven this corner, but from what I've seen and heard, I'd have to say Spoon at Suzuka is right up there among the toughest.

[Laura23]

Corkscrew at Leguna Seca.

[Jon83]

I've sadly never driven a racing car. Not that it will count but on my PS3 I find turn 10 at Sakhir especially tough!

 

(of course there will be hundreds of tougher corners out there than that)

[InSearchOfThe]

Turn 1 IMS oval.

[superden]

Several corners at the Nordschleife get your attention, even when you know they are coming. That doesn't stop them being bloody good fun though and it just makes it all the more satisfying when you find just the right line.

Edited by superden, 17 September 2015 - 14:28.

[speedman13]

Blanchemont before it had the large run off area.

 

[Marklar]

I was driving once throught the Nordschleife. Fuchsröhre was one which stucked in my mind.

Edited by Marklar, 17 September 2015 - 14:49.

[Jorma]

Not a corner, but a stage: Ouninpohja.

 

https://www.google.f...iw=1645&bih=849

 

But, for us old school Finns rallying is the thing.

[Atreiu]

If you asked bike riders, I guess they'd say Lucky Heights or Ramshoek.

Edited by Atreiu, 17 September 2015 - 14:56.

[Craven Morehead]

Was talking to a few drivers last year and one of them raised the question..

"For you, what's the most daunting corner in racing?"

 

This question was again brought up Tuesday night on a radio show and I thought that it would be a good topic here.

 

So, If you have driven a racing car at speed, which one is your all time butt clencher?

 

Jp

Corner one at the old Shannonville Motorsport part was a such a corner for me. You arrived at very high speed and had to judge your turn-in just right, otherwise things could get interesting. 

[whitewaterMkII]

Turn 6, Riverside

For the youngsters, it was an 90 degree right with an off camber exit. Way off camber.

Linden Leap at Long Beach was also pretty crazy.

Another right, blind, with about a 25 degree downhill on exit.

No way to set a car up for that, the six wheel Tyrells looked like they were going to knock a tire off the rim every time, with waaaay too much front grip the car looked like it was going to pitch pole like a catamaran digging in a sponson.

Fun times.

[Richard T]

Turn 3 at Salzburgring.

Juuuuuuust full throttle with entry speed of 220kph on new tyres in qually on a good day, but if the stars don't align for you, your in the wall...

In races it's just insanely quick with a short lift of

[MLC]

Corkscrew at Leguna Seca.

 

That's not even the most daunting corner at Laguna Seca. It looks impressive as a spectator, but actually driving it is not that special. The corkscrew is quite a slow corner. The one immediately following, Raney corner, is much faster, still downhill, and more difficult. I also think getting turn 5 and turn 6 right is difficult. At exit I always feel like I could have carried more speed, but at entry I always back off just a little bit.  

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Indianapolis turn 1, very under rated by many fans. Taking it at race speeds is a butt clencher for every driver, every lap.

 

Coming into the Hog Pen at Virginia International Raceway. You think you can, you think you can, uh oh, I can't.

 

The Spoon at Suzuka. There is only one way to get it done, and it must be technically perfect and timed right.

 

Pouhon at Spa. For every ten laps a Formula One driver does there, there is just one time he can say to himself, "yes, I nailed it".

 

The last right-left chicane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It leads directly into, and I mean INTO the Wall Of Champions.

 

 

And Darlington, too tough to tame, literally, and proven over decades of racing. The whole freaking track.

Edited by BlinkyMcSquinty, 17 September 2015 - 15:33.

[JAW97]

Going off videogames as opposed to real life, probably Parabolica for me. Getting round it isn't tough, but I can't seem to ever completely nail it.

[dierome1987]

Based only on videogame experience (obviously), I'd say Istambul Park's turn 8. It is notoriously difficult to hit all the apexes!

Edited by dierome1987, 17 September 2015 - 15:57.

[Rob]

If you asked bike riders, I guess they'd say Lucky Heights or Ramshoek.

 

Ballagharey maybe

[Atreiu]

Ballagharey maybe

 

I could google it, but I'd rather ask just for the sake of keeping this interesting topic going.

I don't remember it. Where is it?

 

That's not even the most daunting corner at Laguna Seca. It looks impressive as a spectator, but actually driving it is not that special. The corkscrew is quite a slow corner. The one immediately following, Raney corner, is much faster, still downhill, and more difficult. I also think getting turn 5 and turn 6 right is difficult. At exit I always feel like I could have carried more speed, but at entry I always back off just a little bit.  

 

I love the first corner. High speed, full throttle (maybe?), bike tilted. My heart still reacts to this clip even though it years old.

[Dan333SP]

I was going to say Indy Turn 1 based purely on the speed and reports by drivers that have raced there. With no actual track experience of my own other than autocross, I have to base my opinion on racing sims so I'd go with Pflantzgarten at the 'ring, specifically the right hander after the dip that this BMW is entering:

 

 

Seems like the fast cars enter with a ton of speed, there's not a lot of runoff, and you're coming off a bit of a jump immediately before the corner so the car can be unsettled. It'd scare the bejesus out of me if I ever drive that track, I'm sure.

[RekF1]

I've only ever driven Castle Combe. There's a corner called Quarry, maybe? I'd always lose time there. Non racing most difficult corner in the world is Old Newbridge Hill and trying to turn left onto the A431.

[BillBald]

Can't say I've driven a race car at speed, or driven this corner, but from what I've seen and heard, I'd have to say Spoon at Suzuka is right up there among the toughest.

 

Doesn't it have tarmac runoff now?

[Richard T]

Doesn't it have tarmac runoff now?

A corner shouldn't be measured by the consequences of running wide, but the skill needed to go through it as fast as possible without running wide IMO

Spoon is always a headache for me in racing sims, getting the breaking point right is tricky

[Retrofly]

Only on a motorbike,

 

Either Paddock Hill Bend at Brands Hatch. The bumps and dimp on entry make the back end lift and go all over the place, just as you want to tip it down into a fast steep right hander.

 

Or the Gooseneck at Cadwell park. The on corner I've crashed twcie at.

[maverick69]

Only on a motorbike,

 

Either Paddock Hill Bend at Brands Hatch. The bumps and dimp on entry make the back end lift and go all over the place, just as you want to tip it down into a fast steep right hander.

 

Or the Gooseneck at Cadwell park. The on corner I've crashed twcie at.

Paddock Hill is full on mental.

 

Did it a few times in a 250 gearbox kart. My knuckles are still white..... and a certain area of my overalls are still brown.

[Risil]

I was once treated to a few laps round Thruxton at semi-racing speed in a rickety old Formula Renault like thing. The Noble-Goodwood-Church series round the back of the circuit was quite fast enough for me.

[Turboflame]

Definetely Pouhon. The entry radius is actually a LOT sharper and inclined than you would imagine on TV. You really must have seen the corner to appreciate it fully. An f1 car hits 180-185 mph downhill before slightly lifting in the entry at 165 mph. They have to turn in at the blink of an eye and believe it will stick. Blanchimont and Eau Rouge probably are more dangerous for  a big accident (less run off and even faster), but technically not as demanding as Pouhon.

Edited by Turboflame, 17 September 2015 - 18:04.

[milestone 11]

Ballagharey maybe

Ballabloodyscary.

[Rob]

I could google it, but I'd rather ask just for the sake of keeping this interesting topic going.

I don't remember it. Where is it?

 

Ballagarey is a fast right hand flick on the TT course at the Isle of Man. It's where Guy Martin had his huge accident. The bikes are probably doing in the region of 140mph through the corner and you can't see the kerb at the apex until you've already committed to the corner.

[RottenAli]

Eau Rouge was eye opening, Paddock Hill Bend was more than interesting but no way was I going to find the apex of the Karussell. Far too tricky, I just took the trip round the top line...

Edited by RottenAli, 17 September 2015 - 20:30.

[Peat]

 Thruxton . The Noble-Goodwood-Church series round the back of the circuit was quite fast enough for me.

 

Yep, Church for me. You are already in deep sympathy for your front left tyre by the time you get there and then you are never sure what the car is going to do after the compression in the middle of the apex. Gives me the willies. Oooooh.

Didn't Dario mention somewhen that T1 at Indy was THE corner? Even on a sim, it's a hold-yer-breath job!

Edited by Peat, 17 September 2015 - 20:57.

[KenCravillion]

The Kink at Road America.

[CSquared]

Turn 10 at Sonoma/Sears Point. The approach is fast, the braking is done on a curb, the corner is slippery, and there's a wall very close to the outside that you can never ignore, especially after seeing multiple cars hit it. The exit curb is flat, so it's a bit hard to see. In a battle you have to get it right because there's an overtaking spot right after.

 

Turn 9, "Rainey," at Laguna Seca. There are multiple possible lines/approaches and hard to say which one is actually faster. It's hard to look through the whole corner with window net, rollbar, and HANS, it's slippery, and there's a tricky, off-camber dropoff by the exit curb that can pitch the car into oversteer if you're not careful because you have to get back to the other side of the track right away for turn 10.

[Atreiu]

Ballagarey is a fast right hand flick on the TT course at the Isle of Man. It's where Guy Martin had his huge accident. The bikes are probably doing in the region of 140mph through the corner and you can't see the kerb at the apex until you've already committed to the corner.

 

 

Now I googled it and fvck yeah. 

[SKL]

Only done tracks in the US, and only Spec Miata and SRF but I always thanked God everytime I got thru the kink at Road America in one piece.  A good friend racing with me at RA in a SM race almost bought the farm by INCHES in the kink...

[HeadFirst]

Corner one at the old Shannonville Motorsport part was a such a corner for me. You arrived at very high speed and had to judge your turn-in just right, otherwise things could get interesting. 

 

Uggh ... you got that right, but it was the left-hander on the short course (corner 4 ???) that got me.

[HeadFirst]

Turn 2 at Mosport Park (northeast of Toronto) is often cited as the most terrifying, and difficult) in North America. Turn 1 and turn 4 are pretty tough too.

[dgsg]

Turn 6, Riverside

For the youngsters, it was an 90 degree right with an off camber exit. Way off camber.

Linden Leap at Long Beach was also pretty crazy.

Another right, blind, with about a 25 degree downhill on exit.

No way to set a car up for that, the six wheel Tyrells looked like they were going to knock a tire off the rim every time, with waaaay too much front grip the car looked like it was going to pitch pole like a catamaran digging in a sponson.

Fun times.

I miss that track! https://en.wikipedia...ational_Raceway

Edited by dgsg, 17 September 2015 - 22:59.

[D28]

Turn 2 at Mosport Park (northeast of Toronto) is often cited as the most terrifying, and difficult) in North America. Turn 1 and turn 4 are pretty tough too.

Thank-you, I was just about to suggest corner 2, No doubt about it. Downhill, off camber this has caught many racers out, including Johnny Herbert spectacularly in an Audi R8  at an ALMS race. Also agree with corner 4.

[63Corvette]

Corkscrew at Leguna Seca.

Nope! I can even do it in a Corvette. It is a very slow, throwaway corner.

[D28]

Nope! I can even do it in a Corvette. It is a very slow, throwaway corner.

Unless you try what Alex Zanardi did to Brian Herta!

[wrcva]

T8, Istanbul (time trial sessions: ~ $100 per 20 minutes, 2004 prices)

    
“170 mph. Look at that corner,” says Hamilton gesturing at the sweep of asphalt. “What’s the fastest any of you guys have driven on the motorway? (cue nervous giggles, an embarrassed silence.) “130 in a straight line is kind of scary isn’t it,” continues Hamilton. “So imagine doing 170 through a corner and being committed and keeping it flat, saying I’m not going to lift. For sure if you had to drive this track you’d be doing it at 60mph or something.”  -- http://blogs.reuters...lewis-hamilton/

 

https://youtu.be/2d42SBxIYUM

Edited by wrcva, 18 September 2015 - 01:07.

[viceroy1]

Turn 4 at Austria (on Gt6 and F1 2014)... I rarely get thru the entry without feeling like I left a tenth on the table. I think I nail that corner 2-3 times out of ten.

[JacnGille]

The Bridge at Road Atlanta (before the revision). You were flat out for close to a mile, dropped down into The Dip and shot skyward towards a completely blind right-hander with the apex on the far side of the top of a hill. From my sim racing, T1 at St. Jovite was always a hold your breath, attention getter.

[jonpollak]

 

Jp

[Scudder]

Not a corner, but a stage: Ouninpohja.

 

https://www.google.f...iw=1645&bih=849

 

But, for us old school Finns rallying is the thing.

Not so much about corners, but hills, jumps, ups and downs.

Or so I was told anyway. My friend was there once and he loved it.

[Nobody]

Turning into my GF's street - left right through a roundabout then straight into downhill 90 degree off-camber right hander. 

 

Front left tyre wear is killing the relationship.

[Wuzak]

Blanchemont before it had the large run off area.

 

It doesn't exactly have a lot of run-off area now

 

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Turn 2 at Mosport Park (northeast of Toronto) is often cited as the most terrifying, and difficult) in North America. Turn 1 and turn 4 are pretty tough too.

 

And how do you describe it technically? It's a blind, double apex off-camber fast corner with extreme elevation changes. And before they paved the outside, completely unforgiving.