There's been some discussion about how some returning circuits have changed and about how some were perceived in the past so I had an idea for a sort of game. I found an old coffee table book about F1 and in a sort of season review section, Ken Tyrrell gives his views on each of the circuits from that year. Now I won't tell you which year, but I'll put his descriptions of 8 circuits. Some are current F1 venues and others are long gone. But see if you can guess which ones he's talking about.
1)
The circuit was brand new for [this year] with excellent facilities and up-to-date pits which, from a team manager's point of view, is always important. It calls for a well-balanced car because it has numerous corners and not much of a straight. It is the sort of circuit where a well set-up car will always do well. There are few opportunities for overtaking; really only the pits straight - and even that follows a relatively slow corner. Since all the cars go round slow corners at the same speed, it is rally difficult to develop a passing manoeuvre.
2)
This is a particularly interesting circuit. There is a long straight with a slow corner at the end of it which brings out the very worst in braking problems. It is a circuit which is very, very hard on brakes and also very heavy on fuel, as witness the number of cars which have run dry here. The facilities are excellent and it is a very well-run motor race.
3)
This is a wonderful circuit. It is great for spectators who can watch the cars through all those beautiful corners at the far end of the circuit; and there are excellent facilities for the teams in the new pits. It is exactly the opposite of Monaco, with plenty of overtaking opportunities. It is an 'engine circuit', where you really need a powerful car, and because engines are used particularly hard it is very tough on them.
4)
From my point of view this is probably the least interesting circuit in the whole grand-prix [sic] series. It is just wide open spaces with little character. It could do with some gradients to make it more interesting, as at Spa. Admittedly, the race organisers shortened the circuit ... so that the spectators were able to see the cars more often. But for the racing teams the circuit's only saving grace is that facilities in the pits and paddock are good.
5)
From the crowd's point of view this is one of the best circuits in the world. It is a wonderful place to watch cars, and it almost always produces and exciting motor race. It is very difficult to set up a car to give optimum performance here. You simply must have a well-balanced car [here], otherwise you are not going to be in the picture. And it's a driver's circuit, too, with several challenges. [There] is a spectacular and difficult corner because it is approached at high speed, and then the road falls away as the cars go down the hill. By modern standards the facilities for the teams are not top class, but there is always tremendous atmosphere.
6)
This has become one of the classic circuits. With a substantial backdrop of wooded hills, it has a really beautiful setting. It draws much of its strength, as far as spectators are concerned, by being close to the Italian border, and so attracts a lot of Italians. It has seen some memorable races and very close finishes. And it is one of the few circuits here my team has never won a grand prix!
7)
I think this is a good circuit, a very interesting circuit. It has a little bit of everything - fast corners, slow corners and a longish straight. I've never quite understood why it fails to attract a good crowd. Facilities for the team are good and and I think most drivers enjoy driving there. They have the opportunity to think between corners, and this makes it a good circuit for testing.
8)
It was nice to have the grand-prix [sic] circus return [here] once more, and they had done a terrific job in modernising the facilities. There are quite a few changes from the track we knew in the [old days], and it is now quite an interesting circuit. The problem for the teams is the altitude, although the performance of turbocharged cars is to some extent restored by the fact they have forced induction.
Let's see if any of you can guess them all.
Changed my answer for 1 but no idea where he's talking about for 4.
First I thought that corner he talked about was 'Scheivlak', but now I'm guessing Paddock Hill Bend!
