26 replies to this topic

[THE "driverider"]

I'm wondering if anyone has a list of circuits with their FIA grades and maybe even their FIM grades, so we have a good idea of which venues can host a Formula 1 or Moto GP race.

[jeze]

I'm wondering if anyone has a list of circuits with their FIA grades and maybe even their FIM grades, so we have a good idea of which venues can host a Formula 1 or Moto GP race.

All F1 tracks on the schedule are OK, and I guess that Montréal, Magny-Cours, Fuji, Indianapolis, Imola and the other recent tracks would have no such problems. Jerez, Mugello and Valencia are homologated for F1 testing, and I think those tracks would have their FIA Grade 1 license without any problems. Algarve is granted, and I don't think Dubai, Motegi or Losail would fail tests either. I think Phillip Island is Grade 2, but I'm unsure at the moment. Brands Hatch surely is.

[Victor_RO]

Imola

That only has approval for F1 testing, its full F1 license was withdrawn when the reconstruction began. At least for the moment.

Speaking of which, I wonder: What grade would the FIA give to the Circuit de la Sarthe if they wanted to perform an evaluation on it?

Edited by Victor_RO, 27 October 2009 - 18:04.

[jeze]

That only has approval for F1 testing, its full F1 license was withdrawn when the reconstruction began. At least for the moment.

Speaking of which, I wonder: What grade would the FIA give to the Circuit de la Sarthe if they wanted to perform an evaluation on it?

I think the runoff areas at Sarthe would merit a Grade 2, so I think that in theory should GP2 cars be able to race on that circuit. Bugatti would be given a Grade 1 no problem if it applied.

[Dolph]

Any ideas on the great US road racing tracks like:

Road America

Laguna Seca

Watkins Glen

Sebring

Road Atlanta

VIR

Lime Rock Park

Sonoma

Mid-Ohio

Streets of St.Pet.

Long Beach

Burke Lakefront Airport

etc.

[jeze]

Any ideas on the great US road racing tracks like:

Road America

Laguna Seca

Watkins Glen

Sebring

Road Atlanta

VIR

Lime Rock Park

Sonoma

Mid-Ohio

Streets of St.Pet.

Long Beach

Burke Lakefront Airport

etc.

Long Beach could get thorugh as a street track, and maybe Saint Pete, but none of the others would be granted a F1 degree unless huge work would be done in order to improve safety conditions. That said, I think Mid-Ohio would be pretty close to F1 requirements.

[Victor_RO]

By a bit of a stretch of the imagination, you could think that the American "airport tracks" might fit the conditions for a full FIA license; the track is wide, there's a lot of run-off. The only problem is the level of facilities, because permanent ones cannot be built, and Monaco-type ones would disrupt the functionality of the airport itself for a long time.

[loki]

Long Beach could get thorugh as a street track, and maybe Saint Pete, but none of the others would be granted a F1 degree unless huge work would be done in order to improve safety conditions. That said, I think Mid-Ohio would be pretty close to F1 requirements.

One big issue is that none of them have F1 style pit lanes and garages. Mid Ohio would need some run off particularly heading down into Thunder Valley.

[Andrew Hope]

What does everyone reckon Vallelunga would be graded? I love that circuit.

[Captain Tightpants]

Algarve is granted, and I don't think Dubai, Motegi or Losail would fail tests either.

I was under the impression Algarve was only a Category-1T, suitable for F1 testing but not racing. That may have changed, though, but at the very least, they have the 1T rating since the teams were testing there at the beginning of the season. Super-positive feedback might have bolstered its cause, but we'll probably have to wait until 2011 for the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix. Unless the can make a last-minute deal if somewhere like Canada or Silverstone falls through. I'd say Algarve is probably as close as a modern circuit can get to being a classic. Formula One would be mad not to go there.

[FonzCam]

Took me a while but I found it!
Great job being open and transparent FIA, the regulations on FIA.com are so out of date they don't even mention GP2 or A1GP let alone a copy of this list...

For those who can't download or if it goes missing (I've removed some duplicates from different configurations)
Grade 1
Albert park
Bahrain
Catalunya
Dubai
Fuji
Hockenheim
Hungaroring
Imola
Indianapolis
Interlagos
Istanbul
Magny-cours
Monaco
Montreal
Monza
Mugello
Nürburgring
Paul Ricard
Sepang
Shanghai
Silverstone
Spa-francorchamps
Suzuka
Valencia

And this is the interesting part, presumably they would be quite easy to upgrade to full Grade 1.
Grade 1T
Adria
Algarve
Estoril
Eurospeedway lausitz
Jerez
Misano adriatico
Monteblanco
Nogaro
Vallelunga
Zandvoort

[FonzCam]

Any ideas on the great US road racing tracks like:

All Grade 2 since that's what IRL/ChampCar/CART requires.

[Andrew Hope]

Mont Tremblant would be Grade 2 then, presumably.

[FonzCam]

Mont Tremblant would be Grade 2 then, presumably.

Yeah it's a 2. Looking at other Canadian circuits Montreal is a 1, Toronto and Edmonton are 2, Trois-rivieres is a 3.

[Muppetmad]

Took me a while but I found it!

Am I the only one who noticed that Circuit de la Sarthe full is a grade 2? I wonder what would have to be done to make it a grade 1...

Edit: Road America too... so many good circuits in the grade 2 list, if they were upgraded to grade 1 standards we would have an awesome calendar...

Edited by Muppetmad, 28 October 2009 - 07:08.

[maccaFTW]

Grade 1
Albert park
Bahrain
Catalunya
Dubai
Fuji
Hockenheim
Hungaroring
Imola
Indianapolis
Interlagos
Istanbul
Magny-cours
Monaco
Montreal
Monza
Mugello
Nürburgring
Paul Ricard
Sepang
Shanghai
Silverstone
Spa-francorchamps
Suzuka
Valencia

And this is the interesting part, presumably they would be quite easy to upgrade to full Grade 1.
Grade 1T
Adria
Algarve
Estoril
Eurospeedway lausitz
Jerez
Misano adriatico
Monteblanco
Nogaro
Vallelunga
Zandvoort

Wow! A lot of great circuits not currently on the calendar that are either Grade 1 or could easily be so.

Personally, I think it's a tragedy that we don't currently have the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. I would also prefer the German Grand Prix go to Lausitz. (Sorry, but Tilke has ravaged the memory of Hockenheim and the current Nurb grand prix circuit is also an insult to tradition.)

Interesting to see that the Daytona motorcycle course is Grade 2. With some improvements (smoothening the surface and bumps in the banked oval corners), it would surely be an interesting venue for a grand prix!

Edited by maccaFTW, 28 October 2009 - 07:40.

[THE "driverider"]

Took me a while but I found it!
Great job being open and transparent FIA, the regulations on FIA.com are so out of date they don't even mention GP2 or A1GP let alone a copy of this list...

For those who can't download or if it goes missing (I've removed some duplicates from different configurations)

Thanks, fantastic information!

[Captain Tightpants]

Am I the only one who noticed that Circuit de la Sarthe full is a grade 2? I wonder what would have to be done to make it a grade 1...

It's too long. Category-1 circuits can't be longer than about seven kilometers; anything more than Spa probably wouldn't be accepted.

Edit: Road America too... so many good circuits in the grade 2 list, if they were upgraded to grade 1 standards we would have an awesome calendar...

If they were upgrades, you'd all hate them for becoming soulless shadows of their former selves.

[JarnoA]

Wow! A lot of great circuits not currently on the calendar that are either Grade 1 or could easily be so.

Personally, I think it's a tragedy that we don't currently have the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. I would also prefer the German Grand Prix go to Lausitz. (Sorry, but Tilke has ravaged the memory of Hockenheim and the current Nurb grand prix circuit is also an insult to tradition.)

Interesting to see that the Daytona motorcycle course is Grade 2. With some improvements (smoothening the surface and bumps in the banked oval corners), it would surely be an interesting venue for a grand prix!

Bernie owns paul riccard, so he would have to charge himself huge sums to host the race.

He knows you get bugger all from ticket sales, so would rather go to somewhere like India and charge them stupid sums of cash.

[Shevek]

Took me a while but I found it!
Great job being open and transparent FIA, the regulations on FIA.com are so out of date they don't even mention GP2 or A1GP let alone a copy of this list...

For those who can't download or if it goes missing (I've removed some duplicates from different configurations)
Grade 1
Dubai

Is Dubai the same as Abu Dhabi (that is not in the list)? Or is there another circuit in Dubai?

Edited by Shevek, 28 October 2009 - 08:50.

[Captain Tightpants]

Is Dubai the same as Abu Dhabi )that is not in the list)? Or is there another circuit in Dubai?

No, it's the Dubai Autodrome. The Yas Marina circuit has only just been finished, and that list si dated 03/04.

[isport]

Bernie owns paul riccard, so he would have to charge himself huge sums to host the race.

He knows you get bugger all from ticket sales, so would rather go to somewhere like India and charge them stupid sums of cash.

He couldn't make any money from tickets as there isn't any grandstands

[Shevek]

Took me a while but I found it!
Great job being open and transparent FIA, the regulations on FIA.com are so out of date they don't even mention GP2 or A1GP let alone a copy of this list...

For those who can't download or if it goes missing (I've removed some duplicates from different configurations)

And this is the interesting part, presumably they would be quite easy to upgrade to full Grade 1.
Grade 1T
Adria
Algarve
Estoril
Eurospeedway lausitz
Jerez
Misano adriatico
Monteblanco
Nogaro
Vallelunga
Zandvoort

In Spain the is also the Monteblanco circuit, certified for F1 Tests

[maccaFTW]

Bernie owns paul riccard, so he would have to charge himself huge sums to host the race.

My! What a quandary for him to have!

[Enkei]

Zandvoort is rated 1T, which would make it suited for F1 testing. However, our hypocrite legislation dictates only a couple of 'noisedays', which are spend for other events.
Reportedly there's talk of a new circuit in another part of the Netherlands where there's no sound norms to be dealt with; Flevoland.

For those interested (in Dutch):
http://www.autoweek....op-giga-circuit

[Captain Tightpants]

Doesn't look very exciting. The corners across the bottom are all identical.

[FonzCam]

In Spain the is also the Monteblanco circuit, certified for F1 Tests

Check the list again, look between Misano adriatico and Nogaro