160 replies to this topic

[FredrikB]

 

Welcome to the second Autosport Forum 100% Unofficial Formula E Inspired Street Circuit Design Competition!
 

A big thank you to Vielleicht for starting this last season (I stole most of is OP btw), and as a humble winner I hereby invite all of you to share your creations.

All you really need to take part is a mapping tool or graphics package of your choice.
Google Earth is the preferred tool for this for most of us, though a screenshot of the city area modified in Paint to show a route would also work very well. SOP (spaghetti on a plate) has been banned this season.
Problems posting images? I use imgur.com for that. Quick and easy

The Rules
1. The length of your circuit should somewhere in the region of 1.5 to 3.0 miles (2.5-5 km) in length
2. The layout should be original - it should not be too similar to any circuit currently or previously in use
3. The circuit should be temporary and within the official city limits of your chosen location (make of that what you will)
4. Entries should at least specify a route, the direction and start-line/pit-lane locations. Further details (grandstands, etc.) are welcome but not necessary.
5. Entries should take the form of an aerial-view image of your circuit (see below), and a short description of the area and how you imagine the event to be held. A few pictures from google street view is a nice addition too, but not mandatory.

 

Vielleichts Lisbon ePrix from last season is a neat example of how to do it… 

 

 

The winner gets the huge honour of being a winner of an Unofficial Formula E Street Circuit Design Competition!
And... the incredible honour of organising the third edition.

 

 Timetable
- Competition opens 2020-11-05
- Entries close 2020-12-25 (Merry Christmas, ho ho), 23:59 UTC
- Voting will then commence in a separate thread until racestart* in Santiago 2020-01-16, after which the winner will be crowned.

 

*Actual start, or, if Coronas stops it, the scheduled time for the start of the race

 

 

Last seasons competition here

https://forums.autos...gn-competition/

 

Last seasons voting here

https://forums.autos...etition-voting/

Edited by FredrikB, 09 November 2020 - 09:07.

[PayasYouRace]

Yes, yes, yes.

 

Now, where to set my new track?

[thegamer23]

Yeah, it's back!!       

I already have one idea or two, looking forward to see the other entries!!   

 

The reigning champion will be hard to beat tho!!

Edited by thegamer23, 05 November 2020 - 11:33.

[maximilian]

Awesome!! 

[Jovanotti]

Great, will try to post an entry this year

[LucaP]

  thinking about it...

[absinthedude]

I might just enter this again. I enjoyed creating the Luton Airport Grand Prix....and the Grand Prix of Hyde Park.

[Jovanotti]

Out of interest, what tools did you guys use to draw a circuit? Google maps would be the obvious one, but it doesn't really look "track-like" there.

[Beri]

Great idea! Already anticipating on some good entries 

 

I had an idea last year, but that track would be in the region of 5.5kms. That is a bit too much for Formula E isnt it?

[ThadGreen]

What about incorporating a goofy rule to this and insist that any track you submit has to been around the house/apartment where you currently live?

[Ben1445]

Excellent! This was fun last year. 

[Nemo1965]

What about incorporating a goofy rule to this and insist that any track you submit has to been around the house/apartment where you currently live?

 

For a very short while, there was a site on which you could build your own race-track... and then submit via Google earth, so you could let others race on it. The site crashed (ha!) very quickly, just when I had made a great track around my house...

 

One option that could work is to design the track with running coordinates and then use Google Earth to make it 'run'. I made a presentation like that once, for a virtual tour. If I am able to do it again, I will post my track...

[Beri]

What about incorporating a goofy rule to this and insist that any track you submit has to been around the house/apartment where you currently live?

 

Then Im out since I have no suitable wide enough roads surrounding my vicinity for a race track 

[PayasYouRace]

What about incorporating a goofy rule to this and insist that any track you submit has to been around the house/apartment where you currently live?

What if we want to enter but don’t want people like you knowing where we live?

[FredrikB]

Great idea! Already anticipating on some good entries 

 

I had an idea last year, but that track would be in the region of 5.5kms. That is a bit too much for Formula E isnt it?

 

Go for it! No one is going to notice 

[FredrikB]

What about incorporating a goofy rule to this and insist that any track you submit has to been around the house/apartment where you currently live?

 

 

Not as a rule maybe, but hey, its a nice idea. I might go fo it. 

[maximilian]

Speaking of Google Maps and not knowing where you are, for those of you who don't know it, GeoGuessr is a mighty fun way to kill some time on occasion.   www.geoguessr.com  Basically it drops you in an unknown location on worldwide Google Street View, and based on what you observe "walking around", you try to guess your exact location on the world map.

[ThadGreen]

Then Im out since I have no suitable wide enough roads surrounding my vicinity for a race track 

 

Ok then let's amend it to either where you live or where you work?

 

 

What if we want to enter but don’t want people like you knowing where we live?

 

You don't have to identify exactly where you live, we will accept the fact that you live some where along the route, kinda like we accept the fact that you are an unbiased moderator.

[maximilian]

Objections on rules like that, just for the record.  Let your imaginations go wild.

[JRodrigues]

Speaking of Google Maps and not knowing where you are, for those of you who don't know it, GeoGuessr is a mighty fun way to kill some time on occasion.   www.geoguessr.com  Basically it drops you in an unknown location on worldwide Google Street View, and based on what you observe "walking around", you try to guess your exact location on the world map.

 

Come on man... I need to work! (I'm on a streak...24 in a row!)

[maximilian]

Come on man... I need to work! (I'm on a streak...24 in a row!)

 

I'm so sorry! 

[absinthedude]

Can we enter multiple cities?

[PayasYouRace]

Can we enter multiple cities?

In a single circuit if possible.

[absinthedude]

In a single circuit if possible.

 

LOL!!!

 

I just checked last year and I found my Hyde Park tracks but not Luton Airport....which means I have four ideas for 2020

[PayasYouRace]

LOL!!!

I just checked last year and I found my Hyde Park tracks but not Luton Airport....which means I have four ideas for 2020

The cities of London and Westminster should be easily doable.

[Alan Lewis]

Well, I did cross the Newcastle-Gateshead boundary in last year's entry so there's precedent for "multi-site" attempts.

The "round your house" idea is interesting but doesn't really work with Formula E's street circuit ethos for those of us who live (and work) a long way from any streets - Newcastle is the nearest city to here but it's 20-odd miles away.

Still, this was the most wonderful fun last year, so let's have a think...

Edited by Alan Lewis, 05 November 2020 - 23:03.

[PayasYouRace]

At the end of the day, it’s up to the OP to decide the rules.

[FredrikB]

At the end of the day, it’s up to the OP to decide the rules.

 

Do what you like with the simple rules we have. Voting will decide the best track.

Votes will be counted!

[Vielleicht]

Fantastic, looking forward to this.

 

I shall have to get thinking about locations right away...

[Victor_RO]

Pondering whether I can find good enough streets in my home city for this...

[LucaP]

I wonder if F.E would approve countryside tracks?

I mean, still on public roads but outside cities. Sort of a modern Reims/Rouen.
The image of the series could benefit from it if the setting was pictoresque.

If this is acceptable, I might draw one in the Tuscan countryside.

Edited by LucaP, 07 November 2020 - 12:49.

[Ben1445]

Wasn't Imola public roads originally? 

[Beri]

Wasn't Imola public roads originally?

I do believe it existed at least half out of public roads. At the starting grid there used to be a crossing over the circuit from the town to the Park Acque Minerali. The Tamburello to Tosa was also public road. From Tosa up to Piratella was not.
Then from Piratella all the way down to the Acque Minerali was public road again. From the Acque Minerali to the Variante Alta was not and from the Variante Alta all the way down Rivazza and onto the start finish straight was also public road.

[ANF]

Wasn't Imola public roads originally?

I think those were completely different circuits from the current Imola circuit. There are two maps of old Imola street circuits here: https://it.m.wikiped...ort_motoristici

[Beri]

I need to search, but I once saw a map where the "current" circuit was drawn in with public roads, as I described. I just don't know if it was in a book or on a website.
I'll try to find it.

[LucaP]

Indeed, as Beri says. Some sections were already existing as public roads, they just built the parts needed to join them together.

There were also street tracks as ANF says, but they don't have anything in common

[PayasYouRace]

We had an Imola entry last year anyway. It was thegamer23's entry.

[PayasYouRace]

Presenting the ePrix of Southampton.

 

Back to one of my old haunts, the Southampton city centre provides beautiful parks, historic monuments and a real driving challenge.

 

(Numbers on the map correspond to the Street View guide in spoilers below).

 

The circuit works out to just shy of 3 miles and incorporates the Southampton city centre, right down to the docks. Ample car parks at the docks provide space for a pits and paddock, as well as a spacious fan zone.

 

Spoiler

 

We begin with the dual carriageway of Platform Rd with Queen's Park on the left, providing plenty of track width once the street furniture is cleared for the race.

 

 

The first turn is a tricky left at South Western House, the old main train station and hotel serving Southampton in the days of the London and South Western Railway. Just beyond is the fantastic Ocean Village marina, and I'd recommend Banana Warf for a lovely dinner post race.

 

 

But we're heading up the A33 for a short sprint before taking a square left at the Flying Dutchman and down Bernard St., closely followed by a square right onto another part of the A33. This leads past Wessex house before a fast left kink onto Evans St.

 

 

It's not long before we reach another square right at the south end of Hoglands Park.

 

 

We thread our way through Houndwell Place as we approach the roundabout taking us onto the long straight up Palmerston Rd. This promises to be a key corner as any mistake will be punished heavily on the long straight below the overhanging trees.

 

 

On the left we blast past Houndwell Park, Palmerston Park and East Park in order, while Palmerstone Rd. becomes East Park Terrace. We then approach the Charlotte Place Roundabout, with a tight chicane to keep things under control.

 

 

We continue to skirt around the north end of East Park until we reach Above Bar St. This forms a triple apex sequence with the last one being tighter than the others. A short blast down Above Bar Street with the Titanic Memorial on the left and the Cenotaph on the right.

 

 

We keep Watts Park on the right as we head down Commercial Rd. The end of the straight brings a tricky, slightly downhill double corner which takes us onto the second long straight. With the first part being tighter than the second, it will be easy to make a mistake and makes it another key point in the lap.

 

 

We sweep flat out down Portland Terrace and underneath the West Quay shopping centre. The tunnel provides the marker to begin your braking.as you reach the city walls. Arundell Tower is on the right, but we're turning left.

 

 

We head into the normally pedestrianised part of town and keep a tight line around the circuit's centrepiece, Bargate. This was the old gatehouse to the city.

 

 

We have a final blast along the High Street, narrow and downhill at the end, before we brake at another medieval fortification. The Watergate ruins mark the final turn, returning us to the Town Quay, with the ferry terminal on the right. We take a gentle left to return us to the pits and start finish.

 

 

Here's a labelled version of the track, with a google route which doesn't quite match up to the route I entended due to the one way systems in place.

 

 

So that was fun. Good luck to all of you. Can't wait to see your entries.

[maximilian]

Nice, off to a good start! 

[Ben1445]

Meanwhile, I am still struggling to pick a city! 

[cpbell]

How do we measure distance on Google Maps?

[FredrikB]

How do we measure distance on Google Maps?

 

Right click where you want to start, choose measure and the left click on the rest of the places you want to measure

[cpbell]

Right click where you want to start, choose measure and the left click on the rest of the places you want to measure

Cheers.

[cpbell]

How do I upload an image file?

[PayasYouRace]

Use an image hosting site such as https://imgbb.com/

 

Use the BBCode links to post.

[Ben1445]

Good news is that I have picked a city and a route - just need to find a bit more time soon to make it presentable. 

[Retrofly]

Wasn't there going to be a race in Woking, I remember making a course around the city center. I must have done it for a reason

 

Edit, well I quickly whipped up a version.

 

The Inaugural Kwik-Fit Woking F1 GP

Circuit length - 2.8km

Corners - 14

Front straight - 0.75km

Back straight - 0.5km

 

Literally on the door step of some famous racing team whos name I forget right now.

 

Highlights

 

Turn 1 - Toys r' gone:

The sweeping left hander of turn 1 can be taken flat out but you'll need to start thinking about breaking for T2 at some point. Set between the lush deciduous trees of the Surrey hills you could be mistaken for driving through the forests of Monza! Named after the famous now bankrupt toy store. A reminder of Britian's high street heritage!

 

Turn 5 - Kwik-fit hairpin:

This sharp left hander will need a good front end, maybe drivers could stop by our title sponsors if they are struggling for grip!

 

Turn 14 - Casio:

Are we at the French Rivera?! No we're at the far more glamorous right hander Casio corner at T14!

 

T15 - Diabolica:

The final corner, a tight hairpin left, is crucial to get a good drive onto the the enormous start finish straight. Watch out for Greggs wrappers on the exit they can be slippery in the wet!

 

I know it looks like a dinosaur, but I couldn't think of any fitting dino names.

Edited by Retrofly, 11 November 2020 - 02:30.

[Beri]

Lol.. I live at a village where the roads aren't wide enough to host a race 😅
Been strolling around yesterday, couldn't find one suitable layout. So I will try and pick a city in the near vicinity.

[MattK9]

Presenting the ePrix of Southampton.

 

Back to one of my old haunts, the Southampton city centre provides beautiful parks, historic monuments and a real driving challenge.

 

(Numbers on the map correspond to the Street View guide in spoilers below).

 

So that was fun. Good luck to all of you. Can't wait to see your entries.

 

As a resident of Southampton, this would be an epic course. I was tempted to do my own version of Southampton City Centre if I can find the time!

[cpbell]

Use an image hosting site such as https://imgbb.com/

 

Use the BBCode links to post.

 

Cheers.