![rfactor 2 best elevation change track rfactor 2 best elevation change track](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YxSf6WlRvpU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Fuji is the perfect example why mountain tracks have no appeal to Bernie. Nobody can afford the money to build mountains. Of course elevation changes are nice to have but you cannot bloody build them on a beach (all Arabian tracks) or in a swamp (Shanghai). Same goes for the teams they would shorten the races and make them as similar as possible to avoid the pains of having to design a car for vastly different circuits. If you give Bernie half a chance he would take Spa away as well because it is too long for his TV technology and needs to many marshalls. When will you guys ever learn that Tilke can only work in the confines of what Bernie allows him to do. Oh big surprise another Tilke bashing fest. Just think about some circuits that don't have sections (or at least fairly obvious ones) and you will see how they aren't so fondly remembered.
![rfactor 2 best elevation change track rfactor 2 best elevation change track](https://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/61/60403/rfactor_2_p.jpg)
So, this is the 4th criterion that must be taken into consideration when designing a racing circuit. There are old circuits that definitely feature this: This makes the track rather expansive and boring - lacks intricacy. Two Tilke tracks that don't have sections:īoth are basically one long section. This may seem irrelevant but anyone who has played a racing game will know what I mean. They are areas on a track that flows/has similar corners (or straights). Here are two Tilke tracks that actually show sections within a track: This one may not be quite so obvious but I think it is equally as important and I only just remembered its importance today when racing rFactor online. P is the Prestige coefficient of the race U is the Uniqueness coefficient of the race Since there are a number of engineers on here, I thought I'd create an expression for us: It doesn't matter how many challenging corners you have, if you don't have elevation change, you're done.
![rfactor 2 best elevation change track rfactor 2 best elevation change track](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9KbWecUk5CM/maxresdefault.jpg)
The newest addition to the calender, the Yas Marinas circuit in Abu Dhabi features zero elevation change and as such, lacks all character. It really does make a difference to the viewer. This is something distinctly lacking from the Tilke designs and despite there being some in Turkey it isn't enough.įor instance we have Spa, Imola and Brazil all with quite severe elevation change over the course of the lap and they all bring spectacular racing. F1 is supposed to be man against the environment in the best machinery - if you just make the track to suit the cars, where is the challenge?ĭoes anyone really care about how many overtaking moves are made on what's basically a car park? I know which I'd rather watch. A racing circuit should be a ribbon of tarmac draped over the natural landscape with as little human interference as possible. In recent years with the Tilke-dromes we've had several instances where a cheap, sparse area of land is completely flattened and the builders set about creating a "world class racing circuit". It really doesn't make you want to watch them as individual events. They may look difference to the casual eye but they all contain the same generic components: You don't need overtaking opportunities when you are watching someone slide through Pouhon in the wet. So on that note, a circuit should be designed with spectacular scenery (be it natural or otherwise) rather than trying to create "overtaking opportunities". Each circuit is remembered for its own unique design, not the racing in particular. And finally Monaco has Grand Hotel Hairpin and the Tunnel. Suzuka has Spoon Curve and 130R and Hockenheim had the 220mph knife-edge wide black-top curving off into obscurity. Imola? The Varianté Alta chicane hopping and Aqua Mineralé sliding are what set its apart. If you think of Spa, what is the first thing you think of? You, like myself, probably think of the 200mph blast from La Source up to Les Combes through the Arden. It may seem obvious but it seems to have escaped Herman Tilke. Bare with me as I try to explain the reason.Īfter much research and personal interest into F1 circuits I've come up with a number of criteria important to F1 circuit design. We all have fond memories of races held at Spa, Monaco, Imola, Suzuka, Hockenheim (the real one) they all had distinctive character and were something to really look forward to. Sure, one part of that is due to the regulations creating 200mph wind-deflectors but I wish to pose another culprit: modern F1 circuits. One could be convinced otherwise by the results of the past 2 seasons but F1 seems to be taking a downward trend to mediocrity.