Can't believe nobody has posted about the renderings of the Austin track yet.

http://www.formula1.com/default.html

It's better than most of the Tilke tracks so let's hope that the promise that the fans will be able to see a lot of the track/action comes true!

I for one will be there...

 

Can't believe I'm not getting notices when someone posts in this thread, even though I'm subscribed! I did just get an email from another source with this:

http://www.formula1unitedstates.com/...#pressRelease2

 

I am looking forward to attending this race. What is even better is that I am sure I will be able to race karts on there in the next few years also.

I signed up for their ticket information when they release it via email.

 

Well here is the configuration of the new site for the USGP in Austin...




Looks to have some interesting corners, hopefully some nice elevation changes and opportunities for passing...


Press Releases


September 1, 2010
Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ Race Track Revealed

Austin, Texas track to excite Formula 1 fans, new and old


The team responsible for bringing Formula 1 racing back to the United States is pleased to reveal the track layout for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ in Austin, Texas. Set to host the race from 2012 to 2021, Austin, Texas has proven to be an ideal location for Formula 1 racing in more ways than one. The natural landscape and elevation of Austin has allowed Tilke GmbH to design a one-of-a-kind track.

Members of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™ team feel that racing fans the world over will share their excitement as the track details are revealed. “In the modern era of Grand Prix racing, I think this track layout and topography will be very special,” said Tavo Hellmund, Chairman of Formula 1 United States Grand Prix™. “It will have many of the elements of previous 'classic' circuits combined with the benefits of FIA-mandated safety for the competitors and spectators alike. Add in the amenities fans have come to expect, like rare, multiple-turn viewing opportunities for added value, and you have an ideal, world-class venue.”

“For the competitors, we'll have all the ingredients necessary,” Hellmund said. “You'll see fast turns that require commitment from the drivers and technical turns that will test the engineers from a set-up point of view. We have a good deal of elevation to make it not only scenic but challenging also, and the view of downtown Austin is wonderful as well.”

With a complete length of 3.4 miles, the track combines modern features with details reminiscent of traditional races from the 1960's. The surrounding landscape will allow for a maximum elevation change of 133 feet, and the strategic combination of over 20 turns will please drivers and fans alike.


More at the following...

 

Here's your elevations, and running counterclockwise.



Still think it looks like the outline of a vacuum cleaner. Turns 13-15 are mickey mouse suckage. With all the elevation changes, they could have copied the corkscrew and made so many people happy.

 

Thanks so much Gromit for the elevation diagram!

Does resemble an upright vacuum, doesn't it...

I concur, Tilke could have gotten rid of Turns 13-15 and streamlined that area considerably making it a faster track but that I believe is a concession to spectator viewing... in the end, I will have to see it to pass judgement on it.

I agree Gromit, it would have been great to see a copy of the Corkscrew at this track seeing as the designer is said to "have many of the elements of previous 'classic' circuits" incorporated into it.

Would have been nice to see corners like Eau Rouge & Pouhon (Spa-Francorchamps), Flugplatz (old Nurburgring), or 130R (Suzuka) incorporated but I hope that Austin will have its own signature corner(s) that become legend. We shall see...

 

Signature corner for this track is supposively the uphill run into T1. What do you guy's think of T2? To me I get reminded of T2 at Interlagos...downhill right hander.

At least that back straight is of decent length, looks to be about 2/3 of a mile long.

 

Good comparison S-Driver, as T2 is reminiscent of its counterpart at Interlagos alright... should be an interesting turn...

To me the T2 thru T6 section looks fast!

From apex of T1 thru T2 and down to T6 the track appears to be fast... It sweeps downhill and assuming the road has sufficient camber (T2) to aid the driver (that and car's aero downforce) the cars should reach a good clip (Esses T3 thru T5 look negligible on impedeing speed) upon entering T6!

It will be interesting to see what the teams/drivers think of Austin when they race there.

 

T1 seems to me like a nightmare at the start. About the only good thing I can see is that the cars will be running slow when they run into each other, and off the track. Other than that, I liken it to a bunch of somewhat faster VW Microbuses running up a highway grade.

 

I think the track looks great since it has a lot of elevation changes and looks pretty high speed. No mickey-mouse chicanes and a handfull of passing opportunities (T11, T1, T12). I wonder what the seating looks like?

 

Ever notice how things become fashionable then fall out of favor only to return in time?

It happens with regularity in the world of Fashion, Pop Culture, and yes Formula One...

Just when you thought that F1 was firmly entrenched in the world of 2.4L V-8 engines and the use of modest aerodynamics (i.e. small rear wings etc.) here comes news of a return to the turbo era/ground-effects of the 80's...


Proposed Technical Changes On Tap For 2013

GMM | Posted September 06, 2010 / GMM Newswire


The outline of F1's new technical direction for 2013 and beyond has been essentially decided.

According to Autosprint's Italian-language auto.it, F1 cars of the future will feature so-called 'ground effect' aerodynamics and be powered by 1.6 liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engines.

The report said the package has been agreed by the majority of the teams.

A working group, featuring a group of engineers from F1 teams, has been in charge of defining the basic outline of the 2013 regulations, Autosprint said.

The four-cylinder turbo engines will reportedly produce 650 horsepower, with drivers to be limited to using just five separate units per season.

The last time the sport saw turbo powered cars was in the 80's with the powerplants producing in excess of 1000 bhp. The FIA mandated against the turbo engine formula and it was abandoned in 1989


Ground-effect aerodynamics, meanwhile, could improve overtaking by having the majority of the downforce generated underneath the car, rather than by the wings and top bodywork which greatly disturb the airflow onto following cars.

The technology was pioneered in F1 in the late '70s, but banned shortly afterwards because while producing immense cornering grip, ground effects made the cars unstable at high speed and relied on 'sliding skirts' that often broke.


The more things change, the more they stay the same...

WOW! It just occurred to me that maybe we could see the 1.6L engine that powers the MINI in the back of an F1 car...

 

It has all the right elements... they last about 150,000 miles with 200 odd HP... bump that up to 650... should last 500km...

 

 

The FIA has released the 2011 schedule for F1...



A 20-race Formula One schedule for 2011 was revealed on Wednesday...

Adam Cooper | GMM Newswire | Posted September 08, 2010 Balen (BEL)

The Indian GP has been given an end-of-season date for 2011, as usual pending the homologation of the new circuit in Delhi, as the 2011 Formula One schedule was announced on Wednesday.

The season will also have an unusually late end, on Nov. 27 in Brazil.

However, Bernie Ecclestone has not to shuffled around the other flyaway races so the season will end with an unprecedented run of six events outside Europe. He has, however, taken the logical option of putting Japan and Korea back to back, which is not the case this year.

Brazil has replaced Abu Dhabi as the last race, presumably for the very obvious reason that India and Abu Dhabi are very close on the map.

Australia now stands alone, two weeks ahead of Malaysia, which makes little logistical sense for team personnel. However, the later race is at least now placed back to back with China.

2011 F1 World Championship
3/13 Bahrain
3/27 Australia
4/10 Malaysia
4/17 China
5/8 Turkey
5/22 Spain
5/29 Monaco
6/12 Canada
6/26 Europe
7/10 Great Britain
7/24 Germany
7/31 Hungary
8/28 Belgium
9/11 Italy
9/25 Singapore
10/9 Japan
10/16 Korea
10/30 India*
11/13 Abu Dhabi
11/27 Brazil

* Pending Homologation

 

Oh brother.... This article makes me think bad thoughts of the feasibility of this project being on time.





County planners: F1 race day traffic could take 12 hours

Twelve hours. That's how long it would take fans on race days to get into, and then out of, the proposed Formula One track to be built southeast of Austin, according to a quick analysis of the site plan by county planners.
Planners working on the racetrack site plan reached that estimate after a field trip to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where it takes about three hours for fans to enter and exit the track, said Joe Gieselman, manager of Travis County's Transportation and Natural Resources Department.
The 12-hour figure emerged during a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday, during which Richard Suttle Jr., the attorney for promoter Full Throttle Productions, was peppered with questions from commissioners.
Gieselman said the county's delay-time estimate, as well as other pointed queries about who would pay for road improvements and how many jobs the project might create, served to highlight the county's frustration over the paperwork submitted by Full Throttle — which is thus far so sketchy as to make planners' jobs nearly impossible, he said.
Promoters have said they intend to submit their land-use paperwork to the city and county incrementally, gaining approvals for each stage along the way. Full Throttle hopes to break ground on the facility by December and be prepared to host the first F1 race in 2012.
Last week, Full Throttle submitted the first two parts of the site plan to county and city planners: one for grading the land and the other for construction of a single road through the middle of the land.
But Gieselman said his department needs a better idea of what the whole project will look like before it starts issuing approvals.
"Mainly what's lacking is the big picture and the context," he said. "They're still at the PR level — still selling F1. But now let's talk about what we have to do to make it successful."
At Tuesday's meeting, County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt also told Suttle she wanted to see a "hard number analysis" on how Formula One racing has affected other communities economically.

 

Yes it does for me also... Hope these guys have got their act together as the US cannot afford another blemish (i.e. USF1 team fiasco) in the eyes of F1. Bernie, in his greedily incessant manner would not hesitate to play hatchet-man and lop off the USGP in favor of another host who is willing to shell out the euros/dollars!





12 hours!!!!

Hmm... I guess lucky are those that are entering the circuit grounds in a motorhome. If the organizers/track owners don't address this issue and the county planners are correct in their assessment (operative word here is quick analysis) then this issue alone could spell disaster for the event!

It worries me that the track owners are still at the PR stage. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth as it reminds me of the smoke & mirrors that was peddled by USF1... not a good sign.

 

Speaking of circuits, Bernie has done it again!

We all knew that Bernie the Troll had been pushing for Rome to be included on the F1 calender and now that has become a reality.

I fear that Monza may go the way of the dinosaur as our friend Mr. Ecclestone continues to revamp the face of F1 in favor of large metro areas with Mickey-Mouse street circuits willing to ante up the $$$$$ that Bernie so greedily covets!


Rome Inks Five-Year Race Contract

Rome will host a Grand Prix, possibly as early as 2012...

GMM | Posted September 10, 2010 / GMM Newswire

A five-year contract for a Formula One street race in the Italian capital was signed at Monza on Friday, Rome Grand Prix officials have announced.

Ahead of Italy's existing race near Milan, they said that Rome would also be featured on the calendar in 2012 or 2013, after the agreement was signed by Bernie Ecclestone and organizer Maurizio Flammini on Friday.

"Congratulations for the results he (Flammini) has delivered," said Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno. "I hope Rome's Grand Prix can start in 2012."

The only obstacles are the objections of residents of Rome's EUR district, and opponents who are fiercely protective of historic Monza remaining the only Italian F1 event.

Alemanno insisted: "The Monza race will remain - it won't be destroyed by Rome's."


If Rome doesn't threaten Monza (Alemanno insisted: "The Monza race will remain - it won't be destroyed by Rome's.") and it (Monza) is allowed to remain, then it will be at whose expense? Spa-Francorchamps? Circuit Gilles Villenueve? Silverstone?

It makes one wonder...

 

You have strange friends, Sabre.

 

5 Drivers back in the hunt!

 

That was one of the best races of the season. Not often you see three cars up front all race. Ferrari's slightly faster pit work would have amounted to nothing if Fred had not been glued to Jenson's gearbox the whole time.

 

Quite right Gromit on all counts!

Monza was entertaining to say the least. I really enjoyed watching the Button/Alonso duel. Was great fun watching the drives put in by those two... masterful. One wonders what the race would have been like had not Hamilton crashed out...

Additionally a good race for those scrapping over places 4-8 ( Vettel, Rosberg, Webber, Hulkenberg, Kubica).

Alonso put on a textbook performance, an aggressive drive and I believe that he would have pulled away from Jenson way sooner IF he could have found a way past him... (Fred was definitely faster as demonstrated by his being able to open a gap after the pitstop put him ahead). The great stop by the Ferrari crew helped Fred take the lead (notwithstanding Alonso hounding Button until the pitstop)... don't think Freddie would have been able to overtake the McLaren otherwise...


On another note...

Here's an interesting article on the USGP in Austin...

A few words about Texas and F1

August 20th, 2010 | Gordon Kirby| Motorsport Magazine

It’s easy to make jokes about Texas and Formula 1. Even the local press in Austin have been having some fun with the story. At the end of last month John Kelso, a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, drove to Elroy, the largely uninhabited little burg 15 miles southeast of downtown Austin where Tavo Hellmund plans to build his F1 track.

Kelso reported that Elroy consists of a convenience store, a service station selling used tyres, a general store fronted by hay bales, a small library run by volunteers and ‘Bubba’s Wild Game Grill’, a restaurant specialising in fried coyote tail. Unsurprisingly, nobody in Elroy knows anything about Formula 1. “You couldn’t find a more unlikely place on the planet for an F1 crowd if you tried,” Kelso observed.

The owner of Elroy’s convenience store showed Kelso his selection of baseball caps and bumper stickers. ‘Where the hell is Elroy, Texas?’ asks one of his best-selling bumper stickers.

And maybe that’s the point. The land is cheap and there aren’t too many people in Elroy. There’s unlikely to be any political opposition to the project as there would be in spades anywhere near New York City or Los Angeles, or most any other place in America where Formula 1 fashions itself visiting.
Elroy is also located barely six or seven miles from Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport, and Austin – despite provincial European jibes – is a very urbane city. It’s Texas’s state capitol and is also a college town with a thriving arts and music community. The city is known as the USA’s live music capital and ‘Austin City Limits’ is the longest-running live music show on American television.

Austin is a little less than 200 miles south of Dallas and 75 miles northeast of San Antonio. Houston is about 150 miles to the east so there are many millions of people within a 200-mile radius of Austin. For Texans these are easy, quick drives or short-hop flights, so if Hellmund is actually able to build his US$200 million facility and stage the United States Grand Prix in 2012 he will have a tremendous pool of well-heeled Texans to draw from.

So again, it’s easy to poke fun at F1 in Texas, but there’s every chance that Tavo Hellmund will get the last laugh. If he makes it happen and F1 were to fall in love with Austin and start singing the city’s praises, the race will serve the city and state proud in portraying a new image of Texas to the world. And Elroy’s convenience store will be sure to sell out its supply of ‘Where the hell’s Elroy, Texas?’ bumper stickers.


Maybe daffodildeb can chime in on this one, being a Texan and all and as she seems to be near the area or at least familiar with it. How about it Deb...

Well it's not Watkins Glen nor is it Road America, but in time I believe that a tradition will be established in Austin/Elroy and the USGP will have found a permanent home! Here's to Austin... Good luck to you!

 

Um, crashing out Alonso, Button, or Massa?

 

Okay, as a long time racing freak and "pilot"? ...SCCA and Rocky Mountain Vintage, we can only hope this race is a reality. I've wanted to see a F1 race since I was a little kid. I've been out of country for a few weeks. Help me with the details. Are these guys going to pull this off.

 

Depends on who you ask...

Tavo seems confident but some stories you read make it sound optimistic at best whether they can complete the facility by June 2012. Let's hope they do because if they don't it will be yet another embarassing effort by an American organization.

 

Hmmm, I may be a Texan, but I'm in Florida right now for another day!

Austin is indeed a Yuppie kind of town. Between UT, which has over 50,000 students, and the clean industries like computers and semiconductors, there's plenty here. When I see the "hick" image, I'm reminded of a national television program I watched, which featured my own little town. They kept focusing on the railroad tracks and the barber shop with the traditional barber pole sign. Well, I know where the tracks are, but I've never seen the sign. The producer decided ahead of time that they would portray us as hicks, and so they did. And it's the same way with Austin. Don't believe it.

Besides, Austin also has the largest urban bat colony in North America, some 1.5 million of the critters, at the Congress Bridge. If the city were as unsophisticated as the article alleges, they'd have been long gone--either eaten or shot, or both!

Not that F1 won't take some 'splainin' to get it to catch on. But it's doable.