Silverstone 2010 Changes - Improved or Stifled Racing Action?

[Paul Jeffrey]

Silverstone has undergone plenty of change over the years, but have they been for the better?

Silverstone has undergone several changes since that first Grand Prix in 1950, the most recent of which controversially consigned the epic Bridge Corner to the history books to make way for a new complex and relocated start finish straight. Now whilst nothing can stand in the way of progress, do you think the changes released as recently as 2010 have improved the racing spectacle, or made the on track product worse?

So the question is, do you prefer this one:

Or this one:

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

The old lap was better (hotlapping wise), but... i think there's more overtaking opportunities with the new one.

 

[Richard Dastardly]

The new one is awful in anything but a lightweight aero car; thanks F1 for another processional advertising section. The only good thing is the new pits.

If you want overtaking, the pre-1991 layout had tons of it I didn't like the Abbey chicane in the previous layout much, kinda spoiled the run down to Bridge ( which was a really great corner ) but that was optional, unlike the new rubbish.

Old glory - no use for modern F1, but a riot in a GT car, or a touring car.

 

[Steve Bird]

Prefer the old one. Sat on the embankment of Club (before there were grandstands there) in my first F1 GP in 1988 was awsome. Invading the track at Club in 1992 and stopping Mansell ......priceless. I will have to get my old photo's out and post them up one day. Some good photos of Mansell shouting at people to sxtop trying to nick things off his car or he could be disqualified. Also got some photo's of the paramedics pulling Damon Hill out of his Brabham as well. A great track messed up to cater for the 'Wing'.

 

[robt100]

Much preferred the old one. The videos and photos dont do bridge justice, nor the exit of the chicane just before. When you stand on that bit of track and realise how close the concrete wall was/is, you can appreciate it so much more!
Admittedly the new layout is probably better in some ways for spectators, as the new "complex" section has some nice slow bits to see the cars in rather than them flying past. Was probably one of my favoured viewing spots when I went just due to the mistakes into T3.

 

[123rem]

Prefer the old version.

The best layout was used in 1991-93, which had all the best bits of the 2000s circuit, but still had the amazing Bridge corner. The deaths at Imola in 1994 ended this configuration.

 

[Jimlaad43]

This is the best version at the moment. Overtaking and racing can properly occur here, and the Village Loop section doesn't spread everyone out like Priory and Brooklands used to.

Bridge is a sad loss of a corner, but Abbey more than makes up for it.

 

[Nick Hill]

Kind of a weird thing to have an opinion about, but the black/white striped curbing looks really cool to me - I hope they keep it.

 

[Toonces]

Other than the modern Maggots-Becketts-Chapel sequence, I prefer the 1967 layout (as in GPL and AC) to the current go-kart series of lo-gear switchbacks.

 

[josap11]

The current version if my favorite track on the calendar and in general. So I prefer the current version.

 

[Richard Dastardly]

This is the best version at the moment. Overtaking and racing can properly occur here, and the Village Loop section doesn't spread everyone out like Priory and Brooklands used to.

Were we watching the same races? the races I watched had a bunch of overtaking in those funnelling corners. There's a few sections of British tracks that have progressively slower corners like that, they work.

Now everyone gets bunched up in hairpins they can't overtake in, and then spread out all down the new straight. F1 is not the only thing that runs there, heavier cars can't take off out of slow corners like they can.

Bridge is a sad loss of a corner, but Abbey more than makes up for it.

A blind near flat 70odd degree right hander with elevation change in the middle, vs an open flat 45degree right hander? I can't see how that's a comparison.

 

[UNREALARCLIGHT]

While I would definatly say the new track is better for overall racing the nostalgia for the old layout is really good so they should bring the old start/finish back to mix things up a little.

The real issue for track layout changes Imo is not the tracks themselves but more the decisions regarding regulations in series like F1.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

Silverstone is one of my least liked circuits in both sim and reality. It just doesn't feel right for me, expect for the corner complex after Copse - and even then I don't feel the exaltation others seem to have from a left-right-left-right increasinly slowing complex -, but the rest I just find not interesting. Too wide open, too much right only corners, pff, it's actually borderline boring.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

Prefer the old version.

The best layout was used in 1991-93, which had all the best bits of the 2000s circuit, but still had the amazing Bridge corner. The deaths at Imola in 1994 ended this configuration.
View attachment 258566

Oh yeah that one was much better.

 

[Andrew Harper]

Prefer the old version.

The best layout was used in 1991-93, which had all the best bits of the 2000s circuit, but still had the amazing Bridge corner. The deaths at Imola in 1994 ended this configuration.
View attachment 258566

Yes I agree, that layout is probably my favourite. The '94 configuration however was also pretty good and Ruben's win around there will rank as one of the best Grands Prix I've seen.

It would have been cool if they'd blended in the old track with the new for historic events but the location of Grandstands doesn't make it a very safe option.

However @Jimlaad43 is right. The new complex section does allow better viewing for spectators (I've managed to get some fantastic shots through the camera "holes" during less high profile events) and in general it does provide another overtaking opportunity.

The Wing building was badly needed and when you get to see the pit lane from the viewing area above (it was open on Friday and Saturday for the WEC last year) it provides a great view of the action below. Oh and it has an FM transmitter on top of it which makes life soooo much easier than crackly old MW! lol

It also has one other benefit. Events like the WEC and Silverstone Classic now have two huge pit complexes to use. So more cars and more races.

My only regret (and it has nothing to with the track as such) I would love it if they flattened or restored the old heritage pits and built some new pit buildings and generally tidied up that side of the track. It's starting to look very tired. Doesn't have to be as exotic as The Wing but it does need a good makeover.

 

[123rem]

I did a tour of Silverstone in 2010 when the new layout was being completed and the owners told us that they basically hated the new circuit and felt it was imposed upon them by Ecclestone. It was either change the circuit or Britain would lose their Grand Prix. They sacrificed the track they had to keep the Grand Prix in Britain.

Funny thing was they were still losing money hosting the GP, but the other events made up the shortfall, particularly the endurance and the motorbike races.

The new track is pretty horrible. They had to build an entire new pit area too, just to satisfy the F1 regs. The tone of the owners the whole day was one of sadness, that the old track was gone.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

In the end so many classic tracks have been Tilkedromed that you have to wonder if the investment really was worth the trouble. It's clear by now that it's not the tracks that prevent overtaking but the cars and even more the regulations as in different motorsports even on those tracks a ton more overtaking is happening.

 

[Andrew Harper]

They had to build an entire new pit area too, just to satisfy the F1 regs.

The new pit complex was needed in my view, the existing building did need replacing regardless of F1, it was needed to hold large events like the WEC. However it was interesting when the original idea was proposed that the track was still the same, it was just a new pit complex and moved to the Club corner side.

So yes your comments make sense that the new layout was kind of forced on them.

Apart from Monaco, every GP on the calendar loses money. That's unfortunately the downside to holding an F1 race. I've lost count over the years with tracks losing races because they are just millions in debt. Great for prestige, pretty awful for your bank balance! lol

 

[123rem]

The new pit complex was needed in my view, the existing building did need replacing regardless of F1, it was needed to hold large events like the WEC. However it was interesting when the original idea was proposed that the track was still the same, it was just a new pit complex and moved to the Club corner side.

So yes your comments make sense that the new layout was kind of forced on them.

Apart from Monaco, every GP on the calendar loses money. That's unfortunately the downside to holding an F1 race. I've lost count over the years with tracks losing races because they are just millions in debt. Great for prestige, pretty awful for your bank balance! lol

Agreed, I have been to the Melbourne GP a few times and there are always protestors at the entrance protesting how much it costs citizens to host the race.

With Silverstone, I agree the old pits needed upgrading, and the new facility is top class, but there was no getting away from the destruction of the old circuit to accommodate F1.

The new circuit only retains the maggots-becketts turns of any worth. The rest of the circuit is dull DRS material. It was a hell of a challenge back in the 1990s, but could be anywhere now.

 

[Glaurung]

The current layout is nice, with the Abbey-Farm corners that apart modern F1 cars are quite a challenge like it was the old Bridge.
Thinking that it could be far worse if handled by Herr Tilke, I'm pretty satisfied as it is now.