Vietnam Secures 2020 F1 Spot + First Drive Video

[Witti]

people said awful about baku too but now its one of the most entertaining track on the calendar.

Baku is not an interesting track. It just gives great racing.

 

[Boby Kim]

I love Vietnam!

In March next year i will visit Vietnam for 4 weeks. If possible I will do a complete circuit walk.
The track itself: im afraid the current F1 cars have way too much downforce for the track. F1 needs to think ala trackmania

 

[VirtuaIceMan]

They've got to flatten a park/green space to build the back side of the track:
https://goo.gl/maps/fgDq1r5GNTM2

If you try streetview you can snap to preset locations along the (very wide) road.

 

[RichardHessels]

I think they will have overtaken long before the braking zones with DRS + these crazy straights, so no worries about chicanes.

Overtaking just because of DRS is so lame

 

[AlexBfromG]

which track is this going to replace? or are they really going for a NASCAR schedule?
this will be the next Korea, they need a vietnamese driver to gather any attention.

 

[michelforest]

So tired of these predictable layouts. Yep, another track with a loooooooong straight and a hard braking zone, supposedly to facilitate overtaking with DRS. So, it will be all about engine power once again. Just push a button and pass the guy ahead. YAWN!!!

Hopefully, Zandvoort will be included soon in the calendar. A tight, atypical track, that could be interesting for drivers.

 

[Jason Mullin]

Won't prejudge the race until seen it, but unusual to have a GP here.
Political undertones - appears to be an olive branch from the Americans as it were.

Yes it's our fault and was on the ballot Tuesday... Should Tennessee continue to support the F1 track in Vietnam?

My friends and I were giddy to vote Yes until we found out it wasn't an oval.

 

[paracletus]

I probably shouldn't have written that, but wasn't intended to be antagonistic.
Liberty Media obviously have a huge influence worldwide, but it is only a racetrack.
I'll delete the post as it goes against forum rules. Apologies.

 

[Karl Fuss]

First impressions....the short lived Korean circuit. Life expectancy, about the same.

 

[larre90]

If it had only a few elevation changes...

But to be honest:
I understand the problem with too many straights, especially with DRS, but otherwise, take the layout and have a closer look. It is a streetcircuit with very less 90° corners in it. I think it looks more promising then Russia or Azerbayjan. Even better then Singapore, in my opinion. But, what really hurts me is the (again) abolute abscence of high speed-corners following a long straight, where you only tip the brake to give the car a little spin-in momentum at over 200 kph. Corners like T1 Road America; Double Gouche at Spa; Flugplatz, Pflanzgarten 1, Schwalbenschwanz, Aremberg, Schwedenkreuz & Mutkurve at Nordschleife; the entrycorner of the motordrom at Hockenheim; Tabac & Haven Chicane at Monaco; Parabolica at Monza; Porsche Curves at Le Mans, T1 at Mid Ohio; T1,2 & 130 R at Suzuka; also every other high-speed-corner you approach at high speed. Corners, which really bring up the thrill. This type of corners are missing. Again.

Edit:
"(...) It provides an opportunity for inward investment to Vietnam and importantly to bring the exciting wheel to wheel racing of Formula 1 to the people of Vietnam."

Ouh, where to watch this wheel-to-wheel-action series? I never heard of it before! I only watch Indycar, it's so boring, the cars can absolutely not follow each other, and you never see two cars beneath each other through a corner... /sarcasmoff

 

[Jason Mullin]

I probably shouldn't have written that, but wasn't intended to be antagonistic.
Liberty Media obviously have a huge influence worldwide, but it is only a racetrack.
I'll delete the post as it goes against forum rules. Apologies.

Nah you're fine no worries.

 

[Warlord_Gonagy]

Oh dear God, what have we done to deserve this.......

Seriously, cut off that huge and phallic extension below, and I'd be fine with it. Do that, and it'd kinda remind me of Donington (in street form). As it is, this is just going to be really bland for about 2/3 of the lap.

The sad part is, based on the current cars, the racing will probably be lots of oval style draft/DRS overtakes. Honestly, this is just one step away from a Roval course. If you want that kind of racing, just bring them to a proper circuit like Daytona or Charlotte, where you'll actually have a real track with proper safety features.

 

[Riblo]

Go F1 delete Monza and Spa to race in lends where they do't even know what F1 is
Formula One is the biggest joke ever nowadays

 

[Theodore 2019]

Alonso is quiting F1 in the right time.

 

[Theodore 2019]

Sochi, Baku, Singapore and now this load of crap. They're really on a cool effort to destroy F1 once for all.

 

[Sergio Loro]

in 60 years someone will ask a vintage track editor to please build the track of vietnam, and everyone will feel a certain nostalgia for that F1 that no longer exists .....

 

[Sergio Loro]

please F1 go back to Europe , please, actually there are many racetracks already to be use

 

[delpinsky]

All those narrow walls will be nightmare if someone crash on them or just stops the car for any mechanical failure on the straights!
Safety cars like rain...

 

[wombat999]

With all the land available in Vietnam, they couldn't come up with a dedicated circuit with proper, safe run-off areas?

A large part of Vietnam is still littered with a variety of UXO left over from the conflict. The more tourist oriented areas have been cleaned up, but many areas remain where the work has been left to the civilians (as usual).
I seriously doubt a circuit could be built on Rice paddies or in areas where the water table is high, ergo the street circuit choice. As an aside, Vietnam is crisscrossed with waterways, so the amount of land available is limited, while the 'Highlands' are not really accessible.
And the weather is mostly crap.

 

[VirtuaIceMan]

It looks wide in places: