Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Track Changes

  • Singapore track changes

    Singapore’s Formula 1 track layout is being changed temporarily for 2023 to help accommodate the construction of a new events venue.

    Work on redevelopment of the float area at Marina Bay into a new entertainments and stage area means the previous section of the circuit from Turns 16 to 19 cannot be used next season. This section of the circuit is most famously known as the scene of Nelson Piquet Jr’s deliberate crash in 2008 that helped teammate Fernando Alonso win that years grand prix.

    Work on what is to be ‘NS Square’ will begin in March next year and it means for next year’s Singapore GP, the track will be missing the entire section. Instead, the circuit will now feature a flat-out section from the right hander at Turn 14, which will incorporate a new 379.3 metre long straight from Turn 15 to the new tight Turn 16.

    Early simulations of the changes to the track estimate that the lap time will drop dramatically down to 1m 27.7 seconds. This year’s Singapore GP, Charles Leclerc took pole position with a lap time of 1m 49.412s.

    As the result of the revisions, which will reduce the track length to 4.928 kilometres, the number of laps will be increased to 63 from its current 61.

    Whilst the changes have been sorted with local architects and approved in principle by F1, they are still subject for formal approval from the FIA’s world motorsport council. It is anticipated that the track will revert back to its traditional layout for 2024 once the new NS Square is complete.

  • Yas Marina Track Changes

    This years Abu Dhabi grand prix will take place on an improved layout, this comes as the Yas Marina Circuit announced the track will be modified in the time for this years season finale.

    The circuit first opened in 2009 and it held the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It will under-go serious alterations over the next few months. The key changes are: – Eliminating the chicane and widening the hairpin at Turn 7 – Removing four sharp corners at Turns 11, 12, 13 and 14, it will be replaced by one long banked turn – Opening up the radius of four corners Turns 17, 18, 19 and 20 which will created a faster slowing section on the track.

    The re-design is intended to allow overtaking opportunities at the circuit where Mercedes won six times in a row between 2014 and 2019 until Max Verstappen took victory for Red Bull last year…

    My Opinion-

    To be honest I think its the right call from the circuit, the track was so limited to overtaking and for it to be the season finale we want excitement which it didn’t have! If the championship goes to the final race of the season then we want it to be exciting and there to be a chance of overtaking!