India is set to host its first F1 Grand Prix in 2011 ?ǣ and here?s the first glimpse of the track where the race will take place.
The circuit in the Jaypee Greens Sports City bears the usual hallmarks of a Hermann Tilke-designed track. But from this first impression it seems to have some of the open, flowing corners that many modern tracks often lack.
It looks like a circuit in two halves, with several slow corners before and after the main start/finish straight. These are surely intended to increase opportunities for overtaking, something F1 car designers have been demanding recently.
But the other half of the track includes several longer-radius corners and some quick-looking bends. It?s impossible to get any sense of gradient from this flat map, however.
It is an unusually short track ?ǣ slightly under 5km (3.1 miles). That would make it shorter than any track on this year?s calendar bar the Circuit de Catalunya, Hungaroring, Interlagos and Monte-Carlo.
The circuit is being built by JP Associates which is part of a large industrial conglomerate called the Jaypee Group. The circuit is being built alongside the Yamuna Expressway, a new road being built to connect India’s capital New Delhi with the country’s biggest tourist destination, the Taj Mahal, in the city of Agra.
The road to the Indian Grand Prix has not been completely smooth. The race was originally slated for the 2010 F1 calendar but Bernie Ecclestone confirmed it had been moved back to 2011.
In August this year the government’s sports minister Manohar Singh Gill refused to support race promoter JPSK’s request for money to hold the race, claiming F1 is not a sport. Ecclestone dismissed the minister’s comments saying: “That’s his view. The rest of the world thinks it is a sport.”
What do you think of the 2011 Indian Grand Prix track?
Update: Someone posted an image with the likely location of the Jaypee circuit in the F1 Fanatic drop.io – I’m not sure who it was but thank you! There’s not much to see at the site right now, but here it is anyway:
Thanks to Prisoner Monkeys for posting the link to the official site in the forum.
Ned Flanders
15th November 2009, 11:38
Er… I’m not sure it was me who posted the link, I think it was Prisoner Monkeys. But thanks anyway!
Prisoner Monkeys
15th November 2009, 12:06
Stupid Flanders!
James_mc
15th November 2009, 13:58
LOL!!!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
15th November 2009, 15:08
Sorry Mr/Mrs/Ms Monkeys. Correct credit duly given!
Jay Menon
16th November 2009, 1:14
Er Mr Fuhrer, excuse my history, but your profile picture has an uncanny resemblance to Heinrich Himmler, coupled with your Name, I’m not surprised.
Its not cool man, so not cool.
Keith – such people should NOT be allowed to post here.
TommyB
15th November 2009, 11:39
Very original
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 11:40
Sarcasm? :P
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 11:39
Actually the credit goes to Prisoner Monkeys who started that thread.
Nevertheless, the circuit looks a bit like Kyalami( Which I like) But without any elevation changes it might still be a bit boring.
I have no idea as to the progress being made on the construction. Perhaps, fellow Indian Fanatics can help us out.
But the satellite imagery(assuming its recent) suggests no activity there.
Assuming the coordinates are correct.
Don’t think it’ll be ready by 2011. New Delhi authorities have enough on their plates without having to think about Formula One. They are racing against time to be ready for the Commonwealth games next year.
Maksutov
15th November 2009, 16:47
It looks as though the circuit has a few corners that might help with overtaking.. :/
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 17:22
Well, with some elevation data, I could try designing this track using Bob’s track builder.
It looks OK to my eyes, but there is still scope for improvisation. One this is certain, the terrain there is very flat. So the elevation has to be induced artificially & its failed miserably in Bahrain,China & Abu Dubai.
Its very unfair to write it off.
The only one circuit I’ve written off even before its inception has to be that joke at Rome :P
sumedh
15th November 2009, 17:44
Very true. Commonwealth games are more of a priority now.
Plus, JAYPEE group are going to build a mall, a cricket stadium, a football stadium and a lot of other things in this piece of land. All other things will get priority over the F1 track.
gaurav
17th August 2010, 21:09
it may get ready because its a diffrent state with diffrent government and the work is also going fast ..
steph
15th November 2009, 11:47
Not inspiring. Throw out rules and sack Tilke. I don’t blame him that much anymore but the rules are restricting and there’s only so much he can do at least a new designer would give a new feel and Tilke seems all out of steam.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I want new tracks which look like the love child of Spa and Monza. I want insane and for a designer to truly explore the depths of his imagination with investment in the track not just facilities and big glowing hotels. A good track is no guarantee of a good race but it brings passion, excitement and enthusiasm and is for true fans not just a luxurious holiday.
Prisoner Monkeys
15th November 2009, 11:59
Okay, steph: design for me a circuit that is as exciting as you would like for it to be.
steph
15th November 2009, 12:31
I couldn’t I would be useless and that isn’t my job to do that. But tracks can be built like Suzuka etc which blue your mind we just need rid of the rules. I actually like some Tilke. Bahrain, Turkey is ok and I like Singapore but many are dull and never get a chance because of tge rules. We need new tracks but we need them to be of the highest quality possible otherwise it’s a waste if time and money
gabal
15th November 2009, 14:21
Interesting to race on it and interesting to see overtaking and battles are two different things. Just look at Portimao – it is really an inspiring and challenging track with its rollercoaster-like ups and downs and extreme gradient changes. Unfortunatly, it has only one place for overtaking which we saw in GP2 season finals this year…
It wasn’t made by Tilke.
Prisoner Monkeys
15th November 2009, 12:05
Personally, I don’t think it’s so much a circuit of two halves as it is a circuit of two thirds. There’s somthing missing: you’ve got the typical Tilke-ality down on the bottom section, but some nice-lookin variation across the top. An artificial hill like the ones in Abu Dhbi would go well there, but there’s something missing. Maybe because it looks like Tilke has sewn two parts that he had lying around together.
I’m curious as to what the segmented red sections are. If I’m right and they’re grandstands, the top half of the circuit could be one of the best viewing experiences in Formula One.
I also think the pits are on the northern side, were that long, unbroken bright red bar is. But you know what I’d realy like to see some day? A clockwise circuit where the first corner is a left-hander. I orked it out the othe day: only anti-clockwise circuits have left-handers as the first turn. The only exception is, bizzarely, Magny-Cours.
Ben
16th November 2009, 12:06
Montreal, goes left then right.
zomtec
16th November 2009, 16:45
zolder too
HounslowBusGarage
15th November 2009, 12:09
Are you sure it’s a Tilketrack?
I agree it looks like one, particularly with a hairpin onto the back straight, followed by a hairpin off. And of course, there’s a hairpin onto the start/finish straight to make sure there’s no overtaking there either!
@ MP4-19B. I wouldn’t trust the satellite imagery, it can be up to 5 years out of date.
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 12:29
Latest imagery (may)
HounslowBusGarage
15th November 2009, 12:57
So it’s still a freen field site then?
Ned Flanders
15th November 2009, 12:14
Looks like yet another boring track by Herman the German. Why can’t he design a track with a loop the loop, or a jump over a canyon, or a rotating swing bridge or something like that?
James Brickles
15th November 2009, 15:50
In rfactor maybe ;)
Rits
16th February 2010, 4:41
ROFL.
Accidental Mick
15th November 2009, 16:02
some of us were discussing how to make Valencia more interesting,
We decided to replace the bridge with a loop-the-loop like “hot wheels” toy car racetracks used to have.
After all, we are always being told that, with all the down force, F1 cars could be driven across the ceiling. Let’s see them prove it.
Leon
15th November 2009, 21:35
Wahay ! The FIA track design rules won’t even allow us to have a proper corkscrew like Laguna Seca so I think poor old FIA would have kittens with a loop !!!
But still good lol !
David
15th November 2009, 12:16
To me it seems promising. The upper half looks interesting. Of course gradients could make it even more interesting.
Accidental Mick
15th November 2009, 15:47
Some of us were discusing how to improve Valencia.
We came to the conclusion that a loop-the-loop like “Hot Wheels” toy cars used to have should be used instead of the bridge. After all, we keep being told that, with all the aero down force, F1 cars could drive across the ceiling. Lets see them prove it.
BBQ2
15th November 2009, 12:18
Tilke does nothing on his own volition! The FIA, FOM and FOTA all have a say, not to talk of the local authorities. To bring all these interests to a track is not an easy task. So I do give Tilke some credits.
The track itself looks good from the bird perspective (at least it will suit the MP4s ;-) ), but as noted by Keith, we do not know the elevations on the track, so we cannot say if the straight line is really flat. It does not change as compared to other tracks since they all have only one overtaking opportunity in them :-(
K
15th November 2009, 12:24
It’s looks awful, boring and unimaginative.
David
15th November 2009, 12:27
I’d add something on Tilke issue: there are some videos in Youtube showing him at Nurburgring, Nordshleife. He looks enthusiastic about Brunchen and some other wonderful bends and pieces of the track. You’d expect him to replicate some of those wonderful drawings in his tracks lay outs, and it doesn’t happen. It tells us that it’s not only Tilke stuff.
If I was asked to design a track, I’d take some ideas from old tracks lay out, start replicating something (each of us can list a lot of wonderful track pieces we’re excited about) and then connect them at my best. Just to start…then you can let your mind fly free and being as innovative as you want.
It make me think that Mr. Tilke is not that free!
gabal
15th November 2009, 14:24
I saw that clip, he surely is a petrolhead with passion for racing.
However – simply mixing up the famous corners on a track doesn’t work – Magny Course did that and we all know what thrilling racing that approach produced.
sato113
16th November 2009, 0:16
magny cours is a great track though… drivers love it.
Clay
15th November 2009, 12:33
The thing that spins me out – not necessarily regarding this track, which looks ho-hum imho – is a few years ago F1 Racing mag did a piece on the ultimate track. They asked several current and ex drivers and the track would have been huge, a figure eight and it was at the time estimated to cost 500 million. Abu Daubi spent more than that on some boring monstrosity and India will probably do the same.
The thing was that F1 Racing got Tilke to put all the corners together into something cohesive. Now I ask the question – why can’t that happen again?
If it can’t, then how about this – make a track with a whopping great straight (which is the case in China, Catalunya, Bahrain, Abu Daubi etc) but then the infield is nice sweeping, constant radius corners instead of right angled point and squirt rubbish. The thing then would be to try as hard as possible for cars to compromise set ups – either go low downforce for the straight or high downforce for the infield.
probably too simple an idea…
Rits
16th February 2010, 5:12
Agree. High speed corners, some aggressive gradients, a couple medium straights and a long loop would make an OMFG amazing track imo….!!! Imagine watching drivers trying to overtake on the long loop while they’re going at around 270 to 280kmph!
PJA
15th November 2009, 12:41
So when this track is finished how many tracks on the F1 calendar will either be completely designed from scratch by Tilke or have had at least a redesign done by Tilke?
I realise he is probably the preferred designer for the FIA and FOM so new countries may have to use him but, does he not have any competition for designing tracks.
Also I know Tilke is constrained by the rules when designing tracks, so I would like to know what he would change about the rules to give himself more freedom, has anyone ever asked him this in an interview.
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 13:04
List of tracks allegedly “molested” by Mr Tilke.
Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
Shanghai International Circuit, China
Istanbul Racing Circuit, Turkey
Cancun, Mexico *Undeveloped
Beijing International Street circuit, China
Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
Bucharest Ring, Romania
Valencia Street Circuit, Spain
Jakarta Street Circuit, Indonesia
Yas Island Circuit, Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates
Cape Town Grand Prix, South Africa
Dublin Street Circuit, Ireland[citation needed]
Korean International Circuit, South Korea (under construction)
Moscow Raceway, Russia (Planned MotoGP Venue)
Kazakhstan Motor City, Republic of Kazakhstan
Jaypee Group Circuit, Greater Noida, India (under construction)
International Circuit Simón Bolívar, Venezuela
Add to it
Nurburgring(Ist sector micky mouse)
Osterreichring(converted to A1-ring)
Spa(bus stop)
Hockenheimring :( :( :( (raped it)
Circuit de catalunya(last corner)
Hungaroring
Magny-Cours(Last Chicane)
Add any if missed.
You can vent out your anger towards Tilke tracks HERE
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 13:31
Could Borat be the brand ambassador that track? :P
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 13:36
Wow! Their OFFICIAL WEBSITE is pretty informative. And TRACK itself is very interesting. Has at least seven variations & resembles an inverted gun.
Ned Flanders
15th November 2009, 13:45
I love how they’ve used google translate for the English version of the website:
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 13:54
Add to that”
That is a very important point they mention!!
arrogant??
Epic Translation Fail!! :P
Spud
15th November 2009, 13:39
These were all very pointless changes, and provided no real difference to the racing.
Hockenheim is now just a boring sea of grey dreary tarmac and A-1 Ring is a pile of crap aswell.
steph90
15th November 2009, 13:46
I can name a few more tracks but I’ll have to check if it was Tilke who changed them.
luigismen
15th November 2009, 17:46
International Circuit Simón Bolívar, Venezuela??? really???!
I’m venezuelan, and i didn’t know that this track even exist
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 17:54
And why would they want to name it after a Colombian?
luigismen
15th November 2009, 18:04
Simon Bolivar is Venezuelan
Leon
15th November 2009, 21:46
Don’t hold your breath !
zomtec
16th November 2009, 17:08
last time: singapore is not tilke´s work.
xenon
15th November 2009, 13:27
it looks more like the bahrain circuit
Fer no.65
15th November 2009, 14:03
I guess Tilke has run out of ideas.
This track is exactly like the others. And it seriously lacks high speed corners.
sato113
16th November 2009, 0:24
why can we see any banked corners anymore??? i’m not talking about massive Indianapolis ones either.
Prometheus
15th November 2009, 14:27
I wish they’d take the 2005 Cape Town draft out of the drawer again, I love that one, it has a couple of those fast, sweeping corners we are missing on most of the new tracks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coda/38978455/sizes/l/
Prisoner Monkeys
15th November 2009, 20:33
That looks just like Bahrain …
Lustigson
15th November 2009, 14:54
Well, if it’s the 5th shortest track on the calendar, that’s right in the middle of the pack, isn’t it? and just under 5 km, that’s quite OK.
Bartholomew
15th November 2009, 15:28
This looks like Tilkedrome number 14 : they all look the same !!!
A better track design would be to do it shaped like the dotted – line perimeter of this one.
adaptalis
15th November 2009, 16:49
The big loop at the top really reminds me of China’s turn 13. Its like an attempt to recreate Spoon at Suzuka, or Pouhon at Spa.
Rahim
15th November 2009, 16:57
It will be an interesting track
Bartholomew
15th November 2009, 16:59
With Tilke tracks like this, no wonder that scandals and controversies are more fun than the actual racing
Pengo
16th November 2009, 5:35
Hear Hear!
Jez
15th November 2009, 17:18
for the love. of god. getting pretty fed up with all these new asian tracks. theyre all the same. no character at all. bring back the classics.
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 17:25
And Tilke must stop designing “GUN” like tracks!
sato113
16th November 2009, 0:39
found where Tilke got his idea for this one from. another GUN!
https://www.apnea.co.uk/images/imersion_gun-handle_l_315x315.gif
Kevin
19th May 2010, 15:43
This track looks like a duck to me…
John H
15th November 2009, 17:30
It looks like a bloke praying….praying… praying for someone to design a track to make us sit up and take notice for once.
The best advert for India would be if it could come up with something different, out of the ordinary, interesting, intriguing, amazing even.
Sadly, this is none of the above.
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 17:41
For that to happen, the organizers have to get rid of Mr Tilke first.
One of the main reasons for employing Tilke( as I shockingly learnt from a Kazakhi website) was that that, all projects of Tilke automatically pass FIA certification.
Any other designs will be subjected to intense FIA scrutiny?? Totally unfair if true.
sumedh
15th November 2009, 17:42
Looks very similar to Turkey to me. Without elevation changes, it will be boring. But if the work is to be done by Indian contractors, be sure that the road surface will be very rough. Big time work shirkers they are, but this time it might make for better racing.
As an Indian, I cannot really say too many bad things about the circuit. I will always be biased.
YeaMon
15th November 2009, 17:45
looks bad. I hope I am wrong though.
Zack
15th November 2009, 18:09
Nothing in India about track design yet .. I’ll wait for tomorrows newspaper!
Considering the progress, 2011 is very difficult deadline.
A Locative
15th November 2009, 18:31
The google map location of F-1 is wrong !!!! This fake location is most likely marked by real estate agents of that area, to make it look closer to Greater Noida (the nearest sub-city).
If you scroll down the map, southward, you will see a place named ‘Dankaur’. F1 track is located few kms south of Dankaur.
Google did not update this part of the satellite map since April 2002. So it will not show any activity here however the construction of Yamuna expressway as well as F-1 race track is being completed with war footing.
mp4-19b
15th November 2009, 19:16
Could you post the coordinates please? I’ll check it up on Virtual earth or bing maps.
Icthyes
15th November 2009, 18:40
It’s an alright and interesting configuration, but unoriginal. What is Tilke’s obsession with pointless corner sections like the faux Monaco left-right-right-left bit there?
People are being too negative though. Turn 1 and the final section look interesting, unless it’s meant to go anti-clockwise. Let’s wait until cars actually go round the place before expecting the worst, even if it’s justified.
Phil T
15th November 2009, 18:40
Why are all these new tracks designed by one man, HT, ? Its like putting all your eggs in one basket, and inevitably, every track is as c**p as the last one.
Piffles
15th November 2009, 19:32
All the corners are geometric. Where are all the kinks and swerves and funny shapes that make finding a good line challenging and allow unexpected overtaking places?
David
15th November 2009, 20:31
At Magny cours they only tried to put the best corners of the other tracks, with no success. I mean, do you think Nurburgring chicane really take inspiration from any of the actual Nurburgring track? Or Imola right-left?
Put there Flugplatz or Fuchsrorhe or Stowe looking bends, and tell me if it wouldn’t be interesting…
HounslowBusGarage
15th November 2009, 20:36
@ mp4-19b
What do you know about the Dublin street circuit?
wasiF1
16th November 2009, 0:59
I think it will be another of Tilke boring circuit from the flat map,only can spot two overtaking point.
Prisoner Monkeys
16th November 2009, 1:02
You can’t have every corner being an overtaking point. Then it would just be straights and hairpins. You need some interesting stuff to connect it together, stuff to challenge the drivers. This onelooks like it has just that in the top section of the circuit.
Anoop
16th November 2009, 4:37
Hope the track does not turn out like other “molested” (in mp4-19b’s words :D) Tilke ones.
Being an Indian and an ardent F1 fan, I do hope it lives up to the expectations of most people.
@mp4-19b- As for comparing it to the Commonwealth games, there is one big difference– The CWG is being handled by the government, while the F1 project belongs to a private company. So I don’t think we’ll have to worry about deadlines here :).
Anthony
16th November 2009, 6:01
Hermann Tilke keeps designing tracks with so many second gear corners which are not challenging to even a two year old. Circuits like Portimao, Potrero de los Funes are far more challenging are being left aside for the Hairpins and Chicanes World Championship.
Tilke can go away as far as I’m concerned
Gill
16th November 2009, 8:30
in which month is the Indian GP scheduled ?
Zack
16th November 2009, 10:00
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2009/11/16&PageLabel=26&EntityId=Ar02602&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
No word about the track design so far in local media.
Few segments of the track very similar to Irungattakottai.http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4980/track525.jpg
@Gill If at all it be announce in mid 2010.
sushant008
16th November 2009, 11:01
The MD of the company made the following statement to a press agency :
“The progress is very nice…I’m absolutely, absolutely confident that the track will be completed”
Samir Gaur, managing director of India’s JPSK Sports Pvt Ltd was quoted as saying.
“The track will be ready in 2011.”
Gill
16th November 2009, 10:45
i hope its scheduled in august.. Aug is the rainy season in India and if the track lacks somewhere, rain could compensate for that….
I wanted the Indian GP to be a street circuit….
Robert McKay
16th November 2009, 11:41
It looks like a man on his knees bowing.
Nano
16th November 2009, 16:43
***
what a stupid circuit is built
it looks so small
and even there is no fast track except the start linee
this won’t be as good as any other circuit
José Baudaier
17th November 2009, 3:52
Ohh no, not a Tilke Track again. Can’t this people get enough?
Scalectrix
18th November 2009, 19:21
Anybody know of a link to these track design rules that are allegedly hampering HT?
Scalectrix
20th November 2009, 21:51
Fine, I’ll do it!
http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/538CDB8079373FC9C12576700040B359/$FILE/Annexe%20O_2009_09.11.10%20.pdf
Robert
23rd November 2009, 5:13
One thing that would help is having the various sources agree on the circuit’s length, since some places are saying it’s 5.5km to the lap, which would make that one LONG start/finish straight.
This one looks better than some of Tilke’s, but I’d rate it behind Turkey for certain. We’ll have to see how things go on this one, but there is a least some excitement to be had with the porspect of a new circuit on the calendar.
Now, that earlier comment makes me hope someone figures out how to file an anti-trust suit against the FIA.
jesus son julius caesar
9th March 2010, 8:12
Really this the mind blouing one ,i never think f1 will come to india. Because f1 is the worlds best sports event its coming to india means its unbelivable one .defanataly after finishing the first race, india will get more sports.
Gaurav gupta
27th July 2010, 6:10
building a track is alright but does anyone know the logistical nightmare a fi grandprix is…. first of all you need holding facelities at the airport for the landing equipment like truck trailers etc. which teams travel with…not to mention the proximity of airport to the track you need a 4 lane highway for those trucks to reach the track . morover the requirement of 5 star hotels in the proximity of track to accomodate teams and important guests.being an artchitect i can see some shortcomings in the location and design itself.there is no direct access from the highway and parking areas are not ample .moreover area behind the pits is not sufficient for the motor homes and equipment trucks for all the teams .i can go on.. i am an indian and i support the cause but doing somthing like this one needs a coagulated effort from govt. , sports authorities, loads of sponsers, and a management agency which can collaborate all the efforts.for commonwealth games delhi govt. is falling drastically short, you think an f1 race which is comparable to olympic games in terms of logistcs you feel that few enterprenuers can accomplish.,.,im not entirely sure.
simakperrce
10th October 2010, 20:39
Track will have some interesting elevation changes:
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/attachments/motorsports-rallies/4581d1271149906-indian-f1-circuit-design-revealed-58562formula1season2010.jpg
I think it looks promising. Given India’s bad rep with the Commonwealth Games, though, I won’t be surprised if it’ll never get cleared.