Silverstone intends to use a new track layout for the 2010 British Grand Prix.
The new circuit will include most of Silverstone’s signature high-speed bends such as Copse, Maggotts, Becketts and Stowe, but not the high-speed Bridge corner.
But a circuit spokesperson told F1 Fanatic he expected the new circuit to be “equally, if not more exciting” than the current version.
Other corners incluing Maggotts and Club will be revised to guarantee the safety of Moto GP riders – but F1 cars will continue to use the existing sections of track.
Moto GP’s governing body, the FIM, has already approved the circuit for use. The FIA will have to approve the new track for F1 cars.
The revised layout, first seen in February this year, replaces the current Abbey chicane with a similar pair of bends which turn in the opposite direction.
That sends the cars into the infield where they flick right before turning sharply left. They miss Bridge and Priory entirely, re-joining the current layout at a wider Brooklands corner.
Better for fans?
The changes should give fans a better view of the action. The stands at Becketts should offer a view of the new hairpin as well as the existing corner. There were also be new viewing areas for spectators.
If the new version is used and not thought successful, the old configuration could be used instead for later races. The British Racing Drivers’ Club has signed a deal to hold the race for the next 17 years.
The last significant change to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit was in 1997, when Copse, Brooklands and Luffield were re-profiled. A new pit and paddock complex is being planned for the 2011 race.
What do you think of the revised Silverstone circuit?
Silverstone 2010 F1 track configuration
2010 British Grand Prix
Bertie
7th December 2009, 16:00
Looks worse to me. The abbey chicane and bridge are too great corners… shame.
TommyB
7th December 2009, 20:10
Agree and there was a great general admission view where you could see the whole final section but now that’s all cut out
Adam
8th December 2009, 3:33
Dumping Bridge corner? A flat out blind right hander? In my top 3 favourite corners in F1. Such a shame.
And TommyB you are right. An awesome view. probably 5 meters from the track and it really shows off the true grip of the cars.
Oh no im getting all emotional…
mp4-19b
8th December 2009, 6:44
Agreed! Stupid decision by Damon Hill or whoever is proposing it. I did a poll a few months back on the top 5 corners/turns in f1 & I had placed the approach into Priory from Bridge in second spot. It is my favorite after Pouhon. You can make up tonnes of lost time up in that turn alone. Shame we’ll not see it next year :(
Maybe you can vote for the Bridge corner here:-
https://www.racefans.net/forum/topic.php?id=718
F1 Novice
29th April 2010, 19:37
Bridge stopped being Bridge when they put the abbey chicane in before it – meaning approach speeds were slower – Bridge got it’s reputation from being a balls out scary as hell blind corner approached at 185 mph + in the blast down from Club, again another corner that has changed since it got it’s reputation. Quite honestly leaving Bridge out now is no great shakes as it isn’t/wasn’t really Bridge any-more anyway. At least they haven’t messed around with the “nearly put back to what it used to be like” Copse or the Maggotts/Becketts complex (If you want to see what makes an F1 car an F1 car and stands them apart from ALL other Formula stand 100m back 2wards copse and watch one go through Maggotts/Becketts from the rear :)
YeaMon
7th December 2009, 16:05
THis is a wait and see thing from my point of view. Who knows, maybe this new section can produce some great action. If it doesn’t work, hopefully they’ll go back to the old configuration for the other 16 years.
sato113
7th December 2009, 16:09
not too keen on having a new pit/paddock complex. I like the original, has nostalgic value. plus the current location has a better first corner at the start of the race.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
7th December 2009, 16:10
I think the mechanics will be grateful for new pits. I remember talking to a BTCC mechanic who said Silverstone’s was the worst they went to…
James
7th December 2009, 16:23
Half the reason there is a GP at Silverstone next year is because the pits and paddock need revamping…
It needs doing, I’ve walked down the pit straight and the garages look pretty minute, and basic. An upgrade is far, far overdue.
sato113
7th December 2009, 19:57
ok no doubt the actual pits are a bit shabby, but i like the location. Copse corner is a great turn 1.
TommyB
7th December 2009, 20:15
Where will the new pit straight be?
sato113
7th December 2009, 21:12
demolish the current one. and rebuild on the same location.
Rich34Uk
27th January 2010, 12:02
Sato113 one thing you have to remember is one of the only reasons there is a GP at Silverstone is the agreement to have a New PIt and Paddock complex, nostalgia has it’s place to a degree but it gets in the way sometimes due to Bernies controlling nature
Chaz
7th December 2009, 16:19
It’s a shame they will not have the high speed bridge corner as I really liked that section as well. The additional stands are probably to pay for the new deal just signed. It would be great if they produced an animated video of the new configuration…
Robert McKay
7th December 2009, 16:38
The additional stands were there for MotoGP, when Silverstone assumed they had lost the race (officially, at least).
The fact they can use them for F1 will be a happy coincidence.
They need a name for the new corner, by the way.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
7th December 2009, 16:43
Yep I did ask and they haven’t got one yet. Any suggestions?
ajokay
7th December 2009, 16:53
I thought they were calling it ‘The Arrowhead’
DC
8th December 2009, 6:48
I’m guessing they will try to sell the naming rights. They could use the money.
Coke corner?
Tesco turn?
Harrod’s hairpin?
Something like that.
F1 Novice
29th April 2010, 20:04
Bernie’s Twisted Brother :)
Steven
8th December 2009, 0:18
There was a video, they showed it on the big screens at the GP last year. I watched it and thought ‘why are there two pit straights?’
Pabs
7th December 2009, 16:20
Looks good, but then even new tracks look good, but have dull racing…
The designs of the cars need to allow for better overtaking
beneboy
7th December 2009, 20:36
Don’t get me started on the car design issues…
Let’s just say I couldn’t agree more :-)
Clay
7th December 2009, 22:18
Interesting reading in the latest F1 Racing mag that a few team engineers have analysed where the overtaking takes place and they reckon that something like 90% of the whole season’s overtaking takes place at around 10 corners!
Car design will play a major, if not THE major reason for a lack of overtaking, but circuit design would not be far behind. I won’t mind the changes IF the racing is better.
Katy
7th December 2009, 16:24
Hmm looks good. Have to wait and see what the racings like. If it doesn’t seem to add anything or make the racing worse are they able to use the old layout still?
Rob R.
7th December 2009, 16:25
It doesn’t really change anything.
Like Patrick Head said in 2008, Silverstone is just another circuit ever since they added all the slow corners and chicanes. It used to be F1’s Indianapolis, back with the old classic layout, pre-1991.
Daffid
7th December 2009, 23:01
Exactly. Or in the words of Nelson Piquet Snr. “What have you done to it!!??”
Let’s go back to the old layout but with better run offs and barriers.
W154
7th December 2009, 23:14
30 Years ago they were lapping at an average speed of over 150 mph.If they are going to change it lets get back to the old layout and get back to balls out grand prix racing!
HounslowBusGarage
7th December 2009, 16:27
I think it looks quite interesting actually. Not sure about the precise orientation of the new grandstands on the infield though, the smallest one close to the new sharp left onto the National straight seems to be facing out at nothing in particular.
I thought there were two bridges over the National straight; the new plan shows only one. Going to be a bit crowded I think. And is all the traffic to the new infield section supposed to go over the Hanger Straight bridge?
stren
7th December 2009, 16:27
I’m looking forward to those changes. Too bad bridge corner would be missing though. We’ll have to see if it gets approved; that runoff at the hairpin looks small.
Chalky
7th December 2009, 16:28
Well my wife just bought 2 early bird tickets for Abbey. So where we’ll end up sitting for the 2010 race, I’ve no idea? They can’t surely sell you a seat that won’t exist, and they only mentioned Pits Straight, Woodcote B and Becketts as potential seating that would change.
Alex
7th December 2009, 16:37
Who designed the new track?
ajokay
7th December 2009, 16:58
I think the track has been re-re-designed since the plans shown on this page.
The newest map can be found here:
http://www.silverstone.co.uk/track/circuit-maps/upcoming-developments/
The arrowhead hairpin bit doubles back on itself now, and the straight before that has been turned in to a sweeping curve.
Where is this new pit complex going to be placed? Is it on top of the old one, or one of the other straights? Something tells me it’s being put on the National Circuit’s back straight.
Robert McKay
7th December 2009, 18:32
The new bit that’s on the Silverstone website reminds me a bit of the new first sector they stuck on the Nurburgring.
Ned Flanders
7th December 2009, 19:35
Yeah I think you’re right, the layout on the pictures at the top has been changed since they first announced the plans.
I’m not sure where the new pit straight will be either. It’s a shame they aren’t communicating that sort of thing better with the fans
Ned Flanders
7th December 2009, 19:43
OK forget that, Keith said on the Forum that this is the real layout.
It looks OK, but I think a lot depends on how fast the new Abbey chicane is. I’d love it if it was like one of the fast chicanes at Magny Cours, or the old Variante Alta at Imola.
Zazeems
7th December 2009, 16:59
Quite like it… although the new abbey chicane should be made a high speed sweeping right left, but with loads of runoff so the bikes can use it too.
Zazeems
7th December 2009, 17:13
@ajokay
Yeah! The official Silverstone version is different, and worse, that section before Brooklands looks really mickey mouse. :(
Scribe
7th December 2009, 17:20
ughh the official silverstone one looks rubbish, at least arrowhead had recognisable silverstone character, thats just another luffield.
PJA
7th December 2009, 17:26
I think it will be a case of wait and see before passing judegment.
In this Autosport article it says
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80477
I don’t know if I have missed it but does anyone know where the new start-finish line will be?
Chalky
7th December 2009, 19:02
Between Club and Abbey, I believe.
sato113
7th December 2009, 20:01
the current start/finish line was always going to be used for 2010 anyway. its in 2011 that it might change.
DMW
7th December 2009, 18:25
Two more spots to pass backmarkers: two braking zones into single-line corners that the cars will gobble up in 100 meters and less time than in takes to clear your throat—meaning that nothing can pass a car there short of a tank round.
Is there not a thought for the loss of continuity? It’s great to have new tracks but they need to be counterbalanced with maintaining the history of the great tracks. It was bad enough when Silverstone was neutered with the current heap of chicanes so its time to stop monkeying around with the layout. Just after the sweeper at Bridge earns its place in the cannon of great and tricky corners at at great track, it’s replaced by another lame, fiddly Tilke-hairpin. The corner should be dubbed Langweilig Kurve, so he gets the picture.
Robert McKay
7th December 2009, 18:35
Either way they need to get on and make a decision, surely. They’ve lost a lot of time pfaffing with all this “are we getting it nonsense”, so they’ve not been able to start promoting it properly.
And people want to know where they’re buying grandstand tickets for, corner-wise – there’s already someone above who is wondering this.
Maciek
7th December 2009, 19:01
The layout shown on the Silverstone site actually looks better I think, it’s just that their graphic is bad. The one here feels… Tilke-fied.
Side note:I didn’t know there was a corner named Maggotts… hahaha.
Spud
7th December 2009, 19:23
Who did the design work on these new corners??
Pete Walker
7th December 2009, 19:36
*palmface*
No no no no no….
Zazeems
7th December 2009, 19:47
@Robert McKay
The new first section at the Nurburgring and pieces of track like it have a name…
S**t
David
7th December 2009, 20:06
Well, it doesn’t look that bad.
But we miss Abbey “S”, which is difficult and interesting, and the great Bridge-Priory sequence.
I hope the new Abbey “S” is quick and technique enough, not a double low speed jump on the kerbs as, fer example, Monza’s one, and above all I hope the new hairpin is not a hairpin actually, but a quick bend as the old Beckett was.
At the end I’d say it’s not that bad, even if I’m wondering if Silverstone actually needed some lay-out modifications.
steve
7th December 2009, 20:07
Great news….unless you happen to be associated with Donington. Well done Bernie, a really brave attempt to rebuild a great British track ruined by FOM greed…thank goodness Tom isn’t alive to see the mess you’ve left.
Robert McKay
7th December 2009, 22:02
It might have helped if Donington had some pennies in the bank before signing the contract. They couldn’t have afforded a deal even half as good as Silverstone’s, which is itself pretty good by F1 market terms.
Donington’s owners shot themselves in the foot.
James
7th December 2009, 20:08
I think I’m liking the new track. Obviously the number of laps in the race will be shorter as the lap length would appear to be longer. Also this development wont require much work either, as the second part (or the back straight) of the track is already there for the “national” or BTCC circuit.
Looks like it’ll be a big test on brakes as well, long straights into tight, slow corners. That’ll be an interesting challenge for the drivers with a full tank to start.
I’ll reserve judgement until we’ve had a bit of running on the track, but I think I like it.
sulzerpower
7th December 2009, 20:27
One of the reasons I hoped the race would stay at Silverstone was because the track has probably one of the best flow of corners on any F1 track, would a new hairpin after coming out of a chicane after Abbey really help overtaking?
James_mc
7th December 2009, 20:28
I’ll reserve judgement, assuming the Tilkinator hasn’t got his paws on this particular re-design…
John Edwards
7th December 2009, 20:51
I saw in Autosport there was a different variant of the moto GP circuit for the F1 cars proposed.
The Abbey corner was much quicker and the arrowhead had become a tighter right followed by a longer left.
Did anybody else see this??
Prisoner Monkeys
7th December 2009, 20:56
I like it. Everything from Abbey to Woodcote has been single-file chicanery until now. Hopefully this will make things a little more excitng.
sato113
7th December 2009, 21:19
we must realise that the straight leading up to the new hairpin area and the straight leading away from it are both not new designs. they’re part of the existing international and national layouts.
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mario71/images/Tracks/Silverstone.gif
Prisoner Monkeys
7th December 2009, 22:02
That’s the beauty of it: Silverstone were able to get away with a major configuration change – arguably the largest they’ve ever seen – with a bare minimum off effort and expense.
MGBracer
7th December 2009, 22:02
Sadly, club racers have lost the cracking “International” circuit option, which incorporated Bridge.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
7th December 2009, 22:34
The international course wasn’t getting as much use as it used to, which I understand is to do with noise restrictions and the extent to which it impinges on other activities happening at the circuit at the same time. Series like the BTCC have been using the national course instead.
sato113
7th December 2009, 22:38
yeah I used to play Toca 2 touring cars on it! was a great layout.
Harvs
7th December 2009, 22:20
the “new” corner from abbey looks like a melbourne park corner and the next corner after that looks like something from bahrain? does it mean longer lap times, thus less race laps?
Prisoner Monkeys
7th December 2009, 23:00
It’s almost certainly going to produce a longer circuit length; the new section is twice as long as the route it bypasses. However, it’s also pretty quick. The old section was slow through Abbey and down into Priory and the like, but the new secton is made up of two long straights and some fast, flowing bends. While it’s likely to produce a longer lap time, it’s not going to be dramatically long. Maybe a second or two, but no more. It really depends on how the new configuration is built; there’s been a few different diagrams submitted.
Michael Griffin
7th December 2009, 23:29
I like this new layout, and the new corner could surely be called Hill, Moss or Stewart? It;s about we named a corner after a motor racing legend.
What is this I hear about the start/finish line being moved Keith?
Prisoner Monkeys
8th December 2009, 1:26
The plan is for the Start/Finish Line and pits to be moved for 2011. They’ll be relocated from the front straght to the section between Club and the first corner of the new section.
I believe the reasoning for this is that it will increase visiblity in the new “arena” section. As it stands, the current pit buildings and paddock block the view of the new section from the grandstands; by moving the Start/Finish Line to Club Corner and placing the new pits on the outside of the circuit, visibility will be improved. You’ll be able to see more of the cars, and for longer.
GeeMac
8th December 2009, 5:33
The loss of Bridge isn’t all that bad, it wasn’t much of a challenge in modern F1 cars. If they has messed with Copse, Maggots or Becketts, then I’d be angry!
Doesn’t look too bad on the whole.
wasiF1
8th December 2009, 6:12
I hope the racing improve.
John H
8th December 2009, 9:40
I think it will be good.
I’ve always thought bridge was overrated, but that’s just my own view. At least it will be something different and probably interesting.
It also means two sub-tracks are more easily configured now.
ajokay
8th December 2009, 10:28
Autosport have a nice new map of the new circuit…
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80477
any idea where we can find a nice big version of this image anywhere?
Sam
8th December 2009, 15:57
Think that’s the same as on the Silverstone website.
http://www.silverstone.co.uk/track/circuit-maps/upcoming-developments/
Icthyes
8th December 2009, 10:29
Still needs a few tweaks, but definitely improved. Bridge is lost, but we’ve also lost two boring corners and a chicane for a slightly faster one and one tight corner.
I hope they don’t move the start/finish line, just extending the current straight would be enough, but it if is to move I would hope it’s put where many minor formulae start, that is on the Hangar Straight.
wasiF1
8th December 2009, 11:06
President of Formula One Management, Bernie Ecclestone, said: “I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with Silverstone for the retention of the British Grand Prix. This will ensure that Great Britain will remain on the Formula One calendar for many years to come, which is something I have personally always wanted to see happen. The team at Silverstone already knows how to organise a good event, so now everyone can look forward to next summer at Silverstone.”
Did he really mean it?
Zazeems
8th December 2009, 12:24
Love the layout on autosport, abbey as a sweeping right left. I really hope thats the one they use; it’ll be exciting and offer more overtaking. Yay!
Timtoo
11th December 2009, 7:37
No tickets for Club corner? :(, best place for overtaking moves and no tickets?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? (saw 2009 race from there, took 700 od photos, amazing!!
Andrew
11th December 2009, 16:58
I have just phoned Silverstone regarding the track layout as I wasn’t sure what tickets to buy and they informed me that the original track will be used for 2010 and the new track from 2011 onwards!