In the round-up: A new FIA grade two circuit is being planned in the Philippines, penned by grand prix track designer Hermann Tilke.
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Pradera Verde Racing Circuit (SpaceFabrik)
"The proposed racing circuit will be located within a larger project called Pradera Verde, a 400-hectare development in the town of Lubao in the province of Pampanga, which is located 100km from the Metro Manila, the Philippine capital."
Results (2019 Arctic Lapland Rally)
Bottas, driving a Ford Fiesta WRC of higher specification than most of the competition, took a single stage win and ended the rally fifth overall. Emil Lindholm won the event in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
Hulkenberg would win 'straight away' at top team (Autosport)
"I saw him performing at the highest level I've seen I think (anyone) perform in the midfield for years."
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We finished my first ever rally 5th overall with a stage win today 🚙❄️
Tricky & enjoyable stages, so much fun @arcticlaplandrally 🇫🇮
Thanks to all the partners, @MSportLtd , @RautiainenTimo and everyone involved 🙏🏼#VB77 @Konecranes @WestproCCOy @AKKMotorsport @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/eIC00hDkBI
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) January 26, 2019
Never seen a track like this, asphalt going off, making it extremely dangerous. And bumping into others was necessary to overtake … hope it will change pic.twitter.com/XNlBBynGzh
— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne) January 26, 2019
Hey guys want to see a road literally pulled apart by Formula E cars? pic.twitter.com/E81gY0mJgT
— Hazel Southwell (@HSouthwellFE) January 26, 2019
We've had a few horrible years at McLaren but I have a good feeling about this season. 2 new drivers, both of which are top notch and a team full of people new and old who are desperate for change. Keep the faith 🙌
— Marc Cox (@MarcCox) January 25, 2019
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Comment of the day
McLaren can make significant gains if they do improve their pre-season reliability, reckons @Me4me:
Zak Brown is absolutely right in focusing on securing reliability so testing will go smoothly. A week of aerodynamic CFD and wind tunnel development has its value, but proper on-track evaluation of the whole car (and trackside team!) trumps that by a mile.
It is at pre-season testing that teams build on their understanding of the car, get a ton of data from the tires to draw from throughout the season, and get an early indication of the strengths and weaknesses of the car and thus where to put their resources to get the most out of them.
Pre-season testing can be worth months of factory-development. Mercedes and Ferrari realised that many years ago. Red Bull too, after learning the hard way.
HK (@Me4me)
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MtlRacer (@mtlracer)
27th January 2019, 1:05
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, 2008. Tarmac was getting ripped apart at the hairpin.
Rather surprising it has not happened more often at street circuits which don’t necessarily use the same kind of asphalt/tarmac/pavement as race tracks do.
Jere (@jerejj)
27th January 2019, 7:28
@mtlracer Circuit Gilles Villeneuve isn’t really a street circuit, though. Definitely not in the same way as the Albert Park, Baku, Monaco, and Marina Bay street circuits as it isn’t really used for the everyday traffic like the other four mentioned. The same applies to Sochi Autodrom as well.
George O'Donnell (@georgeod)
27th January 2019, 21:35
@jerejj Yeah, Sochi is a weird one. I was lucky enough to be there for a world cup game last summer. There was absolutely no way to access the track! You had to use the bridges if you wanted to navigate to the buildings.
schooner (@schooner)
27th January 2019, 1:28
Not from the roundup, but I found this this morning at Racer.com … ESPN’s coverage of the 2019 Formula 1 season will once again be commercial-free following a well-received first run of the concept during 2018 … pretty good news for viewers here in the US.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
27th January 2019, 1:44
Wonder if there is any way we can suggest (politely of course) that they cut the artificial background noise, it is louder than the announcers, sometimes a good thing, and exercise a little more care in the insert of commercials. Either hold the broadcast so we don’t miss anything or stack them at the beginning and end of the race. No one with a recording system watches them anyway. It would stop me tossing things at the screen in frustration.
It may be “Free” to receive, but we do pay handsomely for the privileged of receiving ESPN or TSN in my case.
If there is anyone with influence out there …. you’re missing a huge opportunity.
F Tweehuysen (@frieds)
28th January 2019, 7:22
In South Africa we get a minimised screen with the ads down the left and underneath. But it’s terrible if you have a smallish screen.
grat
30th January 2019, 18:15
The mixing leaves something to be desired, yes. Crofty shouts louder than a field of 1.6L turbos, and that’s not a compliment. I realize he’s the “colour” commentator, but that doesn’t mean filling up every single second of the broadcast with inane chatter.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
27th January 2019, 1:37
New Tilkie layout …. at first I thought I was looking at COTA.
Presuming it runs CW, or is it reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.?
Then again, maybe that is COTA Reversed.?
ColdFly (@)
27th January 2019, 8:51
Great point. Makes me wonder if cars go just a bit faster if going in the same direction as the water in a drain.
And do cars go faster if the sun’s photons hit it from the back?
PS Philippines is Northern Hemisphere ;)
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
27th January 2019, 9:50
I wonder if the real track will have the gravel traps as shown in the mock up, or will just have tarmac run off?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
27th January 2019, 10:06
@eurobrun – good question! Given that MotoGP and SBK will use a majority of the track (i.e. apart from straight-lining T8 to T14 and bypassing T9-13), I’m afraid we know the answer to that one.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
27th January 2019, 21:46
With Indonesia right next to the Phillipines I’m afraid you’ve just given them an idea for Sentul’s successor as F1-track-to-be.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
27th January 2019, 21:46
@rekibsn
Kribana (@krichelle)
27th January 2019, 1:46
Tilke can design a track here in our country. However, good luck for us finding the transportation to go the circuit. I don’t see this happening. Until a proper railway or even bus system is applied to the provinces, I don’t see us hosting an F1 race. It would be nice but I don’t see it happening.
Bobby Balboa
27th January 2019, 7:23
It’s grade 2 so no F1 race on that track
Gabriel (@rethla)
27th January 2019, 13:06
Domt forget the H pads
Jelo Feliciano
28th January 2019, 6:09
wishfull thinking. the philippines is FAR from hosting any world class racing event. even if its grade 2 certified (MotoGP can technically race there) doubt anything will materialise.
With the way things are here, ill be surprised if its even maintained, or even built to begin with.
Jere (@jerejj)
27th January 2019, 7:39
Yes, NH would probably win races in a Mercedes, Ferrari, or Red Bull, but so would quite a few other drivers currently not driving in any of the clear top-3 teams of the last two seasons.
The COTD is spot on! The amount of track time in pre-season testing can indeed have a longer-term impact on the season ahead.
To this day, The nose of the STR9 still looks a little weird.
rpaco
27th January 2019, 11:59
I have just had a look at the area around Lubao on Street view which was done in 2015. The only access was a two lane road with usable shoulders so could become 4 lane, but no barriers. I can see all the local traffic mingled with the track traffic. There was not much of a town either. Looks like a nice rural ribbon village about to be ruined in what is essentially farmland.
Tilke again, oh dear! A lot of earthworks required as the area seems flat as a pancake.
Airport required, motorways required, hotels. Seems to be a huge development which will displace a lot of locals who wont be able to afford to watch the race. Maybe I am wrong and the locals are all well off farmers, I wish them well.
James Brickles (@brickles)
27th January 2019, 12:07
Maybe that’s why there are loads of corners, as if he’s trying too hard compensate for that.
Robert McKay
27th January 2019, 12:03
Tilke probably knocked that design out in his lunchbreak, it looks about as generic a Tilke venue as is possible to get.
Presumably the selling point is “ooh look we have our own knock-off of the Suzuka esses”.
Joao (@johnmilk)
27th January 2019, 12:19
Since we are on the subject of Hulkenberg, is it a good time to bring up the race fans ranking again? It’s the off season you know
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
27th January 2019, 12:46
I think his ranking was not that unfair. He has caused several retirements at spa and had 2 other rather silly incidents caused by himself. The rest of the time, he was pretty solid, but I’d say he only had a few outstanding moments. So I’d say his season was just OK overall. I think I would have had him 10th at the highest.
Coanda (@ming-mong)
27th January 2019, 14:47
i’d love to see the V8SC make the trip up…
armando
27th January 2019, 20:14
no more asian tilke tracks thanks
Ed
28th January 2019, 8:06
The Tilke track looks like the A1 Ring (aka Redbull ring), Hockenhiem and Bahrain rolled into one.
gardenfella (@gardenfella72)
28th January 2019, 10:05
Not another Tilke-drome :(