Esteban Ocon, Renault, Yas Marina, 2020

Change off-camber corners to improve racing at Yas Marina – Ocon

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In the round-up: Esteban Ocon says changes to the camber of the corners at Yas Marina could aid overtaking at a track where passing is notoriously difficult.

What they say

Ocon produced on of the few passes of the season finale by taking Lance Stroll on the last lap, but agreed overtaking is very difficult on the purpose-built Yas Marina circuit:

At least I managed to get some overtaking the last lap. I hope you did enjoy watching that. But apart from that I heard it was pretty boring.

It was very tough to overtake. That’s very clear. It’s quite difficult to follow into the last sector all the low-speed, off-camber [corners]. You really need the grip of the car to pass in there for sure.

I think having a bit more camber in the corners and stuff like that would help because they are all off-camber so you really slide and it’s not too nice. Obviously it’s a challenge but it’s not nice for following another car, it makes it tricky. I’m pretty sure we could do things better, but it requires work.

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

Neil reckons Red Bull have made the right choice with Sergio Perez:

I think Perez and Hulkenberg are broadly at the same level, but the things that Perez really excels at – ability to extend a stint, manage the tyres, the way he’s always there when someone else messes up – are more suited to what Red Bull need in 2021. He’s also raced all this year, so there’s no chance of rustiness.

That, and Perez is a far more commercially attractive proposition than Hulkenberg, Gasly, or anyone else they might have considered to replace Albon. He’s their best bet both on the track and off it.
Neil (@neilosjames)

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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44 comments on “Change off-camber corners to improve racing at Yas Marina – Ocon”

  1. I think construction work should start immediatly at Yas Marina

    Since we are dispaching the bulldozzers already, perhaps demolishing the thing wouldn’t be that bad of an idea

    All that space, all that money to make that ridiculous circuit

    Imagine having layouts off the calender, such as Mugello, Portimão, Nurburgring and race in that forsaken place

    At least copy one of those. Hell why don’t they take Portimão’s circuit put it in there and that’s it. Too difficult? Even better go to Portugal, race in that amazing place and call it Abu Dhabi GP or whatever you wanna call it. Portimão has a Marina too, what more do they want

    Abu Dhabi GP at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve

    call me up Stefano

    1. Cambering corners is surely the solution for tracks with overtaking issues. Relatively easy fix too.

      It’s especially important to Yas Marina as it’s otherwise a very good track that equalizes the field with a nice mix of features, and not many tracks you can say that of.

    2. @johnmilk the infrastructure for Portimao is reportedly pretty dreadful though, and not having a large number of fans turn up probably disguised those problems (if you think that Paul Ricard had access problems, Portimao reportedly is significantly worse).

      1. I know anon, I was there this year, access is awful, I managed to escape the chaos, but some people were still in the parking lot at 8 p.m.

        The number of fans that reportedly turned up however isn’t the same number as the number of fans that actual were there with valid tickets wink wink, someone got griddy and tried to hide it

      2. Why do tracks insist on not having public transport to somewhere, if not on the door, then at least in reasonable walking distance? That would make access a lot easier!

    3. Lol, Abu Dhabi GP at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Only way the Abu Dhabi gp is going to get some elevation changes.
      I reckon a slightly scaled up version, and a back straight would make for a great permanent f1 venue.

  2. I think eliminating the turn 8-9 chicane and making it one high speed corner would be great.

    1. AJ (@asleepatthewheel)
      21st December 2020, 3:28

      They say the run off is a bit of a problem due to the grandstands. I’m sure they can demolish a section and push it further back to extend the runoff in 1 year given the unlimited oil money.

      1. @asleepatthewheel This is a different part of the track. The point about runoff only concerns the hairpin preceding the longest straight. T8 and T9 are the corners following that straight.

        1. AJ (@asleepatthewheel)
          25th December 2020, 3:24

          @jerejj apologies for having got my numbering wrong. Was referring to the turn 5-6-7 complex.

    2. https://imgur.com/Pm64j1O
      I know there’s not enough runoff in the first hairpin and Ferrari World is behinfdthe granstands but you can build the same hairpin 20 meters before the current one.
      If you remove the triple chicane after the second straight and build a positive camber corner like San Donato or Tarzan you hace a great circuit

      1. AJ (@asleepatthewheel)
        23rd June 2021, 5:51

        They heard you! @doctorlovesexy

        1. I would gladly accept a Paddock Club Pass in Yas Marina as a payment.

  3. Never understood why they would purposefully make so many corners off camber.
    Even in a road car off camber corners feel unsafe and weird.

    1. @theoddkiwi Martin Brundle has said many times in the past that off-camber corners used to be called ‘error generators’ as it’s far easier to make mistakes in those corners & that the thinking process was that having corners where mistakes were more likely would lead to more overtaking opportunities should a driver lock a brake or run a bit wide in them.

      I’m not sure it’s ever really worked out that way though.

      1. Yep, i dont recal many drivers making mistakes on these sorts of corners.
        The only racing where off camber really catches is rallying. But that because they cant memorise all the corners.

      2. Its never one thing, if you consider the cars are quiet and wallowy, a whale next to pre hybrids dolphins, the season is often already done by the time we get there and all the glitter and glamour only heightens a fairly anaemic track. Thankfully going to different circuits with positive camber has been an eye opener for overtakes. All this rip it up nonsense is totally un-necessary, camber is a cheap and quick way to trial improvements.

        But really the spiritual home of the last race is Brazil, with all the colour the fans bring and the gently crumbling circuit is a real test of car and driver, ‘a drivers circuit’ as Murray used to questionably call it.

  4. Every year we have this same discussion about how to improve the Yas Marina circuit but nothing changes. It’s time for F1 and circuit bosses to finally do something about this track. Surely they don’t like to receive this negative criticism year in, year out, and for it to be the last race of the year always puts a downer at the end of the season. The circuit was built for F1, so it should be fantastic and as there in theory no limits to their creativity, but instead it’s often considered the worst on the calendar every year.

  5. It’s the most fantastic looking circuit at night but Grand Prix Cars have outgrown a racing facility where opportunity to pass can only happen at racing speeds by DRS.
    Whoever gets passed, passes back. Lap after lap.
    Very stupid too.
    Maybe this place has become boring.
    Let’s get rid of it.
    Fix it or there will be a new Grand Prix.

    1. I agree with most of what you write there H67. Where I think your comment is completely wrong though, is that you metion the place has “become” boring, and that GP cars have “outgrown” it.

      Thing is, it always WAS boring. And it never suited the F1 cars since the first race.

      1. Same with Catalunya and Paul Ricard

      2. When I saw that bldg turn blue at night at a nighttime GrandPrix kind of blew my mind.
        What an amazing thing to see and how magnificent the cars look under the lights. Its like what the hell are they doing to Formula One?? It was stunning to see and at a time when Racecars screamed.
        I dug the place then, it was good for F1.
        Maybe it’s still OK but qualifying really sets the tone for the whole race most years. If you lose positions at the start you don’t have a chance. But that’s racing. It’s supposed to be a challenge of technology where men from many nations literally fight as in warfare where their battles challenge the nations in pursuit of victory by racing machine instead of killing machines. The better technology usage idea So at some point the idea of this amazing stadium area combined with a dusk to dark race. Buildings on the race course that change colors and the image of F1 then.
        That was Abu Dahbi
        It was cool.

    2. I never liked the layout or the venue and i have never felt the novelty of the illumination and pit exit ever worked. Ugly. The cars did not outgrown this one. It was never any good. The beginning of s3 is interesting, the only good thing I can say about it. Korea has a similar concept, I like that layout better. India is just different. Abu Dhabi is not an oval but it is dull like one yet incredibly complex.

  6. There is only one solution for Yas Marina, to never race there again. Same applies to Sochi.

    1. And Paul Ricard.

      1. And Catalunya

        1. I wonder if for Catalunya it would help to not to pre-season testing there, and also to remove to last chicane? I have to admit I have a soft spot for Catalunya, but I also see that F1 racing there isn’t very good.

        2. We’re just sick of Catalunya as netm eludes to. Sochi is not as bad of a race as Abu Dhabi but the layout is even less inspiring. Paul Ricard’s race is bad but it is not an horrendous senseless track if you can get past the silly blue waves, hey Abu Dhabi has them too. Banish all tracks with stupid tarmac run-offs.

  7. Another record (of sorts) to Hamilton: most Sports Personality ‘podiums’ with six – beating the previous record of five held by Steve Davis.

    Andy Murray still holds the record for ‘titles’ with three, but Hamilton joins a fairly elite group of just five sportspeople to have won it twice. Interesting two of the others making up that group of five are also F1 drivers: Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.

    The award is one of the longest running, having been awarded each year since 1954 and, unsurprisingly, featuring in that time a roll-call of some very illustrious names – and the odd eyebrow-raiser. Hamilton’s (ongoing) 13 year span of picking up awards is by far the longest for any sportsperson in that time.

    1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      21st December 2020, 11:50

      Ronnie O’Sullivan deserved it I think for career achievements, like the time AP McCoy got one for the horse racing, although he’s had a controversial year.

      1. @fullcoursecaution hard to negate Ham matching an all time record but I would have given it to Ronnie to, not like Hamilton has anyone to beat but Bottas. F1 is not much of a sport.

    2. @mrfabulous
      Take nothing from Hamilton who deserves every award/nomination this year for his 7th world title and for being outspoken about racial issues. However, I noticed – after Tyson Fury didn’t want to be nominated for the award – by the BBC how flawed the nomination system is.

      The fact that very fine British world champions weren’t even on the podium when they were in their prime raises a lot of questions. For example, Tyson Fury wasn’t on the podium this year and even in 2018 after his comeback against Wilder despite the fact that he had an impact beyond the sporting standpoint by opening up about mental health issues and demonstrating how to overcome them.

      Lennox Lewis the last undisputed heavyweight champion who won it in 1999 was never on the podium except that year despite he has a lengthy career dominating the heavyweight division.

      Ronnie O’Sullivan won his 6th world Snooker championship at 45 years of the age which is an extraordinary achievement given the fact that he also suffered from mental health issues.

      Boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed arguably the greatest ever featherweight in the history who captured the imagination of Boxing fans around the world in the 90s and who have had an impact beyond the sport for as a British proud with his Yemeni origins was never on the podium despite that he reigned the featherweight division from 1995 till 2001.

      Just my opinion, I think the BBC sport personality of the year is just a meaningless award that cannot be taken seriously but that doesn’t mean that Lewis isn’t worthy of it. He deserves every award for his achievements this year.

    3. Sports Personality of the Year is a combination of sports media (who decide the nominees) and the public (who pick who wins). The extent to which it can be taken seriously is affected by the seriousness of which one takes media and general public opinions.

      1. I don’t really understand the term sports “personality” in what the BBC give to someone each year. I take the meaning of this word as how they come across as a person and not what they archive. In terms of personality, I would have thought even hamilton fans would admit that his interviews often seem to be a collection of automatic words that often don’t make sense. Such as the best fans ever at every circuit (admittedly not as much this year). But still, personality wise, I wouldn’t say he is as likeable as many other drivers. So I feel they take the word to a different meaning that I don’t really get. Maybe someone could explain? His achievements and ability are both incredible, but what is that to do with personality of the year?

  8. Jalopnik, a website with ad revenues and thousand views can’t afford a 8€/month subscription to F1TV ?

    So, justify it watching races on a perv and abusive p*rn site.

    And it gets relayed here on Racefans, a major F1 news source.

    I’ll come back, but now I’m vomiting 🤮

    1. I didn’t read the article @jeff1s, so I didn’t get to that bit of ‘interest’ but the summary struck me as the article perhaps missing the public for the car it ogled after it was stopped from smashing into them, with how the ‘free’ F1 race was a by-catch of pornhub apparently (finally?) is feeling forced to act against assault and (child-)abuse and other unchecked illegal stuff, to avoid them being closed.

      Thanks for the summary, no need to get them a view.

    2. @jeff1s I don’t think Jalopnik approves of the copyright protocols that result in subscriptions being required to watch content in the first place (some Pornhub content did not require a subscription, only registration). As such, it’s an argument of principle, not affordability. The writer did point out there was a greater good being served, i.e. ending abuse on the platform.

  9. You could watch F1 on Pornhub?

    1. I’m assuming nobody was watching any Abu Dhabi races.

    2. Hardly surprising, given the lack of content moderation. (To put this into perspective, when removing videos with no verification at all, over half of them were removed).

  10. I feel like I’ve read Ocon’s words closer to the race weekend already. Nevertheless, I can only really echo my point from previous articles: We won’t know how the 2022 cars fare when following another car on tracks such as the Yas Marina Circuit, Sochi Autodrom, Circuit de Catalunya, Hungaroring, Albert Park, etc., until they’ve got actual running in racing conditions, so better to wait with possible track modifications until at least the second year of the next aero cycle once we’ve had a full season of the new generation cars in proper action.

    COTD: I agree.

    Australian GP: I reckon, two things will eventually determine whether the Australian GP can take place as the season-opener: Firstly, the travelling circus has to get in the country, i.e., get an exemption from possible international travel restrictions if necessary because without the teams, drivers, anyone, there isn’t going to be a race. The second is spectators in attendance, which is a necessity for any temporary track to cover the costs of the build-up process that commences two+ months in advance for more or less every street circuit. Holding an event without attendance is an option to any extent only for permanent venues.

  11. Liberty keep dancing around saying how they want to make the races more interesting, and throw out ideas that the drivers (to begin with) think are nonsense (im waiting for Liberty to suggest cooking oil on turn 5 of any given track). Whereas they could simply tinker with the track itself rather than race format to make significant steps towards achieving something everyone wants.. Or is that just thinking too simply??

  12. Improve Yas Marina? Tear it down and re-build it……..somewhere else!

Comments are closed.