Revisions to turn 10 at the Circuit de Catalunya have made it similar in shape to the original version of the corner.
Turn 10 at the 30-year-old circuit was previously remodelled by Hermann Tilke in 2004 to create a tighter bend which was expected to provide a better overtaking opportunity. While F1 used the new corner, Moto GP continued to use the original, faster bend.That changed in 2016, when Moto GP switched to the slower corner following the death of Moto 2 rider Luis Salom in a crash at the track. However the bend was not popular with Moto GP riders, notably Valentino Rossi, who described it as a “supermarket parking” corner.
A new version of the bend has been created ahead of this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, which is the fourth round on the 2021 F1 calendar. Both F1 and Moto GP will use the new curve, which is similar to the original bend, but has been brought inwards from the barrier to create more room for run-off.
In a further change, much of the asphalt run-off has been replaced with gravel, explained the circuit’s general manager José Luis Santamaría.
“The braking point is different and we have extended the run-off area. We have the asphalt area in the first part. After that we have the gravel bed with a TecPro barrier for formula [racing] and touring cars.”
The changes allow the circuit to use a version of the corner which is similar to the original while offering a larger run-off area.
“If we compare the historical one with the new one we are getting [more] distance from the edge of the track,” Santamaría added. “It’s about 50 metres. And now it is safer, the turn, that the historical one. The riders didn’t like the turn 10 . The FIA and FIM decided to work together and have a new turn with the best safety for the drivers.”
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Video: Previous changes to the Circuit de Catalunya
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Jere (@jerejj)
23rd February 2021, 13:58
I prefer slighter turning angles in general, so I like this change, although the long-ish right of T12 will have a slightly tighter entry as a result. I wish F1 tried without the S3 chicane again.
Stephen Higgins
23rd February 2021, 13:59
There’s still that abhorrent chicane at the end of the lap …
Alex
23rd February 2021, 14:44
Yeah, that looks so wrong.
Dave
23rd February 2021, 23:40
IMO the chicane shouldn’t be used for F1 racing any longer. It didn’t improve overtaking at all, and no terrible F1 accidents at Europcar happened at all (apart from when we lost Luis Salom)…
Mouse_Nightshirt (@mouse_nightshirt)
24th February 2021, 16:19
I was under the impression that the purpose of that chicane was to reduce speeds into the final corner due to increased F1 speeds and a fairly small run-off area.
Sacha Gortchakoff (@gosac)
5th May 2021, 10:23
Maybe you are right, but we should not mention that ;-)
I thought it was for having an utterly usual stop-and-go section (everybody hates).
The track was far better without the usual mimicry “out of the hat” chicane.
There was a driver who suggested that, some days ago — Kando or Carlos, I believe
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
23rd February 2021, 14:05
This is how I think tarmac run offs should be designed. A strip of tarmac right ahead of the preceding straight, but then almost nothing alongisde the exit of the corner. There are plenty of corners in the calendar where you see the run off going aaaaaall along the kerbs on the exit of the corner. The last turn at Austria for example.
Sad they didn’t restore the last sector of the track too, tho. The chicane is horrible.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
23rd February 2021, 15:29
@fer-no65 I’m with you there, it annoys me so much when there is a car park of tarmac at the exit of a hairpin. Turn 1 at Austin I’m looking at you…
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
23rd February 2021, 14:17
I’ve never liked the tighter T10 introduced in 2004 so it’s nice to see them revert to something closer to the original layout. Just a shame they couldn’t just go back to using the original corner as it was.
Just wish they could do something about that awful chicane a few corners later, Think that is one of the worst corners of the entire season. Totally ruins the flow of the track, Cars always look slow/clunky through it so It’s horrid to watch the cars drive through, It’s awful to drive on the games & worst of all it robs us of 2 fantastic corners.
mmertens (@mmertens)
23rd February 2021, 18:03
Let’s hope this trend of undoing the “Tilkeism” in the circuits keep spreading! Dropping that horrible chicane would be awesome.
faulty (@faulty)
23rd February 2021, 18:44
Isn’t the run from T10 to T12 uphill? And thus why the original layout couldn’t have more runoff space before the barrier, @stefmeister? So safety was the factor there, do you know what the rationale for the awful chicanes was?
Mr Jack McMullan
23rd February 2021, 22:13
If you have to make a corner or whole circuit rubbish in order to make it safe then just don’t race there.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
23rd February 2021, 14:22
Salom didn’t die at that corner. I get that motogp elected to try a safer version of the track but 2018’s first lap proved what bikes already know, no chicanes or hairpins.
Balue (@balue)
23rd February 2021, 16:53
The track shouldn’t be on the F1 calendar at all. Before DRS it was even worse than Monaco for overtaking, and that says it all. Even after DRS, it’s still useless, and the changes now means nothing unless they get cambered.
zomtec (@zomtec)
23rd February 2021, 17:20
No one likes the chicane, MotoGP doesn’t use it, so why F1.
Bengi Baris (@bengibaris)
23rd February 2021, 19:08
F1 still uses the chicane due to the safety concerns; but at least the circuit management should have tried to alter or move the chicane a bit on the upper side in order to increase the speed on the last corner and improve the possibility of overtaking at the end of start/finish straight.
zomtec (@zomtec)
23rd February 2021, 21:08
Where’s the safety concern at the two corners? Compared with T5 Melbourne, T10 Hungary, or Piratella in Imola I don’t see any issues here.
anon
23rd February 2021, 21:26
@zomtec the argument given was that the cornering speeds through the final corner were approaching the point where the available run off area was now becoming inadequate.
khm78 (@khm)
23rd February 2021, 19:12
This is like putting a bandaid on a cadaver…
VINICIUS BEVILAQUA NEVES
23rd February 2021, 22:47
If turn 10 was a supermarket parking curve, what is the last chicane there? Simply ridiculous.
Saffa
24th February 2021, 5:48
So a c few years ago the gave tilke to fix the circuit to make overtaking opportunities. Instead he messed it up especially with that mickey mouse chicane. They didn’t wanna put tire chicanes on a circuit a few years ago for safety but they allowed that narrow piece of tarmac chicane that completely messed up over taking on that lovely long straight. There could’ve so much more imagination put into that final chicane. Any 12 year old child with a passion for track design could’ve made that. Instead we had to be put through years of watching a chicane mess up possible overtakings.
Why can’t they give some other company a chance to give their ideas for track design. Or make it a process where 3 companies each submit their ideas and the best ideas gets used. Tilke is definitely not putting his all into his ideas.
Cristian Ingles (@doctorlovesexy)
24th February 2021, 11:26
This circuit needs just 1 change: Ditch the last chicane and make the last turn a banked corner like in Zandvoort if, as they say, there is not enough runoff
Sacha Gortchakoff (@gosac)
5th May 2021, 12:11
GUYS, nice !
can we forward a petition to the FOM please ?
concerning this last chicane