Kevin Magnussen, Haas, Bahrain International Circuit, 2022

COTA has “some of the coolest corners in F1” but “too much run-off” – Magnussen

RaceFans Round-up

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In the round-up: Austin’s Formula 1 track appeals to Kevin Magnussen, though he has one criticism.

In brief

Magnussen in two minds about COTA layout

Kevin Magnussen, Haas, Circuit of the Americas, 2019
Magnussen says there’s a lot to like about COTA
Ahead of his return to the Circuit of the Americas for the first time since 2019, Magnussen described the 10-year-old facility as one of F1’s best, with few shortcomings.

“It’s a great track, especially sector one, it’s super high-speed,” he said. “The ‘Esses’ I think are actually some of the coolest corners in F1. There’s a bit too much run-off for my liking but the layout itself is very cool, so I’m looking forward to going back there.

“[Turn one] is a pretty unique corner. It becomes very wide towards the apex, you can’t actually see the track as it’s over a crest and it’s super-wide. The apex itself is very narrow so it creates opportunities for a lot of different lines.”

Drivers often go wide at the first corner, particularly on the opening lap. But the FIA has enforced track limits more strictly this year than last, when turns nine and 19 were singled out for attention by the FIA.

The track surface is another regular problem, Magnussen added. “It has become very bumpy, so some years when we get there it’s super-bumpy and then others, they grind down those bumps so the circuit changes its character a little bit in that way.” Parts of the track were resurfaced again this year ahead of Moto GP’s visit there for its race in April, following complaints from riders the year before.

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HMD Motorsports completes eight-car Indy Lights line-up

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HMD Motorsports have eight drivers signed up for Indy Lights next season, with Rasmus Lindh and Josh Pierson the latest additions.

Lindh, a 21-year-old from Sweden, has been attempting to make it into the series for several years. In 2020 he signed with Belardi Auto Racing but the season was cancelled, and then the team folded. Last year he lacked the budget to compete until the final three rounds.

Since finishing second in USF Pro 2000 (previously known as Indy Pro 2000) in 2019, Lindh has primarily raced LMP3 prototype sportscars in America.

Pierson is also more often seen in prototypes, having raced in America, Asia and Europe this year in a LMP2 car run by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown’s United Autosport team. The 16-year-old is the Le Mans 24 Hours’ youngest ever starter, and was class winner in this year’s Sebring 1000 Miles race. He spent his first two years in cars racing in USF2000.

There are now 11 drivers confirmed on the 2023 Indy Lights grid, with at least six more cars anticipated to be filled across the five other teams.

Ferrari name six drivers for World Scouting Final

The third edition of the Ferrari Driver Academy’s World Scouting Final will feature an expand list of six finalists, and will take place at Ferrari’s factory and test sites on 24th-28th October.

There are two karters among the six, Australia’s Jack Beeton and Emirati Rashid Al Dhaheri, then four drivers who race in Formula 4. The entry-level single-seater cars will be used by the drivers in tests at Ferrari’s Fiorano track.

The F4 racers are Formula Academy Finland star and World Karting Championship runner-up Tuukka Taponen, NACAM F4 race-winner Jesse Carrasquedo Jnr, New South Wales Formula Race Car series frontrunner Gianmarco Pradel and Emmo Fittipaldi, the son of two-times Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

The winner of the final is in contention to become an F1 junior with Ferrari and secure a Ferrari-funded drive in F4 next year.

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Social media

Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:

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Comment of the day

McLaren have been the most vocal team since the FIA published its findings revealing Red Bull broke F1’s new Financial Regulations, but there may be politics at play as to why a midfield team has written to the FIA rather than Red Bull’s closest rivals Mercedes and Ferrari.

The team bosses talk, and McLaren is a Mercedes client. It’s good politics to have Brown make this statement, because if Wolff had done so, people would be quick to dismiss it as him being sour over the 2021 season.

Mercedes and Ferrari have a lot to gain from making this stick to Red Bull. And given how Red Bull has acted when Mercedes and Ferrari had their disagreements with the F1, they probably aren’t going to be sympathetic.
MichaelN

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Daykind and Estesark!

Author information

Ida Wood
Often found in junior single-seater paddocks around Europe doing journalism and television commentary, or dabbling in teaching Photography back in the UK. Currently based...

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23 comments on “COTA has “some of the coolest corners in F1” but “too much run-off” – Magnussen”

  1. Proestechen_nli
    19th October 2022, 0:37

    Kevin is the office drone constantly reminding everyone else how super hardcore he is by complaining about the coffee maker not offering any temperature options beyond merely scolding hot.

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      BasCB (@bascb)
      19th October 2022, 8:07

      :-)

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    Darryn Smith (@darryn)
    19th October 2022, 0:53

    I’m sure his teammate will figure out a way to use all the run-off.

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      Red Andy (@red-andy)
      19th October 2022, 8:34

      And it’s a useful place for Kev to leave bits of his front wing without disrupting the race too much, @darryn.

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    Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
    19th October 2022, 1:49

    Dreary COTA, how I meh you.

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      GeeMac (@geemac)
      19th October 2022, 4:56

      Glad I’m not the only one who feels this way about COTA. It seems to be so universally loved but I am really indifferent about the track. It’s all a bit “F1 by numbers” for me in the way it so openly copied other circuits. It’s just got no soul. Also, don’t get me started about the unbelievably wide pit lane that negates the point of getting a ticket in the main grandstand.

      I honestly believe if the COTA layout had been in Abu Dhabi, everyone would hate it.

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        BasCB (@bascb)
        19th October 2022, 8:09

        I honestly believe if the COTA layout had been in Abu Dhabi, everyone would hate it.

        I don’t think that is true @geemac. To me, if they had put this layout in place of the flashy hotel parkground track they have it would have been far better for racing.

        I do agree that the track, while great on paper, lacks character because of how it was made. But there are far worse tracks on the calendar.

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        MacLeod (@macleod)
        19th October 2022, 8:13

        Not really if they were smart they would made a circuit with bumps (altitude difference) with the layout of COAT and everyone would love it but Abu Dhabi is too flat which is pretty difficult to make something good of it.

        1. jff
          19th October 2022, 9:24

          Abu Dhabi is too flat which is pretty difficult to make something good of it

          Still beyond me why they didn’t include a glass tube tunnel through the marina.

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          BasCB (@bascb)
          19th October 2022, 16:26

          Isn’t the elevation at CotA as much man made as the one bump at Abu Dhabi though @macleod? I think they could have probably done something like this there if they had felt it was worthwhile. But they rather invested more in a shiny lights hotel – Bernie loved that kind of stuff too, as do the rolex touting VIPs he saw as F1s target audience (the ones that will feel like fish in the water in the Vegas paddock, I guess. So really not a big change).

          1. Adam Tate
            19th October 2022, 23:22

            The elevation there is pretty much all natural. They found a nice hill for Turn 1 and built it around that.

      3. MichaelN
        19th October 2022, 10:01

        COTA has too many slow corners, and the fast ones are all strung together. At Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, there is a much better balance between these elements. Also, Texas looks like a desert because nobody bothered to plant some trees after they were done building the track.

        1. Adam Tate
          19th October 2022, 23:24

          It’s environment is known as a blackland prairie, which is characterized by grasslands, shrubs and small trees. They have done some good work to preserve that habitat near the track. Though, adding some pretty shade trees would be nice. There are plenty of tree species native to that part of Texas that would provide fans a bit of much needed shade from the hot Texas sunshine.

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        Bradders (@bradders)
        19th October 2022, 10:50

        100% agree. Cookie cutter track.

        Not that you see any of the cult hit anyway, with F1 directors preferring to zoom into the whites of the drivers eyes. They could be racing around a car park, for all you can see.

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          Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
          19th October 2022, 19:48

          @bradders 1.000.000% agree.

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        Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
        19th October 2022, 19:48

        @geemac 100% Agree.

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      Unicron (@unicron2002)
      19th October 2022, 12:17

      @peartree @geemac I’m with you guys. I’ve always felt like I’m on the only one on this site that doesn’t totally love the place. I just don’t get all the praise for the place.

      Tilkedrome built in the middle of tree-less scrubland surrounded by acres of car park run off. That could describe Sakhir, Shanghai, Yeongam, Buddh, or Austin.

  4. Ambrogio Isgro
    19th October 2022, 10:07

    How many Fittipaldi there are? Pietro, Enzo, Emmo… who’s next? :D

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      Jere (@jerejj)
      19th October 2022, 11:39

      @Ambrogio Isgro Christian

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        Serg (@serg33)
        19th October 2022, 12:56

        Also Wilson.

    2. JA
      19th October 2022, 15:53

      Someone has to rival the Andretti’s.

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    Qeki (@qeki)
    19th October 2022, 10:50

    They still do Formula Ford? I thought it was dead long time ago

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    Jere (@jerejj)
    19th October 2022, 11:39

    COTA isn’t the only modern track with plenty of runoff space.

    I also remembered what Seb did next & also that Wehrlein provided the pick-up ride.

    COTD couldn’t be more accurate.

Comments are closed.