Here is a guest article by Krit Dwivedi or on twitter "@LiteralF1"
The article shows the amazing contrast between Sau Paulo's Interlagos circuit and the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina circuit.
The end of the 2011 Formula One season is nigh and what better place to end it than the land between two lakes? In the heart of one of the most populated, joyous cities in the world which has given us tremendous races, Sao Paulo hosts one of the most anticipated grand prix weekends of the year.
Going from Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi) to Interlagos (Sao Paulo) is akin to paradigm shift for drivers, engineers and fans. Earlier last week I mentioned on my blog how Yas Marina is the polar opposite of Interlagos. It's a comment I got quite a some feedback on and most got what I meant, but after some thought, research and analysis the statement is much more than skin deep. The differences are profound and interesting when put into context of how Formula One has evolved to be a truly global sport. There are three main differences when it comes to both these well received events-
[1] Track-
First and foremost, the most important aspect of every track is the circuit itself. That'll probably sound like an incorrect or confusing statement so let me elucidate - 'track' is the actual race circuit along with the facilities that surround it whilst 'circuit' is tarmac race track where the action happens.
Here's some statistical data before it's interpretation. Autódromo José Carlos Pace at Interlagos is 2.6 miles of twisty, challenging corners giving a lap time of low one minutes whereas the Yas Marina Circuit is a 3.5 mile affair filled with long straights and ninety degree corners giving a lap time close to two minutes. These two tracks could not be more apart in design and mark perhaps the most stark difference in character and layout all year.
Whist Yas Marina is filled with long straights, even the pit straight of Interlagos is not straight, where drivers take an unusual racing line cutting across the pit entry line itself. Down force is crucial at Interlagos, where slow corners necessitating good car balance are profound, which is why I expect the blown diffuser to play a massive role this weekend.
The biggest difference between these two however come in one of the until recently overlooked and crucial aspects of a circuit - elevation. All the truly great tracks like Spa and Suzuka feature great elevation changes which make the circuit enormously more challenging and exciting. Interlagos is absolutely full of it with perhaps the most stark elevation variation amongst all the tracks on the calendar. If the steep changes weren't enough, the track is famous for being notoriously bumpy which makes finding an ideal car setup even harder. It's a track full of challenges. Yas Marina couldn't be more flat like a pancake and it really shows. We've seen the Buddh International Circuit in India actually create artificial undulation, highlighting the importance of elevation.
Perhaps the only common point these circuits share is having an unusual pit exit. Yas Marina deploys an extravagant, tight underpass where as Interlagos provides a tight and twisty exit which is arguably more challenging than most of Yas Marina itself. It's probably no surprise which circuit has had better racing...
[2] Racing History
Whilst this comparison is certainly slightly unfair since Yas Marina has hosted just 3 races whilst Interlagos is a veteran of 28, it doesn't take long to form concrete impressions based on logic regarding which place has given us fans better racing. To make it slightly even, I'll only list the recent races, not classics like 1991 when home legend Ayrton Senna cliched victory despite having only 6th gear towards the end of the race.
Brazil
2003 - The rain, rivers and Jordan's victory. The last true "shock" victory in my view.
2006 - Fernando Alonso's FIA mass damper plagued Renault double world championship victory with Michael's amazing, characteristically fighting drive from being almost a lap down to finishing 5th.
2007 - The titanic battle between Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen with (should have been) Massa's home victory.
2008 - What can I even say to do this race justice? If there ever was a classic, this is it. It'll always be hailed and references. Personally what stood out most was Massa's humility post heartbreak.
2009 - Jenson Button's truly masterful champions drive to be crowned world champion and bizarre wet qualifying.
Abu Dhabi
2009 - Good scrap between Webber and Button till the end which was great to watch but highlighted a problem that would be profound next year...
2010 - Vettel's triumph and Alonso's heartbreak after overtaking proved impossible.
2011 - DRS induced passing down straights making a mockery of overtaking.
[3] Atmosphere and Economy
Whilst Brazil is an upcoming and fast developing country, anyone who has watched the Senna movie or knows about general affairs understands where it's come from - poverty and political instability. Both of these are to an extent still true today. Abu Dhabi offers again, the polar opposite - riches and stable, historic autocratic authority.
Reading spectators experience's it's evident that the atmosphere in both places is great and makes for a wonderful weekend, but there are crucial differences between them. At Yas Marina, it's more more controlled, calm and perhaps subdued. One preferred by autocrats and businessmen donning suit-ties. The people who prefer politely applauding at Wimbledon. The track management ensure features like prominent music artists' performances are part of the race weekend to make it more enticing to casual folk within the Emirates.
Interlagos offers a burst of pure passion from all sections of society which is loud and frantic. Queues go on for meters for even Friday practice and many save money all year to get the chance to see their heroes perform. The are incredibly supportive of their drivers, which have served F1 well - Senna, Barichello and Massa. Motor racing is clearly in their blood. There's no need for Britney Spears here. Artificial lights? Rain will take car of all the glitz.
The track setting also accounts for the differential atmosphere. Yas Marina is on Yas Island, a predominantly "artificial" piece of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of seemingly "no expense spared" will. Autódromo José Carlos Pace is situated in a relatively rural and poor part of Sao Paulo, away from the sky scrapers.
What started off as only a simple statement has now turned into what I'll hope you'll consider an interesting article highlighting the diversity of Formula One's reach. Both races are loved by drivers and teams for different reasons. Yas Marina might provide the very best in facilities but for the fans, racing is paramount and Sao Paulo with it's history and track will always be our preferred choice.
Tweet Krit at @LiteralF1
and visit the blog: http://literalf1.com/
The article shows the amazing contrast between Sau Paulo's Interlagos circuit and the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina circuit.
The end of the 2011 Formula One season is nigh and what better place to end it than the land between two lakes? In the heart of one of the most populated, joyous cities in the world which has given us tremendous races, Sao Paulo hosts one of the most anticipated grand prix weekends of the year.
Going from Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi) to Interlagos (Sao Paulo) is akin to paradigm shift for drivers, engineers and fans. Earlier last week I mentioned on my blog how Yas Marina is the polar opposite of Interlagos. It's a comment I got quite a some feedback on and most got what I meant, but after some thought, research and analysis the statement is much more than skin deep. The differences are profound and interesting when put into context of how Formula One has evolved to be a truly global sport. There are three main differences when it comes to both these well received events-
[1] Track-
First and foremost, the most important aspect of every track is the circuit itself. That'll probably sound like an incorrect or confusing statement so let me elucidate - 'track' is the actual race circuit along with the facilities that surround it whilst 'circuit' is tarmac race track where the action happens.
Here's some statistical data before it's interpretation. Autódromo José Carlos Pace at Interlagos is 2.6 miles of twisty, challenging corners giving a lap time of low one minutes whereas the Yas Marina Circuit is a 3.5 mile affair filled with long straights and ninety degree corners giving a lap time close to two minutes. These two tracks could not be more apart in design and mark perhaps the most stark difference in character and layout all year.
Whist Yas Marina is filled with long straights, even the pit straight of Interlagos is not straight, where drivers take an unusual racing line cutting across the pit entry line itself. Down force is crucial at Interlagos, where slow corners necessitating good car balance are profound, which is why I expect the blown diffuser to play a massive role this weekend.
The biggest difference between these two however come in one of the until recently overlooked and crucial aspects of a circuit - elevation. All the truly great tracks like Spa and Suzuka feature great elevation changes which make the circuit enormously more challenging and exciting. Interlagos is absolutely full of it with perhaps the most stark elevation variation amongst all the tracks on the calendar. If the steep changes weren't enough, the track is famous for being notoriously bumpy which makes finding an ideal car setup even harder. It's a track full of challenges. Yas Marina couldn't be more flat like a pancake and it really shows. We've seen the Buddh International Circuit in India actually create artificial undulation, highlighting the importance of elevation.
Perhaps the only common point these circuits share is having an unusual pit exit. Yas Marina deploys an extravagant, tight underpass where as Interlagos provides a tight and twisty exit which is arguably more challenging than most of Yas Marina itself. It's probably no surprise which circuit has had better racing...
[2] Racing History
Whilst this comparison is certainly slightly unfair since Yas Marina has hosted just 3 races whilst Interlagos is a veteran of 28, it doesn't take long to form concrete impressions based on logic regarding which place has given us fans better racing. To make it slightly even, I'll only list the recent races, not classics like 1991 when home legend Ayrton Senna cliched victory despite having only 6th gear towards the end of the race.
Brazil
2003 - The rain, rivers and Jordan's victory. The last true "shock" victory in my view.
2006 - Fernando Alonso's FIA mass damper plagued Renault double world championship victory with Michael's amazing, characteristically fighting drive from being almost a lap down to finishing 5th.
2007 - The titanic battle between Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen with (should have been) Massa's home victory.
2008 - What can I even say to do this race justice? If there ever was a classic, this is it. It'll always be hailed and references. Personally what stood out most was Massa's humility post heartbreak.
2009 - Jenson Button's truly masterful champions drive to be crowned world champion and bizarre wet qualifying.
Abu Dhabi
2009 - Good scrap between Webber and Button till the end which was great to watch but highlighted a problem that would be profound next year...
2010 - Vettel's triumph and Alonso's heartbreak after overtaking proved impossible.
2011 - DRS induced passing down straights making a mockery of overtaking.
[3] Atmosphere and Economy
Whilst Brazil is an upcoming and fast developing country, anyone who has watched the Senna movie or knows about general affairs understands where it's come from - poverty and political instability. Both of these are to an extent still true today. Abu Dhabi offers again, the polar opposite - riches and stable, historic autocratic authority.
Reading spectators experience's it's evident that the atmosphere in both places is great and makes for a wonderful weekend, but there are crucial differences between them. At Yas Marina, it's more more controlled, calm and perhaps subdued. One preferred by autocrats and businessmen donning suit-ties. The people who prefer politely applauding at Wimbledon. The track management ensure features like prominent music artists' performances are part of the race weekend to make it more enticing to casual folk within the Emirates.
Interlagos offers a burst of pure passion from all sections of society which is loud and frantic. Queues go on for meters for even Friday practice and many save money all year to get the chance to see their heroes perform. The are incredibly supportive of their drivers, which have served F1 well - Senna, Barichello and Massa. Motor racing is clearly in their blood. There's no need for Britney Spears here. Artificial lights? Rain will take car of all the glitz.
The track setting also accounts for the differential atmosphere. Yas Marina is on Yas Island, a predominantly "artificial" piece of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of seemingly "no expense spared" will. Autódromo José Carlos Pace is situated in a relatively rural and poor part of Sao Paulo, away from the sky scrapers.
What started off as only a simple statement has now turned into what I'll hope you'll consider an interesting article highlighting the diversity of Formula One's reach. Both races are loved by drivers and teams for different reasons. Yas Marina might provide the very best in facilities but for the fans, racing is paramount and Sao Paulo with it's history and track will always be our preferred choice.
Tweet Krit at @LiteralF1
and visit the blog: http://literalf1.com/
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