Grand Prix Rejects

One of the most oft-quoted complaints about Formula 1 of late is that it is becoming more and more like a video game. And at the same time, people are regularly unimpressed by modern circuit design. After seeing these complaints time and time again, a thought occurred to me: why not?

Building a racing circuit is an expensive undertaking, and there is no real formula that guarantees success; indeed, I think Tilke's biggest problem is that he tries to break quality racing down into a mathematical equation. But since video games are virtual, it's far easier to create fantastic circuits, and so this made me wonder - are there any circuits from video games that you would like to see built in some way, shape or form?

Personally, there are some in GRID AUTOSPORT that I think would be phenomenal - the Champs-Elyesse layout in Paris, and Marina Gate in Barcelona. Both are a mix of rhythmic sweepers broken up by heavy braking zones and the odd blind crest or corner that are lots of fun to drive (in the right car).

Trial Mountain and Grand Valley Speedway from Gran Turismo without a doubt.

Karjala for NR2003.

On this topic I think this is what makes the Abu Dhabi track so disappointing. With the money that they pumped into it they really could have done something epic, but the most radical thing they did was have a pitlane that goes under the track - cool, but so much potential missed.

Cape ring, especially the outer course.

For a few years now, I have been a member of an online forum which specializes in fantasy racetrack design. Some people draw their tracks with computer graphics, some by hand (like me, but there are not many left of those who do) and some even go to the length of transferring a design by themselves with a software called Bob's Track Builder to make it raceable in a computer game (!)

The archive of the forum http://tentenths.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=59 is full of great (and not-so-great) fictional track designs. And a large number of those have much better flow and more beautiful corner shapes than what Bureau Tilke has come up with in recent years. Yet, Tilke's influence can clearly be felt amongst modern day fantasy track designs as well.

Feel free to have a look into the archive and discuss your favourites (I guess they are not likely to be designed by me because I haven't come up with any in a long time, mostly due to other priorities).

Too bad Tilke's circuits have gotten so formulaic. He basically tries to put the same features into every track, and those are a stadium section, long straights with sharp corners on both ends, an Esses section of corners with varying radius and camber, corners inspired by Istambul Park's Turn 8, and chicanes consisting of tight and sharp turns. This way, aero efficiency is paramount on all of them, and thus, the one constructor who has figured out best how to win at Barcelona is the most likely to win at all of them. Tilke does not design his circuits with the variety of the F1 calendar in mind, but with the owners in mind who want a little bit of everything. So they get a little bit of everything, with the result that their property will not turn into a new Brands Hatch, not a new Dijon-Prenois, not a new Spa-Francorchamps, but a new Shanghai International maybe.

Gran Turismo 1 version of Special Stage Route 11, where the track uses the underpass with that bastard of a chicane.

/thread

FullMetalJack wrote:Gran Turismo 1 version of Special Stage Route 11, where the track uses the underpass with that bastard of a chicane.

/thread

...yep. I gotta agree here.

AustralianStig wrote:Trial Mountain and Grand Valley Speedway from Gran Turismo without a doubt.

These can flank SS11 on the podium.

On top of the aforementioned Gran Turismo circuits (Grand Valley, Trial Mountain, SSR11 and Cape Ring) I would add Deep Forest Raceway, Red Rock Valley, Grindelwald (hugely underrated IMO), Apricot Hill, Rome Night, Seattle, El Capitan and Costa di Amalfi (and probably a few others I'm forgetting!). I also like the new Circuito de la Sierra so far.

SSR11,

Ataxia wrote:

FullMetalJack wrote:Gran Turismo 1 version of Special Stage Route 11, where the track uses the underpass with that bastard of a chicane.

/thread

...yep. I gotta agree here.

Same here.

My favourite fictional tracks are:

Cape Ring
Red Rock Valley
Seattle
SSR11
High Speed Ring
Autumn Ring

All from GT cos GT is awesome. HWNSNBM made it awesome

Baby Park

Camino Vejo de Montserrat from Forza 4

I should also mention Carrier Zone from Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed.

Hot Air Skyway from Crash Team Racing

This might sound like an odd one, but there are some fantastic roads in GRAND THEFT AUTO V, even if they're not circuits.

El Capitan from the old GT games was beast, as is Deep Forest Raceway.

My favourite fictional track is Tiburon Raceway in PSP's NASCAR game. 1 lap in 12-13 seconds, and the pitlane is longer than the racetrack, running underneath the grandstands...

dr-baker wrote:My favourite fictional track is Tiburon Raceway in PSP's NASCAR game. 1 lap in 12-13 seconds, and the pitlane is longer than the racetrack, running underneath the grandstands...

I can still race on that circuit if I want Good ol' NASCAR 09

I have also seen an older version of Tiburon that is 3 miles long, runs clockwise, and the turns are banked at 40 degees.

Citta di Aria and New York Street Circuit from GT4, with Apricot Hill and Mid-field on the side

GT has always had the best fictional circuits. Trial Mountain will always be my favourite, but Deep Forest is close behind and absolutely beast on a bike in Tourist Trophy (the motorbike equivalent of Gran Turismo).

Never got the fuss over SSR11 in Gran Turismo. If you like that, why don't you also rave about Complex String?

Others I can remember are Loch Lomond from TOCA 2 and Chalk Canyon from Destruction Derby 2.

watka wrote: Others I can remember are Loch Rannoch from TOCA 2 and Chalk Canyon from Destruction Derby 2.

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ANd yeah, Loch Rannoch is pretty fun, going over those jumps and exploring those very narrow lanes for alternate routes. And the jumps

TheFlyingCaterham wrote:

watka wrote: Others I can remember are Loch Rannoch from TOCA 2 and Chalk Canyon from Destruction Derby 2.

Fixed
ANd yeah, Loch Rannoch is pretty fun, going over those jumps and exploring those very narrow lanes for alternate routes. And the jumps

I will add to that Misty Loch off of Ferrari Racing Legends. Scottish, long, fast, twisty and feckin' dangerous.

The Sunob bonus track on F1 1997 was a monster of a track as well. Elevation changes, fair few fast curves; I found it a hugely enjoyable and rewarding track, with the slight exception of the fiddly final few corners.

Apart from most GT tracks, I have one soft spot for Dinosaur Canyon (Daytona USA).

watka wrote:Never got the fuss over SSR11 in Gran Turismo. If you like that, why don't you also rave about Complex String?

I forgot about Complex String! I loved testing cars on it. That had just about everything.

Simtek wrote:

watka wrote:Never got the fuss over SSR11 in Gran Turismo. If you like that, why don't you also rave about Complex String?

I forgot about Complex String! I loved testing cars on it. That had just about everything.

Those Esses over the humps were the best

Beat that, Tilke!

I always thought Seattle Circuit would have made a good alternative to Detroit and Phoenix for the F1 cars in those days.

My all time favorites are seoul and high speed ring

I've always liked Autumn ring.

Midfield Raceway from GT3/4. It reminded me of a better AIDA.