2013 Belgian GP - Spa

[Harsha]

A Noob Question but i want to ask it any way
Who designed this Circuit ??

[turbof1]

Fagnes and combes probably aren't contiously designed as chicanes, but do work in that manner. I do understand your opinion. It all boils down to how strict you define chicane. Fagnes especially can go for me either way. Les combes, I still see that as a clear cut chicane, because the circuit there is too narrow to carry enough speed through it.

It is also the nature of the track: it requires you to throw off alot of downforce. If cars ran the same corners on a different track where more downforce is required, the view could change completely. But in the context of Spa Franconchamps, they are for me personally chicanes, albeit not completely the cliche chicanes.

[Richard]

A Noob Question but i want to ask it any way
Who designed this Circuit ??

No one in the modern sense of designing a circuit. Older circuits were created by organisers taking advatage of whatever was available. For example Silverstone which was the perimeter road of an old airfield.

Spa is a loop formed by public roads that were closed for the event, although most are no longer public roads. Hence "Bus stop" chicane was literally a chicane near a bus stop.

Wiki has a good explanation of the history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_de ... ncorchamps

[turbof1]

That isn't completely true. The present Spa incorporates a large percentage of original circuit specific road. The original Spa, being much larger, was all public road. But of that original circuit, not much is left. Corners that were there and still are now, for instance les combes, were also heavily modified. Les combes used to be a high speed s corner, and was redesigned to be much slower.

[SectorOne]

(turbo was faster)

But from Les Combes to Stavelot is not public roads, it´s been designed. The rest is previously public roads with some modification throughout the years. (as far as i know)

[Richard]

Agreed, its a circuit that has evolved over time. It's not possible to point to one person who designed it.

[turbof1]

They should all be praised to keep the elevation differences in it. Pouhon for instance is a magnificent corner. I have seen racing cars going through that corner when I was younger; now I don't remember so much of my youth, but that was really breathtaking.

[SectorOne]

They should all be praised to keep the elevation differences in it.

Well they sort of have no choice on the elevations, it´s built around a hillside,
I believe it´s 100m from the lowest to highest point in SPA. And highest point is Les Combes/Kemmel and Stavelot lowest point.
You can´t really see on TV either but from Stavelot all the way up to Blanchimont is actually slightly up-hill.


Nords is similar but built almost entirely on mountains.

[turbof1]

I wouldn't call hills in the Ardens "mountains" . Just big hills. But you are right, it was a forced situation.

[SectorOne]

It´s essentially the same thing, just that it´s used to describe the different shapes of what once was floating magma.
But yes, i´d say hill is a better term for the Ardennes

According to wiki it seems the cutoff point is either at 300m or 610m above sea level.

This is considered the worlds largest hill, 609m (Canaval Hill)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill

[SectorOne]

Had to go and see just how high up SPA is and the highest point at SPA is about 460m above sea level.
So definitely a hill as you said,

And the lowest part 360 something.

Also checked Nords and most of it is technically built on mountains while the rest is on hills.

[turbof1]

Haha, driven to the core aren't ya . Reminds me of being careful making jokes on such a technical forum . Gotta love it!

[beelsebob]

Surely a chicane has 3 apexes, ie 3 inflections? I think of it as two contraflections - ie a change in the direction of the curvature. For example a left-right chicane has turn left to enter, straighten, turn right, straighten, turn left to exit. Another key feature the radius, it has to be tight enough to slow the cars down!

The FIA doesn't define track layout, hence no formal definition of a chicane. See Annex O clause 7.2 http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/ ... 202013.pdf

Sorry, I wasn't clear, I meant 1 inflection between the corners. Meanwhile an S has 2. In a chicaine you go from turning right to left (or the reverse) without ever lining up with the direction of the track. In an S, you turn past the direction of the track, head across to the other side, and then turn back across the direction of the track.

[beelsebob]

A Noob Question but i want to ask it any way
Who designed this Circuit ??

Some people who built the local road network, then some people who decided to race around those local roads, then a progression of adjustments until the current layout.

[beelsebob]

It´s essentially the same thing, just that it´s used to describe the different shapes of what once was floating magma.
But yes, i´d say hill is a better term for the Ardennes

According to wiki it seems the cutoff point is either at 300m or 610m above sea level.

This is considered the worlds largest hill, 609m (Canaval Hill)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... %2C_OK.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill

The traditional definition was 3000 feet, as defined by a Mr Munro (hence Scotland being filled with Munros), later tweaked to 2500 feet by a Mr Corbet, and has subsequently been tweaked downwards further.