F1 @ Laguna Seca???

"Tareim - V8 powered" (tareimgaml)
10/23/2015 at 15:47 • Filed to: Formula 1

Just watching FP2 and they are saying there could be a second USGP with it being around the California region with a lot of the paddock suggesting it could be Laguna Seca

I really hope this is true to see F1 cars going through the corkscrew

DISCUSSION (16)

Margin Of Error > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 15:55

I don’t think the track is up to specs.

Mazarin > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 15:55

Ooooh maaaaaaaaaannn... Alright, calm down. *breathing into paper bag*

LongbowMkII > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 15:58

too narrow, not enough runoff/safety although I think the cars are quiet enough now(iirc LS has noise ordinances).

jariten1781 > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 15:59

Not enough run off for a modern F1 track, also way short, it’d be like a 90 lap race...If it happens it won’t be the course in any recognizable configuration.

Tareim - V8 powered > Margin Of Error
10/23/2015 at 15:59

yeah that’s what was stated that it’s not currently up to scratch but there is no reason why money couldn’t be spent on it to bring it up to code

Tareim - V8 powered > LongbowMkII
10/23/2015 at 16:01

you can’t really say being to narrow is the reason why as they run street circuits that can get narrow at points

EL_ULY > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:02

they’s basically have to redo the whole track if so.

RallyWrench > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:03

Laguna meets FIA regs for motorcycles, but I don’t think the runoff is up to spec for F1, and the facility can not support it. Not to mention, it would absolutely ruin the circuit financially. No way SCRAMP or anyone else is going to pay the sanctioning fees. It’d be neat, but it should go elsewhere. COTA is bankrupt, by the way, so it remains to be seen what its future holds.

Tareim - V8 powered > jariten1781
10/23/2015 at 16:04

Monaco GP is 0.2 miles shorter than Laguna sec

LongbowMkII > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:07

Monaco is grandfathered in for obvious reasons, but im pretty sure that there are no buildings in barcelona or singapore judging by their street circuits.

FIA rule on track width ( link ):

When planning new permanent circuits, the track width foreseen should be at least 12 m. Where the track width changes, the transition should be made as gradually as possible, at a rate not greater than 1 m in 20 m total width. The width of the starting grid should be at least 15 m; this width must be maintained through to the exit of the fi rst corner (as indicated by the racing line). Existing circuits requesting international recognition but which are narrower, may be approved if national events have regularly been organised on them.

Tareim - V8 powered > EL_ULY
10/23/2015 at 16:07

I don’t see why they would tbh when you have street circuits with no run off at some corners, even Canada has no run off on the final corner aka the wall of champions

jariten1781 > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:08

Much slower track though. Monaco laps are like 1:15 at the fastest, Laguna Seca they’d be near sub one minute.

Tareim - V8 powered > LongbowMkII
10/23/2015 at 16:09

To me as it’s an existing circuit and has run Moto GP then surely it qualifies to run?

Ballzonya > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:27

The ownership and management of the track is kind of a mess right now. They don’t have the big events anymore to bring in money for improvements because they were losing money on those events. There have been several discussions about the management and promotion of the track, but residents of the area are pretty much against any expansion/more events because of noise & traffic. This article from Jalopnik a while back explains the disfunction pretty well:

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/why-running-la…

tromoly > Tareim - V8 powered
10/23/2015 at 16:55

Too short, too narrow, not enough run-off, elevation changes are too abrupt (8/8a, mostly), I believe the camber on a couple corners exceeds the maximum allowed (yes that’s in the track regulations).

None of that is counting the facilities that are nowhere near “F1 level”, i.e. didn’t cost $100 million to build within the last 6 months.

So yeah, won’t be Laguna Seca.

JDIGGS > Ballzonya
10/23/2015 at 17:07

It’s really not that simple. Recently Nascar tried to buy it and make it a non locally run track which is a bad idea for everyone.

Laguna still has the same events it always does, only event is MOTOGP that is gone. Laguna ACTUALLY GAINED an event this year, Pirelli world challenge, always had SCCA run offs. Of course IMSA Tudor and accompanying stuff including the Continental sports car challenge, Yokohama gt3 Cup, Historic Vintage races, Rennsport Porsche reunion, Ferrari Challenge.

Anyways I don’t care about Motogp other than the revenue it brought in, and building up a race track with tons of money just for f1 that will never come, not a great idea either.

In the end I think the right thing to do is keep up with safety Number 1

Number 2 improvements for spectators. Part of the appeal of this track is you can go anywhere to spectate and it’s not crowded. I don’t want that to change, but decent tv screens, and a bleacher around the middle of corkscrew backside (would not impede any current locations at all). Nothing has ever been done or tried here ever. Sadly the idea of improving things for the spectators are morons at companies like Konica Minolta etc putting up ad’s to block us from seeing the track.

Number 3 if pits MUST be expanded which I doubt is the case, expand pit lane further out, the track has a huge pit exit that could easily start later and shove 10 more spots in there. Number 4 level a few more parking lots for spectators.

Number 4 new series like Blancpain, or WEC charge nothing for the first year with a 5 year contract? Obviously EG