Judging Silverstone’s Arena Layout

How did you rate Silverstone’s Arena Layout?

The 2010 British Grand Prix was run on a heavily revised Silverstone layout as the BRDC revamped their beloved circuit to secure its commercial future. Although the initial reaction among drivers was mixed, fans have given the updates their seal of approval after the new series of corners contributed to an entertaining Grand Prix.

The new ‘Arena Layout’ at Silverstone was constructed as a result of the Moto GP Championship returning to the circuit in 2010. The run through the old Bridge corner was deemed too dangerous for the bikes so the BRDC created a bypass that would upgrade the venue without ruining its character.

In general, they appear to have been successful.

During the first Moto GP race in June, the riders complained vehemently about the bumps that featured in the new series of bends. It was interesting to note that Formula One drivers also had the same problem despite an extra pair of wheels, and for some of them it spoiled the circuit.

Others missed the challenge of Bridge and Priory corners and would have preferred the old layout as it was. Robert Kubica said “It is slippery, it is bumpy, I think less challenging … not as quick or as fun as the old days.” Heikki Kovalainen added “It's okay but personally if I could choose I would prefer the old one … I think Bridge Corner and the Priory Corner were really cool corners, and this new circuit is nothing too exciting. It is nothing too special.”

You could argue that Bridge corner was nothing too special in the dry as well, and that Priory added little to the racing.

Not all of the sentiment was negative and some drivers were genuinely impressed by the changes. In particular, Fernando Alonso said “The track is better, more fun for the drivers to drive” and Mark Webber agreed, telling reporters “They got it right”.

The most important opinion is that of the fans, and after the race the general consensus was that the new Arena Layout was an improvement or at least a suitable replacement for the old circuit. During the Grand Prix the new corners contributed significantly to the quality of the racing by allowing drivers to overtake and by forcing several mistakes from others.

A number of drivers ran off the road through Farm and Village which suggests they are every bit as challenging as Bridge and Priory. Tonio Liuzzi went across the run-off through the new complex on lap 1, and Felipe Massa did likewise on lap 15. Vitaly Petrov and Sebastian Vettel also got it wrong through Farm corner in the later stages of the race.

It was very interesting to note that Vettel should run wide since the Red Bull was the most aerodynamically stable car on the grid. It was a sign that combination of bumps and high speed bends made the Arena layout particularly difficult for the entire field.

The new Village/Loop complex, which is much like a slow chicane, allowed drivers to follow each other closely and provided some overtaking manoeuvres. The slow corners allowed Vettel to get ahead of Sutil at the very end of the race, which was a disappointing symmetry for Adrian since he lost a position through those corners to Pedro De La Rosa at the very start of the race.

The tight section also hosted a great battle between Alonso and Liuzzi. Fernando initially got ahead of Tonio under braking through the first right-hander but was promptly repassed through The Loop. Alonso had more luck overtaking Buemi at Village later in the race.

Interestingly, it was the run down the Wellington Straight to Brooklands that provided the most overtaking. It is where Schumacher, Hulkenberg and Liuzzi lost places, whilst Vettel, Sutil, and Alonso gained them.

In total there were 29 overtaking manoeuvres made during Sunday’s British Grand Prix which is more than the last three dry races at Silverstone put together. Although the Safety Car is largely responsible for this statistic, the new section was successful in encouraging overtaking. A Safety Car period at a less exciting venue would not have had the same impact.

The reprofiled Brooklands corner was seemingly very suitable for overtaking because it contained a late apex and extra tarmac on the inside. It meant that drivers were able to race each other until late in the corner, and therefore late into the braking zone, and they had plenty of space to launch an attack.

Hopefully it is something that Herman Tilke noticed because the revised Silverstone configuration is one of the best new circuits introduced into modern Formula One. It would be great if the new US Grand Prix venue followed in its footsteps.

How did you rate Silverstone’s Arena Layout?

Posted by Martin Porter. - Follow him on twitter @mpondaweb.

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Last Comment Posted »

• Hi Jimmy, I took 13 photos at Silverstone this year. However, there is no contact us at the bottom of the site to enable me to send em to you.
  by Mark Young
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