The layout of the Magny-Cours circuit will undergo some change for the first time since 1992. The new bend at the water tower after (the Imola bend) is entered at 280 Km/h in 7th gear and takes the speed down to less than 100 Km/h.
The layout of the Magny-Cours circuit will undergo some change for the first time since 1992. The new bend at the water tower after (the Imola bend) is entered at 280 Km/h in 7th gear and takes the speed down to less than 100 Km/h. This modification was designed to increase the possibilities to overtake. The new bend allows the cars to get together before the long way down to make the aspiration phenomenon all the more efficient.The interest is twofold : technical and spectacular. Like nowhere else in the world, the spectators present in the stands L, Y, East, VIP (20 000) will now be able to see two simultaneous overtakings in two seperate zones. Adélaïde and the new water tower bend.
Only a real complexe could meet the ambition of such a project, a pattern of curves which aims are various and consist in four elements. A big fast curve in full speeding up brings the distance between the Water Tower and the Lycée pin to 650 metres. The aim of the Lycée pin is to create spectacular moments like easier overtakings; Violent braking from 290 Km/h down to 80 Km/h, Widening of the track to 14 metres and Asphalt for late braking. Special attention has been paid to the visibility thanks to additional overtaking possibilities. The tip of the pin is in the very perspective of the straight starting line which can be seen from the stands C, B, A and all the booths, that is 40 000 people. A right/left bend follows a short straight line of approximately 100 metres. Taken at a moderate speed, its aim is technical and makes it longer for the spectators to see the cars.
The entry in the pit lane is now right in the short straight before the right/left. It brings more safety as the entry ways are never common to those of the track. The time to enter the pitlane is thus reduced to the maximum : limited to the necessary braking distance of the cars. Combined to the other works in the pitlane exit, this improves the acceleration line and reduces the passage in the pitlane to less than 20 seconds, hence the importance of such a factor.
This new innovation is important thanks to these new technical characteristics. Magny-Cours was famous for helping the al qualities of the cars. This could involve a diminution of the aerodynamics creating a challenge in the cars set up concerning the motorisation qualities (the new straight makes a good top speed essential) and the braking qualities (Magny-Cours is now becoming one of the most demanding tracks with three major brakings). Magny-Cours is thus also becoming one of the most polyvalent circuits in the world thanks to the necessary technical qualities on the car as much as to the necessary qualities of the driving. Consequently, the circuit becomes a natural applicant to the sessions of automobile development. Finally, the track allows the circuit to open itself to other disciplines like motorcycles for which it meets all the safety criteria.
Competitivity is improved on the whole track. The fastest curve of the F1 World Championship. The entry in the big curve will become one of the fastest at more than 270 Km/h. The most important european manifestation. New stands will be built raising the audience to more than 300 000 people over 3 days. One the safest circuits in the World. The Lycée complex takes profit of the last innovations about passive security. Magny-Cours has been the first to use the asphalt and has now the widest surface of all the circuits which take part in the World Championship.
This innovation is obviously more than just an alteration. It is a change in the circuit philosophy with more than 15% of modifications. Our ambition today is to come back to the of the origins of car racing success : entertainment, keeping maximum safety as a priority, two notions which have been so far unfairly opposed. It seems symbolical to inaugurate in Magny-Cours this new concept in terms of modification of the F1 tracks. Moreover, this project introduces the new concept of complexe. A pattern of coherent and varied curves, linking various notions in a same unity of time and space like speed, overtaking, technique, visibility time, spectators’ comfort, maximum safety.