BRINGING BACK THE CLASSICS

THE RETURN OF OLD TRACKS

I thought I would just have a bit of fun with this post and think about and discuss some of the old race tracks that F1 doesn’t visit any more that I would like to see make a return to the calendar. Some are because of the nature of the race track itself and the driving challenge that it provided and others because of the history and heritage are associated with those circuits.

It would be theoretically possible for some of the tracks mentioned to be added to the calendar but others are purely a dream. At the end of the post I will also add in a few fantasy events that I believe would add something to the current schedule.

ADELAIDE

The first track that I would like to see make a hypothetical return is the Adelaide street circuit. The south Australian capital hosted the Australian Grand Prix from 1985-95 before the event moved to Melbourne and provided some exciting racing over those years.

Measuring 3.7 km in length the circuit gave drivers a real challenge in a way that only street circuits can. The public roads and close proximity of the concrete walls always show the drivers skills at their best as they search for the last 100^th of a second on the perfect lap. The dangers involved in pushing the car to its limits were never more evident than in the event’s final year when Mika Hakkinen crashed heavily in practice and almost lost his life. Thankfully Mika survived and was able to resume racing and become a double world champion but the price of a mistake or car failure is high on such circuits. Nigel Mansell was another to hit the walls at Adelaide, this time in the rain of 1991, breaking his foot in the process.

Adelaide had the challenge and element of danger that race fans like then but it was additionally a track that was able to provide action and excitement. It was aided in this by the fact that it became the traditional final race of the year and so therefore had the chance of hosting the championship decider. Amazingly though of the eleven times the event was run only twice did it have the honour of deciding the world champion. 1986 and 1994 were the only years that the title wasn’t already sown up before the F1 circus arrived in town.

Luckily though 1985 and 1994 were two of the most memorable title deciders in the sports history and also saw two of the most dramatic moments of the championship. Nigel Mansell lost out on his first world title after a spectacular tyre failure going down the Brabham straight in 86, having to wrestle the car to prevent it from crashing into the concrete walls and managing to bring the car to a standstill. This handed the championship to reigning champion Alain Prost and robbed Mansell of a well-deserved title. It would another six years before Nigel would finally be able to call himself a World Champion.

And in 1994 Mansell’s countryman and Britain new F1 hope Damion Hill almost saw his chances of the title ripped from asunder after the infamous collision will Micheal Shumacher. This moment is forever etched in my memory as I had started to watch the sport avidly by this point and Damon was my racing hero. This is not the place or time to dissect the collision but dramatic it certainly was.

I have watched highlights of Adelaide’s races on TV and YouTube and watching drivers hustle their machines around Adelaide’s streets was mesmerising. So challenge, danger, action and excitement it had in spades but it was also a popular event, well attended by the fans and enjoyed by the F1 circus. Having been to Adelaide myself in 2008 and seen parts of the track (albeit not when it was set up for racing) I can assure you that the location was very good. It is a regret that I never got to witness in person a Grand Prix around the track because I can imagine that the event itself for fans was a terrific experience.

So could Adelaide host a modern Grand Prix? Well probably with enough finance and support, the track does still exist and a shorter version of it is used by the Australian Supercars Championship for the Adelaide 500 every year. However to upgrade it to modern F1 standards would take a lot of work and there has been no talk about the city trying to get the race back so it seems unlikely. We can dream though.

ISTANBUL

My second circuit to see make a return is the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey. The Turkish Grand Prix was held between 2005 and 2011 and the track quickly became a favourite amongst fans a drivers alike. It promoted close racing, had some super-fast sections and had character and appeal at a time when some most new circuits were bland and uniform.

The events most famous moment has to be when RedBull team mates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber came together in 2010 while battling for the world championship and started an intra team rivalry that would last until Webber left at the end of 2013. But there were plenty other moments to action over the years that the race was run. Jenson Button and McLaren team mate Lewis Hamilton also had a tense on track battle in 2010 and as mentioned the circuits nature invited drivers to make moves on other drivers.

The challenge to drivers was certainly present as the track repaid commitment with lap time. It was a modern track built to modern safely standards so the danger element was not as apparent as it was at Adelaide for example as there was ample run off areas and no barriers in close proximity, but in terms of seeing the drivers let loose with their machines it was one of the best tracks.

The tracks standout characteristic was the amazing four apex turn eight, a corner that tested cars and drivers alike. Plenty of run off area meant that the drivers were not afraid of pushing to the maximum through here, but make no mistake this was not an easy corner, plenty of drivers going off there is evidence of that. Watching cars going through there on a hot lap was specular and I believe that seeing the current bred of machines tackle that corner would be amazing.

So the circuit had speed, overtaking opportunities, driver challenge and drama and should have been a mainstay on the calendar. Why wasn’t it I hear you say? That is a question I have asked myself many times. The answer it seems is partly to do with money. Bernie Ecclestone, at that time of course still the top main in the sport was asking to money as a hosting fee and the government were not prepared to pay it.

Attendances were not I believe as big as they could have been, whether that was a result of promotion, ticket pricing or ease of access I’m not sure. Most likely a combination of all of these things. Turkey had little to no motorsport heritage and no local talent or personalities to get behind and with the race only being staged for a handful of years there was no chance of that building up. This was a loss to the sport as the track could have given us all some

exciting racing had it continued, but there is no doubt that it was a great track and should be on anyone’s list of races to bring back.

Theoretically as with Adelaide it could make a return but again it seems a very unlikely scenario. There hasn’t appeared to be much appetite from Turkey for it since it was last staged and the political situation in the country would probably make it difficult now. A real shame indeed but the circuit did give us some good memories during its short lifetime.

NURBURGRING

My next choice of track to make a return is the Nurburgring! No I’m not talking about the modern version that has hosted the European and German Grands Prix in recent years. I am talking about the old, fearsome 12.9 mile long Nordshleife , the “ Green Hell” as it has been nicknamed. Now I admit that this choice is not one that has any possible chance of becoming a reality as the track is not suited to a modern F1 animal, certainly not in a competitive situation. Nick Heidfied did drive a modified BMW Sauber around the course in 2007 (and I recommend giving that video a watch on YouTube as it is spectacular) but actually racing there is not an option, so this one is just a dream.

Listening to drivers who raced F1 there in period is fascinating as it is always described as the most challenging, demanding track in the world. Personally I think the only real comparison is the Isle of Man TT course in motorcycle racing.

For pure driving challenge and danger it is not beaten and it is for this reason that I have added it to this list. The late great Niki Lauda nearly lost his life there in that famous, horrific accident in 1976 showing just how big the price could be for taking it too far. It was this incident that really signalled the death knell for the event as from 1977 the German Grand Prix was held at Hockenheim.

Dangerous it was and it was undeniably the right thing to stop racing there, but it cannot be denied that it was an incredible test for drivers. Its setting in the Eiffel Mountains could and many times did lead to wet weather increasing the demands placed upon the driver. Jackie Stewart’s win there in 1968 in the wet can rightly be held up as being one of the all-time great wet weather drives and the greatest win of the three time champion’s career. Stewart won by over four minutes on a track were visibility was so bad drivers were effectively driving blind. Stewart has described it as a “teeth gritting effort”.

Another great champion also had what could be described as his defining day at the track when Juan Manuel Fangio took his 24^th and final victory in Formula One and also sealed his then record fifth world title with two races to spare. Fangio had to chase down the non-stopping Ferraris after making his pit stop on lap 13 from the lead. The stop didn’t go well and he lost even more time as a result but in his Maserati 250f he hunted down first Peter Collins and then Mike Hawthorn and in the process broke the lap record 9 times, retaking the lead from Hawthorn on lap 21.

The races talked about above show that the Nurgburgring brought out the best in even the greatest of champions and provided drives for us all to marvel at to this day. Unfortunately the event was before my time so I have only been able to read and watch old footage it but the place holds a spot in every petrol heads heart and so deserves a place on any fan’s dream calendar.

LONG BEACH

America’s Monaco has to be on this list. There was actually some talk about making this happen a few years ago but the work and finances needed to bring it up to F1 spec was I think always going to be too much. The Californian street circuit was a round of the Formula One World Championship from 1976 until 1983 and has since continued as an IndyCar event to the present day.

Having watched the IndyCar races for the last several years I have seen the excitement that the track can provide race fans and the iconic setting of Southern California makes for a great backdrop. The IndyCar event is on my bucket list of races to visit it would be amazing to see F1 cars around those streets again.

Formula One has been looking for another stand out race in the US for some time and I personally believe that Long Beach would really draw in the US F1 fans that the sport has been trying to engage for many years. The layout is a little different now and I’m sure it would have to be modified further it F1 did go back but it is still a great circuit.

The last race in 1983 saw an intriguing and action packed race as McLaren team mates John Watson and Niki Lauda carved through the field from 22^nd and 23^rd on the grid to claim a one two finish for the team with Watson the victor.

The event was not financially successful and this is why it became an IndyCar event after 83. You feel that F1 needs iconic venues to help it grow in the US and I believe that Long Beach would fit the bill. I’m not expecting it to happen any time soon but the concrete lined streets of So Cal would be a very good setting.

IMOLA

Imola will forever be a place of sadness for Formula One after that dreadful weekend of 1994 that claimed the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. I will not discuss those events here as I think we all know plenty about that already. But that nightmare weekend aside the place also gave us some great memories and was always one of the Grands Prix that I most looked forward to watching on TV. Not least because it was an Italian race and therefore was swamped with tifosi all around the circuit. It is another event that if it did make a return it would be on my bucket list.

It isn’t as far-fetched as some of my other choices either, there was talk in recent years of the track hosting the Italian Grand Prix when Monza were struggling to agree new terms with F1. This may have had something to do with the negotiations and various people using it to get better deal but it does show that it would be possible to hold a rave there, the track has had work done to it over recent years and regularly holds motorsport events.

The Imola circuit’s layout always appealed to me because it had some faster sections, overtaking options and iconic and memorable corner names. I can remember many races where cars were battling at close quarters. Two occasions that stand out are 2005 and 06 where we saw Fernando Alonso and Micheal Shumacher battling each other at the head of the field both times with Alonso victorious in 05 and Shumacher taking the spoils in 06. These races saw spectacular wheel to wheel combat. The 06 race the last one to be held at the circuit.

This kind of racing was also in evidence at the head of the field in 1982 during the infamous leading battle between Ferrari team mates Didier Pironi and Gilles Villenueve. Pironi disobeyed what Villeneuve believed to be a team order to hold position and when Pironi overtook on the last lap to take the win it angered Villenueve to the point where he vowed never to speak to his team mate again. Many people say that this was the reason that the Canadian was pushing so hard two weeks later in Belgium where he crashed and lost his life.

Another race that does stick in the mind is the 1996 Grand Prix where Damon Hill won by using to great effect a different strategy that was the idea of Chief designer Adrian Newey. 

History, heritage, the passionate tifosi, atmosphere and track layout made this a great F1 venue and it was much missed when it fell off the calendar. Let us hope that in the future this track may be able to make a return and once again excite F1 fans and drivers alike. 

HOCKENHEIM

Hockenheim has still recently been on the F1 schedule of course, although it must be said that its existence has been somewhat of a doubt. And it is not a part of the 2020 season which is indeed a shame. That though is the modern, reconfigured layout and the track that I am including in this list is the old long layout that went into the forests and made its way back around to the stadium section.

This version was last used for the German Grand Prix in 2001 before the redesign happened in 02. The old track was 4.20 mile track in length and featured long straights, which were hard on engines, with chicanes to slow cars and provide chances for passing manoeuvres. I don’t feel that this layout was especially liked by the drivers themselves and as far as driving challenge was concerned it wouldn’t have excited them in the way that Spa or Silverstone does, but it was a track that I remember fondly. The high speed nature of the layout the main reason for this, Hockenhiem was the only circuit other than Monza in Italy that required ultra-skinny wing levels to reduce drag on the long straights. Because of this you would see plenty of slipstreaming before cars popping out from the toe to overtake under braking for the chicanes. This lead to some good battles and increased the chances of the race becoming interesting.

And then at the end of the lap the cars would emerge into the stadium section where the fans were packed into the grandstands and the noise and cheering would erupt, this was just as clear on the TV coverage as if you were there in person.

Super skinny wings, high speed, heavy braking and the stadium section made it a favourite of mine at least. This is another event that will be impossible to bring back as that layout doesn’t exist anymore. I can sat from personal experience that it is now just a deserted strip of land in amongst the forest. It would be on my fantasy F1 schedule though.

FANTASY RACES.

That is it for the old races that I would like to see back but I thought I would just have some fun and add some more ideas of what are purely fantasy events that I have had in mind over the years. Although they are fantasy races some of them have actually been talked about in the past but have never come to fruition.

NEW YORK

New York State has held F1 races several times in the past at the up state circuit of Watkins Glen which was itself a good track and is still used in American racing. The IndyCar and Nascar races that I have seen on TV have been very entertaining. But I am not talking about that circuit here, I am talking about a race around New York City itself. What an amazing backdrop it would be with the iconic New York skyline and the famous landmarks in the back ground. The proposed race in New Jersey came close several years ago but it eventually fell through.

LONDON

This is another race that has been discussed and looked into a few times over the years but as with New York the practicalities of closing down one of the world’s busiest cities to stage a motor race is always going to be a big hurdle and will likely always prevent these ideas from becoming a reality. Imagine a Grand Prix around central London though, maybe going past the Houses of Parliament etc. We did see a glimpse of what this what look like three years ago when F1 staged a live demonstration event prior to the British Grand Prix but a full Grand Rix is probably step too far. Certainly has a place on my fantasy calendar though.

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas has staged a race in the early eighties, although the car park of the Caesars Palace hotel didn’t really enthuse fans or drivers and it fell by the way side very quickly. But a race on and around the strip could be a good event. I feel that Vegas and F1 would be a very good fit and as mentioned earlier F1 needs to have iconic races in the US to really make it a success.

BATHURST

The Mount Panorama circuit in New South Wales which stages the Bathurst 1000 every year is undoubtedly one of the world’s great race tracks. Jenson Button got the change to drive his McLaren around there for sponsors’ promo event a few years ago and the pictures were brilliant. The circuit is not really suited ti F1 racing so it will never happen but seeing as this is fantasy I’m putting it in.

THRUXTON

The UK’s fastest circuit is a great track offering plenty of high speed action and overtaking options. It would make for quite some spectacle seeing an F1 at flat chat around there. I’ve have included this for selfish reasons too because Thuxton is short journey from my home so I could go and see a Grand Rix and still sleep in my own bed. Brilliant.

Well there it is, my ideas for races that should either be brought back or new events that should be added. You will have your own ideas so please feel free to share them, these are just my personal ones. Some are realistic, others just a dream but it’s interesting to think about them in any case.