Buddh International Circuit makes way for 3 more in 2014
As it is confirmed by the FIA( Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) that the Indian Grand pix at BIC is ruled out from the 2014 calendar due to many political reasons as they have to spend lot of money in paying the tax imposed by the Indian Government. This news made many of the fans disappointed including myself as I had plans to watch the 2014 Grand Pix considering how close it was to my house. But I believe the FIA will never let the thrill of Formula One die and rightly so they have introduced three new circuits for the future races.
So, I introduce you to three new circuits which will keep our adrenaline pumping in the future with stiffer completion among the drivers!
First- the Sochi International Street Circuit in Sochi, a small town near Black Sea in Kransondar Krai Russia. If you are an Olympic Games fan so you might know the circuit as it is situated in the Sochi Olympic Park. The circuit is 5.872km long and hence the third longest Formula1 circuit. The circuit is a blend of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal, Canada) and Homebus Street Circuit, Sydney. The circuit will start on the northern edge of the Olympic Park and near a train station and then runs down to the central “medals plaza”,(the podium where medal presentation is to be held in Olympic Games). It will have man tight corners and will pass through many Olympic Arenas. It also has marvelous 80 degree bend! Something around 1.7km of the circuit will be covered by the nearby public roads. The inaugural race is set to happen in 2014 but there are some talks going on between the FIA and the International Olympic Committee to host some races in that circuit in 2014 Winter Olympic Games. So the races might even get postponed to 2015.
Then comes the second one- Port Imperial Street Circuit, in parts of Weehawken and West New York, New Jersey in USA. This will be the second International Circuit in United States of America after Austin. It was supposed to debut in 2013 in the present season but again due to some political reasons it was shifted to 2014. This is a 5.2km track designed by a legendary German designer Hermann Tilke who has designed some of the world’s best tracks mainly in Asia and Europe including the Buddh International Circuit in India. The site of the track was chosen after several years of research, keeping in mind the ease formual1 fans in mind. It is placed in New York Metropolitan Area near the Hudson River as the fans can enjoy the race as well as the cool breeze and the ambiance around.
The track is very exciting especially when it goes through many tight turns into residential areas! The first sector of the circuit will run along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, designed to allow the cars to race through Port Imperial before climbing the Hudson Palisades along Pershing Road. The circuit will then follow Boulevard East north to Donnelly Memorial Park where it will turn right and descend Hillside Avenue to a hairpin turn adjacent to the West New York sewage treatment plant. The circuit will then return south to the ferry terminal via Port Imperial Boulevard. The elevation changes from Port Imperial to the Palisades, by 150 feet (46 meters), giving the circuit one of the greatest elevation changes in the next season. It will pass through some residential areas. Don’t worry they will not let the residents leave their houses while the races are going on. The organizers will pay for them to watch the race live from their balconies!
In June 2012 Sebastian Vettle the three time champion did a promotional test on the track and was very impressed with it. He quoted “This place is exceptional; there is no comparison in the world. Very soon this will be one of the races every driver wants to win”. Red Bull Racing has made a promotional video featuring all the comers and the surrounding environment of this very track.
Last but not the least- the Thailand GP. It will joining the Formula 1 arena in the year 2015. The route of the GP was recently confirmed by FIA and the Thai Government. This is the only track which will be made by blocking up the streets and will cover all historic monuments of Bangkok and other famous landmarks such as the Grand Palace, Victory Monument and the Temple of Dawn and so it will be an out of the box race. The route was recently tested by the oldest and the most skilled driver of Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber in 2010 and this will be second track in the Formula one calendar hosting a night race after the Singapore’s Marina Bay. It can accommodate 150,000 spectators. The final route and the authorization of the track is still pending though.
So, even after the sad dismissal of the Buddh International Circuit, there are three more breath taking tracks which leave us consoled. More competition with the V6 1.6l beasts comes from the addition of Team Honda. The Formula One next year will surely be more competitive and thrilling!
