November 17, 2012
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All Eyes On Austin. As The World Formula 1 Grand Prix Championship Returns To The United States.
MATCHETT: All Eyes On AustinIt is a tremendous accomplishment for Formula 1 to have a purpose-built facility in the United States...
The view from the outside of Turn 1 back to the Start/Finish line at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
The moment we’ve all been hoping and waiting for since Formula 1 left the United States five years ago finally is upon us. Formula 1 competes at the gleaming new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, and the hype surrounding this inaugural event has been remarkable.
It is not mere hype, though. In fact, the significance of this weekend’s event can’t be overstated in light of the facility’s majesty, the passion of American fans and the importance of corporate marketing to America.
If Formula 1 desires to portray itself as staging a genuine world championship, hosting a round in the United States is essential because of the country’s multi-faceted importance across the globe, particularly in the marketplace. Every company wants to sell its product in America. Throughout history, all corporations and marketing departments associated with Formula 1 have longed to break into America for sales, whether the Beatles or BMW, so the realization of an American grandprix is a mammoth business opportunity for the series and teams to gain a solid foothold upon which to build.
Additionally, American Formula 1 fans are solid and knowledgeable fans with a deep appreciation of the sport. The U.S. Grand Prix won’t play out before tens of thousands of yawning and disinterested spectators unimpressed by the spectacle to which they are witnesses. American Formula 1 fans love the series, and when I interact with them on Twitter and through email, I perpetually am struck by their passion for and knowledge of the sport. America boasts an abundance of good domestic auto racing, so there is no shortage of motor racing distractions and options for its racing audience. But the Formula 1 fans in America are committed ones, which is terrific to see.
It also is a tremendous accomplishment for Formula 1 to have a purpose-built facility in the United States. In the past, we have competed on pre-existing courses not built with the sport in mind. For example, the last U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway spanned a large section of the historical oval track so steeped in oval racing. As special as competing on the hallowed ground at Indy was, Formula 1 needed a purpose-built track to challenge the characteristics of its machinery, and the Circuit of the Americas offers just that. The track was designed from a blank sheet of paper and carefully drawn to extract superior racing from these machines. Expect the drivers, mechanics, engineers and cars all to be challenged to the utmost degree throughout the weekend.
Austin features elevation changes – something Indy doesn’t – and the motion of the cars maneuvering up and down presents a great challenge because it affects the way the chassis work. Elevation changes also impact the engineering and aerodynamics of the cars, forcing drivers to quickly scramble to understand how to control their cars not only through lateral-load shifting but also through vertical-load shifting as they navigate turn one.
Since the Circuit of the Americas is a brand-spanking new facility, it is difficult to predict which driver or team could possess an advantage or how the race might play out. However, we can look to Suzuka for a bit of a comparison. In fact, it appears the Austin track has taken some design criteria from the Suzuka model with respect to its esses. Suzuka’s esses are a fabulous series of corners that have lent many drivers and teams to thoroughly enjoy the competition it fosters. Austin is quite reminiscent of the Japanese track in this regard.
While teams walk into Austin with a blank notebook, so to speak, they can look to Suzuka as an example of how to set up their cars in terms of chassis handling because of Austin’s subtle series of esses after turn one. At Suzuka, if teams can’t get the car to work well through that section of the track, they historically cannot derive a good lap time out of it. Navigating well through the esses is paramount, while everything else is of secondary consideration. I could be proven wrong this weekend, but I think setting up the car for the esses after turn one will be of primary interest to the engineers before determining how much wing to carry for the long straights.
With those long straights, tight corners, heavy braking zones and good acceleration zones, coupled with the spectacular esses, every portion of the Circuit of the Americas should pose a great challenge for the teams. Factors such as these almost always produce great competition, and with a majestically sparkling, first-class American facility, the stage is set for a remarkable and unforgettable return of Formula 1 to the United States.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEEDCopyright 2012.Speed Channel.com All Rights Reserved
