Changes at the 'Ring

[johnnymat]

New rules to be put in place following last month's fatal accident


http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/nurburgring-gt3-ban-lifted-update-040715

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

@johnnymat beat me...

Okay, they have it decided for now:

• The 24h race will take place. So will the 24h-qualifying race.
• The power of all top classes cars will be reduced by 5%.
• There will be a 200kph speed limit on Flugplatz, Schwedenkreuz and Antoniusbuche; Döttinger Höhe will have a 250kph limit. All for several hundred meters apiece! Surveilanced via GPS and with severe fines announced [I personally see a pit penalty of any kind for normal "speeding" and can imagine race exclusions promptly for abusing and neglecting this in an unsportsmanlike or dangerous manner].
• Visitors' areas on these corners will be limited.

[Source: motorsport.aktuell.com/auto-motor-und-sport.de]

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I can understand Flugplatz and Swedenkreuz, but not Döttinger Höhe or Antoniusbuche.

 

[phizz]

Maybe they want the teams to set up their cars with more downforce through limiting top speed. This will be a huge disadvantage for some cars. I'm glad they gave gt3s green lights though.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Maybe Tilke can build a few chicanes and extra run-off area in some places. Would do the circuit really good.*

*Bazinga

 

[johnnymat]

Maybe Tilke can build a few chicanes and extra run-off area in some places. Would do the circuit really good.*

*Bazinga

Don't you think the track would be better served by keeping spectators out of some of the obviously unsafe areas? I hate to see a track like the Nurburgring lose it's character. It's like a fair number of tracks here in the U.S. ; Road America and Road Atlanta being two of the most adrenaline- producing places to race. I wouldn't want to see them lose their character just to bring them up to standards. I think the tragic accident at the ' Ring was an aberration.

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

@johnnymat
What @Bram was suggesting was meant to be ironic. No one wants this unique piece to lose its character.
@phizz I doubt they aimed at the setups of the cars, although now everyone will go for a set that's topping 250 only with high downforce. Yet I doubt more downforce alone would be the safe solution you present to the world. Just imagine a car would take of nevertheless!

It is a fact the laptimes have dropped significantly to about 8 minutes, while the target time for GT3s was considered to be approximately 8.30 in the past.
On Döttinger Höhe there has been a severe accident last year or 2-3 years ago @Ole Marius Myrvold. But I am with you here. 250 or 270 won't make much of a difference at overaggressive driving.

I wonder how the racing will be now? With all these speed limits?

 

[TobiasR]

When the cars start rear-ending each other because of silly "slow zones"... Sounds like horrible decision making overall. Knee-jerk at its finest.

 

[Erwin Greven]

I think these rules are temporary. For next year i expect they will change a few parts of the track, which they already started with. Safer spectator areas. Some areas will be restricted for spectators.
Also i think they will flatten the crests before Flugplatz and Schwedenkreuz a bit more which they did before in 1971. Maybe widen up the exit of the Antoniusbuche, which is now 8 meters wide instead of 12 meters before the bend.

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

Weird...now that I have taken a look in a track guide document, and read my motorsports mag that was in my mailbox today, the crest the Nissan took of is indeed Quiddelbacher Höhe. Flugplatz is the fast corner after. So I would want to have the speed limit before taking of eventually? Guess both corners mean the same in this context.
Just taking a look at a picture of the Nissan at Pflanzgarten with zero wheels touching the surface...that is not limited? Maybe not that fast?

 

[Erwin Greven]

Weird...now that I have taken a look in a track guide document, and read my motorsports mag that was in my mailbox today, the crest the Nissan took of is indeed Quiddelbacher Höhe. Flugplatz is the fast corner after. So I would want to have the speed limit before taking of eventually? Guess both corners mean the same in this context.
Just taking a look at a picture of the Nissan at Pflanzgarten with zero wheels touching the surface...that is not limited? Maybe not that fast?

Indeed, the crest is infact still a part of the Quiddelbacher Höhe. Flugplatz comprises the two righthanders after the jump. I think the mistake is triggered by the fact that the camera position is at Flugplatz and the link between "Airfield" (translation for "Flugplatz") and the jump is easily made.

At the Fastlane forum (www.the-fastlane.co.uk) i wrote in a reply of Ian S. that i think the Nissan already got airborne before it actually reached the crest. Ian thought about a rear suspension failure, which i think could be the case too. The Nissan is according to some very light at the front, even when it is a front engined car.

 

[Frederic Schornstein]

Maybe they want the teams to set up their cars with more downforce through limiting top speed. This will be a huge disadvantage for some cars. I'm glad they gave gt3s green lights though.

That is one of the dangerous sides of these rules. Everyone who ever watched the 24h on the Nordschleife knows, that tire failures are not a rare thing around that track. The teams of course will setup the cars aerodynamically in the most efficient way for the laptime and as the Norschleife has so many corners they will increase the downforce quite a bit, which will put a lot more stress on the tires. Places like Fuchsröhre with the big compression at more than 200kph will be hell for the tires as well as the last part of the track with all the 3rd, 4th and 5th gear corners. With the higher downforce GT3 drivers can try much more dangerous passes through corners and will suffer against some slower classes, that have a very competetive top speed on the straights.

I mean they should have maybe introduced the speed limit before Flugplatz. I rather would have blocked it for the spectators and then reduce the engine power by 10 to 15%. I mean the GT3s have more than 500hp, so they take away 5%?! I rather see cars with 75hp less and maybe 100kg more weight fighting it out properly...