Memorizing Silverstone

[RandyRimbaud]

This may seem a bit silly but I can't for the life of me memorize the full Silverstone GP track. I've driven around it maybe 100-200 times but I still struggle to remember what corner comes next. It took me less than 10 laps to remember all the corners of Nordschleife, yet every time i load Silverstone, it's like I have no idea what I'm doing. Is it the higher speed of a lot of the corners that's throwing me off? The fact that it all looks a bit samey? Going through 2 start/finish lines? No idea. It just won't go in my head. I have no problems with any other track.

I guess what I'm asking is if anyone else has struggled with Silverstone or if you have a track that you just can't learn?

Perhaps all this struggling has led me to disliking the track so much that I'm incapable of taking it in.

 

[UMC 22]

I definitely find it harder to learn tracks I don't particularly like, regardless of how complex (or not) they are. I suppose our brains just go into lazy mode and can't be bothered because we're not enjoying ourselves!

 

[Tom Moore]

Imola. I can never put together one good lap.

 

[RayDarcy]

Best thing to do is give yourself 10 laps in slow car with a good view from cockpit, Lotus 2 Eleven is perfect for this. Spend the first few laps sticking to the right hand side of the track, then a few on the left hand side, as slow as you need to go. This will show you all the brake markers on both sides, plus track limits.

Then put in some comfortable laps. If you break the track up into three sections in your head, this makes it easier still......for example, first part has two tightest turns, famous maggots/becketts in second part, last part has long long straight to Brooklands/Luffield before back on main straight.

The modern track isn't great. The track used in 1991-93 was my favourite configuration.

 

[garyjpaterson]

A think the fact its so flat makes it tricky to differentiate between corners in-game (cockpit view), IRl depth perception probably makes it easier.

One thing you can try is use the F5 camera and raise the view up high so you can see the shape of the whole corner before approach. Also keep the corner name app handy, I remember getting Copse and Stowe confused in the early (they are actually quite different, but I thought they were very similar to begin with).

I find for learning tracks, the taller the vehicle the better. I would recommend the Transit van for new tracks (beleive me it works), but its not ready yet (sorry ).

 

[F_B]

I had problems to learn the modern Silverstone because I just knew the old layout from Formula One Grand Prix by Microprose. For me they changed the track massively since then. Now I know it and really begin to like the new layout but imho it is a totally different track.

 

[Ian Cameron]

Used Silverstone GP for the first time last week, absolutely love it, now my best track at mo. I find the more I drive a track the better it becomes, still never manage to memorise any track fully just enough to know whats coming next.

 

[Stereo]

The two short layouts confuse things a bit for me (mostly the one on the new start grid) cause I think I don't expect things to be close together that are. Also unlike most circuits the modern start grid isn't east-west, it points to the northwest or something.

 

[garyjpaterson]

Also unlike most circuits the modern start grid isn't east-west, it points to the northwest or something.

Huh, that's quite interesting - I never knew this was a thing. Any idea why they do this?

 

[Stereo]

I'd guess usually a matter of fitting the property they're built on, for example Sebring does it because the pits are on an old runway.

 

[gecco]

For me Silverstone is also dificult.
While I have memorized the track eventually, it took me longer then on other tracks, due to the double start/finish straights, but mainly due to the track being so totally flat (a former airfield, so what do I expect).
And while I adore Silverstone for all its heritage of british motorsport, I can't get around liking the layout of the current track.
I also belong to those who grew up with the old Silverstone circuit with the woodcote chicane, and I loved that track then. Might be related to memories of old games like REVs, microprose GP, grand prix circuit, or in other words, my youth

 

[pafe]

This may seem a bit silly but I can't for the life of me memorize the full Silverstone GP track. I've driven around it maybe 100-200 times but I still struggle to remember what corner comes next. It took me less than 10 laps to remember all the corners of Nordschleife, yet every time i load Silverstone, it's like I have no idea what I'm doing. Is it the higher speed of a lot of the corners that's throwing me off? The fact that it all looks a bit samey? Going through 2 start/finish lines? No idea. It just won't go in my head. I have no problems with any other track.

I guess what I'm asking is if anyone else has struggled with Silverstone or if you have a track that you just can't learn?

Perhaps all this struggling has led me to disliking the track so much that I'm incapable of taking it in.

Its exactly the same for me. But I also have no patience with silverstone. It just bores me too much before I get good at it and becoming fun.

 

[xnorb]

Silverstone is super weird with it's 2 S/F straights and at least for me some completely unexpected turns
I think @garyjpaterson is correct when saying that having such a flat track makes memorizing complicated.

I had problems to learn the modern Silverstone because I just knew the old layout from Formula One Grand Prix by Microprose.

Same for me - it was somewhat similar, but the "Oh, i know that one!" never clicked.

 

[arthur666]

Silverstone is one of my favorites. There's just something about the quirkiness that appeals to me. But I always have trouble with all 3 high-speed rights after straights (Abby/Copse/Stowe). Even when I get my braking point sorted, I turn in too hard or not enough. Tricky. And the 2 at pit exits are blind turns, so that really throws me. But Maggots/Becketts/Chapel has to be one of the most satisfying sections on any track.
Drive it slow, have fun. You'll learn it well enough.

 

[Ryno917]

Its exactly the same for me. But I also have no patience with silverstone. It just bores me too much before I get good at it and becoming fun.

That's my biggest problem with it. I quite like the older layouts (anything pre ~2000 ish I guess) but the current incarnation is just downright terrible imho.

I simply can't be bothered. It's all so flat and samey and has miles of runoff that have completely eliminated the character that made it such a great circuit a couple decades ago. It's a shame.

 

[Turk]

Silverstone has grown on me a lot, I wasn't a huge fan but I like it more and more each time I drive it. It's a lot easier to drive in VR when you can look around.

The main thing I find with silverstone is you can't over drive it. If you come in too hot for high speed corners it punishes you severely on the exit. I find I'm better off being cautious into corners because the exit is more important.

I don't know how you'd go about making it more memorable. Have you tried the other layouts? The national cuts out most of the middle part so you could just focus on the start and the end of the lap and takes the second pit out of the equation.

 

[RandyRimbaud]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I am driving in VR too, Turk, however I feel VR feels better with more intimate and undulating tracks like Monaco or Brands Hatch because of the lack of resolution to see clearly in the distance. Driving around a huge airfield I feel like I need sat-nav

I'll just have to grind it out to learn it, I just wish i saw the appeal other people see in Silverstone because it is one of the big boys in terms of circuits.

 

[2112]

Despite the objections to the change of the track, ( I have mine too; I prefer the late '90's early 2000's track from my F1 2001 days), I found that when I was able to identify sections of the new track with the old layout I was familiar with I began to like it.

The best thing, as stated in a prior post in this thread, is to break it down into parts. With the current layout I had issues with the first, second, third turn complex as I kept screwing up on the entry and exit speeds of all three corners. Once I was able to get that down I went to work on Copse, which had always given me trouble. I got that sorted and then onto maggots, becketts and chapel. Then it was onto the last complex which I had extreme difficulty with.

Once I was able to sort out the sections and put it into a whole I had a new appreciation of the track. It is now one of my favorite test tracks when I want to do high-speed runs.

 

[paracletus]

still one of the best tracks in motorsport, AC version as good as it gets.
just more practice, that's all it is.