F1 fixture list for 2007 comes out....

JRS · 29 Aug 2006 at 13:55

....Nurby and Imola are gone, Spa is back, the Japanese GP has moved to the Fuji circuit and Australia is the season-opener once more.

2007 Formula 1 calendar

Australia – March 18
Malaysia – April 8
Bahrain – April 15
Spain – May 13
Monaco – May 27
Canada – June 10
United States – June 17
France – July 1
United Kingdom – July 8
Germany – July 22
Hungary – August 5
Turkey – August 26
Italy – September 9
Belgium – September 16
China – September 30
Japan – October 7
Brazil – October 21

Lot of back-to-back races.

Creature · 29 Aug 2006 at 13:59

Spa's back

JRS · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:01

Creature said:
Spa's back

It is good news, but to compensate for adding a real drivers circuit back they've taken away another one - Suzuka. I haven't seen what Fuji is like these days (I know the old layout, not sure how much it has altered over the years though).

Zip · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:01

Looks like we a first again

rpstewart · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:01

Good to see that Spa is back on the calendar but losing Suzuka is a blow. It's about time that the Nurburgring went, Imola gets a lot of stick but I actually quite like it. Imola may however return in the 4 week gap between Bahrain and Spain depending on the state of upgrading work.

The thing I'm worried about is the timing of the French & British races, it means that Goodwood will either be the last wekeend of June or the third weekend in July. If it's the latter then it clashes with RIAT at RAF Fairford

JRS said:
It is good news, but to compensate for adding a real drivers circuit back they've taken away another one - Suzuka. I haven't seen what Fuji is like these days (I know the old layout, not sure how much it has altered over the years though).

Fuji looks like it'll be duller than a dull thing soaked in dulling fluid....

penski · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:03

JRS said:
the Japanese GP has moved to the Fuji circuit

Congratulations...Now we have a grand prix on the most desolate stretch of featureless, uninspiring tarmac imagineable.

Joy.

Suzuka > Fujispeed.

*n

penski · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:06

Quality.

Engrish!

PIT LOAD!

The petition to get the GP held on the short circuit starts here...

*n

JRS · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:06

rpstewart said:
Fuji looks like it'll be duller than a dull thing soaked in dulling fluid....

****.

Don't tell me, let me guess - Tilke?

***edit***

Apparently so. Bugger.

penski · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:08

JRS said:
****.

Don't tell me, let me guess - Tilke?

Got it in one.

Get your mitts on a copy of Gran Turismo 4.

It has the original, the eighties 'kinked' version and the current bland, featureless, spastic-cornered pile of crap.

*n

JRS · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:08

http://www.fsw.tv/english/guide/guide_rc.html

Its no Suzuka is it?

***edit***

penski said:
Get your mitts on a copy of Gran Turismo 4.

It has the original, the eighties 'kinked' version and the current bland, featureless, spastic-cornered pile of crap.

*n

I would, but the atrocious physics models just make me want to head down to the Polyphony Digital labs and go on a rampage with a very, very big gun.

***edit 2***

And the lack of damage modelling - hellooooo??? You guys are marketing it as a "Driving Simulator", yet you don't include the possibility of damaging the damn cars???

Ugh. Think I'll stick to rFactor and GPL to be honest.....

rpstewart · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:12

JRS said:
http://www.fsw.tv/english/guide/guide_rc.html

Its no Suzuka is it?

Certainly isn't but I'll give it one thing, it's a slow corner onto the main straight which means drivers will be able to stay closer together which might lead to some overtaking.

That, however, is insufficient to make up for the complete lack of elevation change and poxy left, right, left, right wiggles to get you back to the other end.

penski · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:14

rpstewart said:
Certainly isn't but I'll give it one thing, it's a slow corner onto the main straight which means drivers will be able to stay closer together which might lead to some overtaking.

That, however, is insufficient to make up for the complete lack of elevation change and poxy left, right, left, right wiggles to get you back to the other end.

It's the last five corners that kill it for me.

*n

JRS · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:14

rpstewart said:
Certainly isn't but I'll give it one thing, it's a slow corner onto the main straight which means drivers will be able to stay closer together which might lead to some overtaking.

That, however, is insufficient to make up for the complete lack of elevation change and poxy left, right, left, right wiggles to get you back to the other end.

Couple that to the return of slicks, and you may be right about overtaking into T1. Not going to hold my breath though, I'm sure the FIA will find a way to screw up the rulebook again.

rpstewart · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:19

penski said:
It's the last five corners that kill it for me.

*n

PLease tell me they're planning on bypassing the chicane thing, It's too far away from the previous corner to create a big stop and has too open an exit to be of any use in slowing cars into the next bend.

Mad old tory · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:22

Great news about Spa, but yeh Fuji sucks. Politics no doubt again, isn't Fuji owned by Toyota and Suzuka by Honda?

rpstewart · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:24

Mad old tory said:
isn't Fuji owned by Toyota and Suzuka by Honda?

Yup

<conspiracy mode>
Isn't it interesting how Toyota left the GPMA the other month and now this announcement comes along
</conspiracy>

Actually, I don;t think they're related, Fuji announced the deal about 3 months ago but there were a lot of rumours that there would be 2 races in Japan at least in the short term.

Amps · 29 Aug 2006 at 14:32

Does anyone know when all the tickets will go on sale?

Stormrider · 29 Aug 2006 at 15:38

Actually the European GP is gone, not necessarily Nurburgring. Hockenheim looks like its in a bit of financial trouble so may not be able to stage a GP, leaving Nurburgring to take over next year.
Theres also talk of the return of a Pacific GP to fill the gap after Australia - read Suzuka.

Glaucus · 29 Aug 2006 at 15:42

any idea which is a good race to goto, which you can get cheap flights for. Don't mind camping. Just somewhere good and cheap?
Turkey maybe?

rpstewart · 29 Aug 2006 at 16:02

Spa is the usual favourite for a foreign jaunt, easily driveable from the UK. Barcelona should be reasonably easy (I think there are cheap flights to Barcelona) but tickets are more difficult to get now that Alonso's winning.

There are an awful lot more long haul races than there used to be and the European races that are left are either difficult to get to (Hockenheim, Turkey maybe), expensive (Monaco) or not worth going to (Magny Cours). Not sure what Monza's like to get to, could be tricky getting tickets though.