BRDC president Damon Hill believes the new series of corners incorporated into the Silverstone grand prix layout fit with the traditionally fast-flowing nature of the circuit. The British Grand Prix venue unveiled its revised 3.67-mile layout to be used from this July’s race at an official inauguration ceremony on Thursday, with Hill completing the first laps as he drove the Duke of York around the track in a two-seater car. Bypassing the traditional part of the track from the Abbey chicane to Priory, an infield loop comprising two flat-out sections of track and punctured by a tight right-left-left complex of corners has been added before the cars rejoin the previous layout at Brooklands.
Hill believes the new layout will prove to be a hit, particularly when the start/finish straight is moved from the 2011 race to coincide with the opening of a new pit and paddock complex between Club and Abbey. “It’s fast and flowing – it’s got a balance,” he told reporters. “A trademark Silverstone high-speed characteristic, especially what will be turn one – Abbey, right, into Farm corner and a big stop into Village, that should be good. That should be really good."
Asked if he thought the new section would provide much-needed overtaking opportunities, he added: “I think it will set up possible overtaking move situations.”
Red Bull driver Mark Webber was one of many past and present Formula 1 stars in attendance at the event and gave the circuit’s new-look an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“The good thing is they kept all the good stuff,” he said. “Obviously Bridge was a good fast corner, but you can’t have everything. First sector of the lap is brilliant – we all know that – and they haven’t touched it, which is brilliant. “The quick kink off the new back straight, that looks very quick. So, yeah, they have got some interesting new little points there. The real tight section, that’s probably going to be the point where there might be some little niggle I think and a bit of overtaking potentially.”
The Australian admitted he had feared what organisers would come up with when he heard layout changes were afoot, but he says the new series of corners only enhances Silverstone’s status as a testing circuit for both drivers and cars.
“When I heard them initially saying that they were going to change the layout, I just thought ‘hear we go, they are going to open up a Tesco’s car park again’ – but they haven’t, which is great,” he said. “They have got a really challenging circuit and [it's challenging for] the car as well; there aren't many new circuits where you feel that the car is really being tested. But this track certainly does that.”
Here's a video of a flying lap. If someone knows how to embed this correctly, please feel free to do so!
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ixrRSx6_Le4" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ixrRSx6_Le4</a>]]>
