The Most Grueling F1 Race Tracks

Formula 1 is full of a lot of things. Most of them are, however, not very nice. A lot of it is the competitive spirit, but that can go too far and make you crash into someone. Grueling races have their place in the sport, they make people remember them, embrace them and come back for more thanks to their true nature. 

Formula 1 is a sport that challenges the limits of man and machine. The drivers take on the most grueling of challenges: the world’s most dangerous and challenging tracks. F1 racers have to be in top physical shape, because they compete in races that last between 90 to 120 minutes. 

Tire strategy has a big role in every race because pit stops are mandatory during a race. There are a lot of factors that can contribute to what kind of tires you use, including weather conditions and track layout. In the history of Formula 1, there have been some races where things did not go according to plan for some drivers. 

The following are the most grueling Formula one race tracks so far: 

• The 130R Suzuka Circuit – Japan. 

This circuit has been part of Formula 1 since 1987. It is widely regarded as one of the best circuits in Japan, if not all over the world. This circuit requires a lot of skill from both drivers and machines. The show-stopping centerpiece of one of F1’s toughest tracks, and a mainstay of motor-racing video games. 130R takes its unassuming name from the circuit’s 130m radius and is one of the fastest and most feared corners in racing. Taken at 305kph (190 mph), this iconic turn wallops drivers with a load of 3.5 lateral Gs, and can make or break a championship campaign.

• Turn 11, Bahrain – Middle East

Bahrain International Circuit (sometimes referred to as “Sakhir” after the area where it is located). 

This notorious spot is a four-gear left-hander that forces drivers to slow down at the entry and exit while they keep feathering their brakes and accelerating. They need to maintain control and beat the drag of the slow uphill exit.

The better the car is in the first part and the less momentum lost, the less is demanded of it in the second part. So an understeer-y balance here effectively is punished twice. The corner’s length and its combined lateral and longitudinal loads means it’s a right-rear tyre killer too, especially on a track temperature of 42-degree Celsius as in the first practice session.

• Signes, Paul Ricard – France 

 

Signes is arguably the fastest corner of all Formula 1 races, with cars reaching a top speed of 210 mph. Its right-hand sweeping turn provides daring drivers with a chance to pass, but a sharp braking zone means that only the brave are successful in making the move.

• Eau Rouge, Spa – Belgium 

The famous Eau Rouge complex is made up of a series of three fast left-handers. It goes uphill to Ravel, the track’s highest point, and then downhill to a blind exit – drivers can’t see the road or landing pad ahead of them as they come over the crest.

• Copse, Silverstone – United Kingdom 

Seat-shaking combination of blind entry and blisteringly fast apex, with a speed of 280kph (175mph), this seventh-gear right-hander was made even faster for the 2017 season.

• Turn 15, Sepang – Malaysia 

The Malaysian Grand Prix circuit’s Balrog-like hairpin was modified in 2016 to make it even more formidable. With an incline toward the exit, the corner is as tricky strategically as it is technically. The awkward camber change means it was modified to give drivers going for the fastest time a linear path to swing wide on the outside as overtaking opportunities on the traditional racing line on the inside dwindle.

• Maggots/Becketts, Silverstone – United Kingdom 

Maggots/Beckett is a tricky turn combo that forces the driver to double-downshift before powering out of another fast right.

• Campsa, Catalunya – Spain 

F1’s own rollercoaster ride mixes punishing torque with sensory deprivation. The Campsa corner, which can be entered at full throttle in sixth gear, begins with a completely blind right-hand turn, then switches from an uphill section to a downhill exit that can make it easy for the driver to misjudge his egress and run wide onto the astroturf.

• Turn 8, Istanbul Park – Turkey 

The 640m right corner at Monza features four apexes, the slowest of which is taken at 260kph (160mph) and produces a max torque of 4.5G. This is more powerful than a rocket launch and usually the point at which human beings lose their vision, which is generally a handy sense during a motor race.

• Pouhon, Spa – Belgium 

Pouhon is an unforgiving corner that demands perfection. It’s critical to hit both apexes to get in the right position for Pouhon’s exhilarating flat finish–one of the most exciting stretches of tarmac on the Formula 1 calendar.

In conclusion, there are a plethora of great tracks in Formula One but that doesn’t mean they are all equal. Some tracks have been designed to test driver and machine to the extreme, while others require close attention to detail on the engineering side if you want a fighting chance. One thing is for sure though, every driver desires a good balance between the two.