Why is Magny-Cours so hated?
 

Why is Magny-Cours so hated?

I love this circuit, when you start you have to automatically get ready for Estoril which is a challenging corner. You next go on to a decent size straight into the Adelaide Hairpin which is probaly one of the best tight hairpins in the world, straight on from here you come to the Nurburgring Chicane a real fast right to left chicane, which goes staright into a tight wide left hander. Another decent straight and you come to the Imola Chicane which is another right to left chicane a bit slower than Nurburgring, but quick. A slow right hander and then you head to towards another slow right hander and then a chicane when you collect a bit curve, and that's you lap.

Please, someone tell me, why don't you like it?

Being the hypocrite I am, I do not like it because of the lack of much elevation changes in the lap. Saying that, I love the CC venue at Cleveland because of that. That last corner chicane is not fun. Change the course and make a big giant loop onto the front stretch.

It's a logistics nightmare for the teams. Also, the racing tends to be boring, but I think thats due to the cars, not the circuit. Some good corners and chicanes, however. Probably a pity when it's off the calendar, because I can't imagine any long corners like Estoril in a street circuit.

The track itself is fun to drive on at least on videogames.

But the fact that it gives boring races makes everyone dislike it.

also seems in many parts the track isn't wide enough hense not very much overtaking..

It has always seemed to me to be a souless kind of place in the middle of nowhere. Its' creation had more to do with politics than motor racing, and the design itself just lifted corners from other circuits and put them together like a jigsaw to make a track. It has no character of its' own.

I must confess I though they had stopped racing there few years ago, much to my surprise as a looked it up on the internet, Kimi had won the 2007 race. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif

As theugsquirrel pointed out, the cars are partly to blame because the track is littered with high speed corners and chicanes and therefore you need good aero.

Magny Cours was a track I looked forward to in the 1990s, but the since the late 1990s you can hardly pick up a good tow coming out of Estoril. You used to get terrific scraps going into the Adelaide hairpin. I remember DC gave Schumi the middle finger in 2000, 2007 was an excellent race compared to recent races.

Which circuits have character? How does a circuit get character?

Uh, have you ever heard of Monaco?

Spa also has a great deal of character, especially when you factor in the weather.

JMO, but I loved the old Silverstone.

Others high on my list of great tracks--some of which are now ex-F1 tracks

Hermanos Rodriguez
Long Beach
Suzuka
Adelaide
Monza
Imola
Rio

To answer the second question, there's something ineffable about circuits with character, but I'd suggest it has something to do with a combination of:

combination of corners (Mexico's esses followed by the straight, or its Peraltada followed by the front straight)

elevation change (Spa, Monaco,)

circuits with great passing opportunities

circuits which have a long history, or have transcended eras

circuits which have been the site of great races, or important moments (Suzuka)

circuits with quirks (Monaco's tunnel)

circuits with famous corners (130R and Eau Rouge, for example)

I should probably add the Austria's Osterreich (I know I butchered the spelling there)

Didn't he also shake a fistful of coffee beans at him, or was he just trying to suggest that MS was a 'Sherman' http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

or the corkscrew at Seca, with the older decreasing radius turns at the bottom that used to lure many an unsuspecting driver in going just a bit too fast about a half way down from the top, as having survived the entry into the series, by relaxing and speeding up only to arrive at the final twist or the one before it and find themselves going too fasthttp://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

Personally I'm not a fan of Monza. I know its for driver safety but the chicanes are utterly boring, and prevent good racing.

By that definition Magny-Cours certainly has somecharacter.

Estoril is highly regarded and so is the Imola chicane. James Allen orgasms whenever there's an onboard view through that section

".....and it was over, before it began....." http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...s/laughing.gif

Those are two of the corners I was referring to as being lifted from elsewhere when the circuit was designed http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif

Mike's 2004 improvised four stop victory was an exelent representation of his greatness.
He smoked that course between stop 3, and 4 to slot into the lead over Fred.
I believe that was the race that RB passed JT on the last corner of the last lap for a podium.
For that race alone I love that course, and always will!

I have never been there but I understand it is out in the middle of nowhere in a mustard patch. and Frogs don't like mustard dust on their citroens.

Move it to Ricard or serve complete hosted wine bar for the 3 day event.

I'll admit that I kinda like Magny-Cours. I think race tracks belong in the middle of nowhere.

I did start a thread here a few months ago to ask about the difference between a good race track and a bad race track. I'm still stumped.