First onboard video simulation of Ifema Madrid Circuit

51 comments on “First onboard video simulation of Ifema Madrid Circuit”

1. 

   Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
   25th January 2024, 0:21

   COTD has hit the nail on the head.
   1. 

      Mayrton
      25th January 2024, 7:05

      +1. FIA should consider launching a new category to replace this circus.
      1. 

         Coventry Climax
         25th January 2024, 10:04

         I’m all for a new series, but most certainly not under the FiA, as that’s the club that’s incapable of coming up with a decently worded, watertight sporting rulebook where it does count, yet constantly comes up with rules and clarifications (which means you admit you’ve worded things obscure), preferably mid season, where it doesn’t count, either for things that were never an issue to begin with or for things not having to do with sports at all but all the more with attempting to project a certain image, create ways for obvious manipulation and controversy.
         Combine that with an incestuous management clique and you’re a hair width from the blueprint for corruption.
   2. 

      anon
      25th January 2024, 9:25

      Sounds more like the usual moaning and hyperbole – how many times have we heard the same rants being repeated again and again, only with a different target each time?

      That sort of complaint was pretty much constantly made under Bernie for decades – frankly, those who did watch before 2018 can also remember the whining and tantrums thrown then, often by the same fans pledging back then that they would stop watching (except, almost always, they still continued to watch).
      1. 

         MichaelN
         25th January 2024, 9:47

         Agreed, what was so different before 2018? F1 had teams named after far more dubious companies than credit cards, it had races in outright dictatorships, in countries waging wars of aggression, had drivers hired because they had the right nationality or brought a bag of money, had no meaningful testing, there was even an earlier engine freeze, spec tyres, a decades long move away from free TV, etc. None of that was caused by either Netflix, or even Liberty. This is on F1 itself, which is mainly the teams.
         1. 

            notagrumpyfan
            25th January 2024, 11:40

            Since Liberty there might have been a bit more ‘show’, but we see that everywhere.
            Otherwise most things have improved if anything.
   3. 

      MichaelN
      25th January 2024, 9:37

      What changed because of Netflix’ series?
      1. 

         Coventry Climax
         25th January 2024, 10:07

         The average type of fan.
         1. 

            MichaelN
            25th January 2024, 10:45

            The YouGov Sports Whitepaper 2023 suggests fewer than 7 million people watched the Drive to Survive series on the Netflix platform. In 2023, for the first week of the new season they claimed 570,000 viewers.

            Last season, Liberty claimed that an average of 70 million people watched* F1 races (it’s unclear what counts as a watch in this sense; back in the day Ecclestone’s FOM used to count just a few minutes as a watch, which basically included everyone who watched the weekend sports roundup on TV). People who have watched Netflix’ series are a tiny minority in any case.

            There have always been highly partisan fans, there have always been drunken fools at the races, and as in other sports, pretty much everyone thinks F1 was best when they first started watching.
         2. 

            notagrumpyfan
            25th January 2024, 11:59

            The average type of fan.

            I would not count a new ‘type of fan’ (younger?) as changing the ‘sport’.

            I have visited some races many many times over the years, and what I noticed more women and kids. But all this started before Netflix; probably more related to the hybrid engines.

            And the fan base evolves in most sports, just look at golf, cricket, darts.
         3. 

            Coventry Climax
            25th January 2024, 12:54

            Agreed, you guys, I’m grumpy.
            But it used to be you could sit next and among the fans of other drivers and teams, yet still all cheer for a good action instead of start a fight amongst yourselves, as well as applaud for each of the 3 drivers that made it to the rostrum, instead of calling them names when the order doesn’t suit you.
            It’s probably not because of netflix, or not that alone, but it still doesn’t mean I’m very fond of how things have changed.
            Somehow, striving for sheer numbers seems to play a factor in it all.
2. 

   Tristan
   25th January 2024, 0:30

   I thought about that tweet for a while and I’m just going to call them Visa for short. It’s dumb but if that’s what they’re going to call themselves, that’s what they should be called. Visa Cashapp is the same syllables as alpha tauri or toro rosso so that makes sense spoken.

   Red Bull is just a drink company after all so why are people so opposed to calling the team a credit card company? The only agregious bit really is the RB tack on. That’s just red bull trying to have their cake and eat it too.

   (Oh yes the team is completely separate to Red Bull ofcourse, a competitor, for sure…)

   Cotd: Blaming any supposed change on Drive to Survive is funny. F1 has always been a circus, DtS just exposed it to a wider audience.
   1. 

      MacLeod (@macleod)
      25th January 2024, 7:52

      I am staying with Torro Rosso maybe Alpha Tauri as Visa hash is silly
      1. 

         SteveP
         25th January 2024, 8:27

         Maybe go with RB2, then Ricciardo can be RB2D2
         (with the longer standing Tsunoda as RB2D1)
         1. 

            SteveP
            25th January 2024, 11:38

            I just realised, on that train of thought, that the other team need renaming as RB1 and need a driver called Kenobi.
            Time to get my coat, maybe?
            1. 

               Schummel Schumi (@schummelschumi)
               25th January 2024, 14:15

               Haha :D
   2. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      25th January 2024, 9:09

      I’m going with Visa Cashgrab myself (I read it that the first time I saw it this morning and just cannot read it differently now)
3. 

   Dex
   25th January 2024, 1:00

   Like most tracks combined with modern F1 cars, this new one seems to be too flat out, too “easy” (in a way that it won’t differentiate enough between different skill levels). Plus there isn’t enough jeopardy (close walls or gravel at the spots where it’s more likely to go wide or make a mistake), so the track doesn’t reward bravery (or sometimes good/bad luck) as well. At least, based on this Assetto Corsa video, this track would look far more interesting with 2004 cars for example. Of course, same stands for most tracks; but some corners just cry for less downforce. And when there’s less space for a driver to shine, the car becomes even more important…
   I know I’m stating the most obvious things. Either way, not impressed; for now.
   1. 

      S
      25th January 2024, 2:36

      less downforce.

      Yes please.
      Not just every circuit, but everything about F1 improves with less downforce.
   2. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      25th January 2024, 5:48

      I definitely enjoy the track based on this first virtual lap & runoff space is limited at most spaces, so the track does reward bravery to a relatively decent extent.
      1. 

         MacLeod (@macleod)
         25th January 2024, 7:53

         +1 only the last 2 corners were soso for me.
      2. 

         earthling (@34rthl1ng)
         25th January 2024, 19:34

         Yup I mostly like that, only the part with square corners was boring, I had expected more of a camber in the Valdebebas corner – A Zandvoort-style turn 10 would be awesome
   3. 

      PlosslF1
      25th January 2024, 7:57

      I dont now about the no jeopardy bit, you lose it at the 28 second point in the video when it drops from 8th to 7th gear you gonna be in big trouble.
      1. 

         MurasamaRA300 (@murasamara300)
         26th January 2024, 9:30

         That was my first thought too after seeing the sim video.
         That left turn at 28 seconds looks like big problems waiting to happen.
      2. 

         MurasamaRA300 (@murasamara300)
         26th January 2024, 9:39

         There’s an overpass as well at the 28-29 second mark – if you have two cars tangling wheels going into that corner and one of them takes off it’s anyone’s guess where a car might end up or what it might hit on the way there. Zhou at the British GP, Floersch at Macau come to mind.

         If I was a track official I would like to see an alternative track layout for that particular left turn.
   4. 

      MichaelN
      25th January 2024, 9:39

      It looks like a faster Hungaroring. Which is nice for hotlapping, but not so much for racing.

      I doubt that first quick chicane-ish sequence is going to get approved with that basically non-existent runoff.
4. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   25th January 2024, 5:46

   A nicely flowing configuration with only the T1-2 or more so, the latter radius being something I dislike, similarly to LV T7-8, 12, & 14.
   Enough space for slighter turning angles at the apexes, so I wish these opportunities were used, but nevertheless an enjoyable lap & the circuit could possibly be among the 5 or 6 outright fastest circuits when joining.

   I’ll probably refer to the Red Bull B-team as Visa RB.
5. 

   Mayrton
   25th January 2024, 7:10

   +1 COTD. Time for a new racing category to be introduced. Would bring back the sport and Liberty van keep its entertainment franchise and go wild with sprinklers, reversed grid, street circuits only. Celebrities driving the third team car
6. 

   Yellow Baron
   25th January 2024, 7:11

   Better than Miami, similar to Jeddah. Will be interesting to see if the same people that complain about the Jeddah track can manage to refrain from being hypocritical by also complaining about this one.
   1. 

      Sam
      25th January 2024, 21:37

      Madrid has way more elevation changes, variety in corners and banking than Jeddah does. Who knows what the track will be like when it actually manifests but based upon that video this track actually looks really good.
7. 

   Broke1984 (@broke1984)
   25th January 2024, 7:22

   Here comes Danny Ric in his citroen Visa
   1. 

      MacLeod (@macleod)
      25th January 2024, 7:54

      lol that was a real bad car :)
8. 

   Alesici
   25th January 2024, 8:10

   The fast left hander turn 4(?) passing under the bridge on its exit looks extremely dangerous. Bridge foundations tend to be solid concrete, so having that at 90 degrees to the cars’ direction of travel could gravely punish any drivers running wide. Also, it looks tricky to overtake anywhere, possibly except for turn 1.

   Big downvote to Racefans for not providing my suggested option of voting in X for their original name of Minardi. They were a cool humble hard-trying racers who pioneered several innovative design features that other teams with far bigger budgets tended to copy, e.g. their gearbox casing being made of forged titanium. And the best bit about the name Minardi is that it allows racing fans to stick 2 fingers up at all of the multitude of sponsors crammed into its dreadful attempt at a name.
9. 

   spoutnik (@spoutnik)
   25th January 2024, 8:14

   Probably Cash RB would better suit the purpose. Emphasizing the big dollar driving the change, while denying Visa a highlight on its brand.
10. 

    PlosslF1
    25th January 2024, 8:15

    Looking at the Madrid track onboard I can only really make out one overtake spot, and thats a dive bomb down the inside into turn 1, and that depends on the car in front having a bad exit out of the final corner.
    1. 

       Shimks (@shimks)
       25th January 2024, 8:53

       Yes, it does look difficult to overtake but it also seems to have a nice flow to it. I will trust the designers that they know what they are doing and look forward to seeing it in action in a couple of years. I imagine the designers will have conducted a massive amount of simulation to make sure the race is a marketable success.
    2. 

       Dave
       25th January 2024, 9:08

       I noticed the pit entrance/exit both potentially causing issues
       If there’s a train of cars and the lead one wants to pit, that could baulk the car behind a bit.
       And the exit merges right into the racing line’s braking zone.
       1. 

          PlosslF1
          25th January 2024, 9:39

          Good spot, didnt think about the pits, theres no way it can stay like that, its a massive crash waiting to happen at both ends.
          Having watched it a few times more there is a maybe an overtake into, through and after the banked section into the 90 left but that needs the car behind taking the chicane before it faster, then if your real brave do a hail Mary into the last 90 left.
          I do believe it starting to grow on me :-)
11. 

    kuvemar
    25th January 2024, 8:56

    Re: COTD

    This has nothing to do with DTS. That’s just the way the world works in 2024, F1 or not.

    For all the bad decisions Liberty has made, they’ve had good ones as well. Instead of paying 50+ € per month for the privilege of watching F1, I pay 65 € per year now and I share that with 2 other people. F1 is much more accessible now and that’s a good thing. Even if some fans would’ve liked to gatekeep it for themselves.

    The real crime against F1 are the testing restrictions, the budget limits, the limited number of components and all those things that turned F1 from being the pinnacle of motorsport engineering to a reliability fest where teams have no chance of catching up during a season. Pair that with the non-existent heavy rain tires, the most boring qualifying format ever and some of the worst tracks in existence and you end up where we are now.

    Sponsorships are the least of F1s problems.
12. 

    Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
    25th January 2024, 9:08

    Interesting that the projected laptime (from Tuesday’s news – a very precise 1:32.076) becomes 1:32.4 in a Williams…
    The fast wiggle under the first bridge looks hairy. You could make a big mess of a car there. Otherwise I just thought of Valencia. Long, wide, curving sections into chicanes, where on earth do you pass anyone? Turn 1 reminded me of Adelaide but I wonder if the straight’s long enough.
13. 

    Bram (@br444m)
    25th January 2024, 9:15

    I’ll coin them the following:

    Team Isa Cashgrab
14. 

    Alan Dove
    25th January 2024, 9:17

    The Brighton Speed Trials cancellation is quite a big deal. I’d love to do a big investigation into this, but these kind of events are a core component of British Motorsport Culture, and when we see a contraction in these kind of events we are in trouble. They aren’t the only club in trouble, there’s quite a few who are running losses and are basically subsidised by passionate individuals. Bromley, while just a car show and non-motorsport, is another blow.

    These events are what helps foster motorsport interest in the general public. The popularity of F1 doesn’t really do much other than funnel a few hundred parents into getting their kids into cadet and junior karting each year. All the other stuff that basically keeps the lights on at race circuits around the world requires a strong ‘car culture’. Without that, the sport will become weaker.
15. 

    Coventry Climax
    25th January 2024, 10:15

    So Madrid pays twice what Catalunya paid.
    That confirms it’s a political decision for Spain (some sort of punishment for the region that wants to go independent?)
    and the same old greed going on for F1.
    1. 

       earthling (@34rthl1ng)
       25th January 2024, 18:20

       a political decision for Spain

       Except that the Madrid tracks depends of the Madrid regional government which is strongly at odds with the Spanish government which in turns is supported by the Catalan government. I’d expect the Spanish government to support Barcelona, not Madrid.
       While it is still a political decision, it is not a Spanish one but one from Madrid,
       And btw I do not think that the Madrid regional government are planning to lose money about this, they surely expect to milk it and come ahead financially
       1. 

          Coventry Climax
          26th January 2024, 0:52

          Despite the deal between Sanchez (PSOE) and the Catalan separatists (Junts), that party does not seem to back Sanchez at all when he needs votes to pass legislation, so don’t expect Sanchez to back too many things the Junt party may want. On the other hand, it seems the separatists lost out to the PSOE in Catalonia, at the last elections, so maybe you’re right there, where you would expect some sort of ‘thank you’ for that.
          Spanish politics is a snakepit these days (although we could probably easily exchange ‘spanish’ for ‘global’). The majority of the unhappiness however, seems to be about the -future- unity of Spain.
16. 

    StefMeister (@stefmeister)
    25th January 2024, 16:29

    Piggybacking off COTD.

    The thing i’ve really noticed the past few years thats really stood out to me the past year is just how corporate & sterile modern F1 is compared to the past.

    In the past while the business side was still important it still felt like the sport was above it, That all the teams were there because those that ran them had a genuine love & passion for the sport. Yet now it feels like the teams are there to make money & that those who run them are doing so because someone needs to run them. They don’t want any new teams the enter because it will lead to them having a smaller slice of the pie.

    There’s no Frank Williams or Ken Tyrrell who are there out of love for the sport, There’s no driver like a Gilles Villeneuve or Jean Alesi who are adored by fans because they just want to get in a car.

    The circuits that are beloved by all because of how amazing they are to drive as well as to watch are been shoved out the door in favour of circuits that have no soul & don’t create the same sort of atmosphere that help make places like Spa, Silverstone, Monza & Suzuka feel that extra bit special.
17. 

    Sam
    25th January 2024, 21:35

    It is very rare I have anything positive to say about F1 these days but that Madrid track actually looks quite good. Quick corners, flowing elevation changes, variety in corners, some banking, no stupidly long straight. Some parts remind me of Mid-Ohio but will walls instead of grass. Perhaps more run off is needed, and some widening the track to help overtaking, but overall it looks good.
18. 

    Gabriel (@gabf1)
    25th January 2024, 22:11

    Montreal – > jeddah – > yas marina

    That’s what this Madrid tracks looks like to me.
19. 

    milan (@sermilan)
    25th January 2024, 23:59

    Monaco V2.0
    Expect carnage in T1 and T2, lap 1 every race.
20. 

    harisk2
    26th January 2024, 12:52

    Exciting news about IndyCar returning to iRacing! As a passionate gamer and occasional racer myself, I can’t wait to hit the virtual track.
21. 

    grat
    30th January 2024, 7:25

    So how many people refer to Mercedes as “Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team”? Red Bull has been Infiniti Red Bull-Renault Racing, Oracle Red Bull Racing, and even claimed to have a Tag Heuer engine at one point.

    Yes, it’s a silly name. But other racing series have had ridiculous sponsor influenced names too.

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