Track designer Hermann Tilke has revealed an amateur onboard lap of the upcoming F1 Vietnam GP circuit in a video.
The 5.565 km Vietnam GP circuit was confirmed to be part of the F1 calendar from 2020 when Liberty Media signed a deal with the Vietnamese Government last November. A first look was then presented by F1 through a ride on a tuk-tuk (or a toto).
The Vietnam GP street circuit is a mixed bag with various corners from some famous circuits combined. Here’s what the F1 guide stated:
“F1 is blessed with a plethora of stunning turns and corner sequences scattered across the world’s great racing circuits, so in creating a new track, it makes sense to take inspiration from them.
That’s what the architects of the Circuit of The Americas, the current home of the United States Grand Prix, did. They drew creativeness from the quick Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence at Silverstone and Istanbul’s multi-apex Turn 8 among others.
The same strategy was employed for Vietnam’s new track, located on the western side of the city in the vicinity of the My Dinh National Stadium. And that means it’s not your typical street circuit – far from it…
The aim was to create a unique hybrid layout, fusing a street circuit’s characteristics with a permanent countryside track layout within the confines of the city’s topography.
There was a real desire to steer away from humdrum 90-degree road-junction type corners and foster a layout that facilitates wheel-to-wheel racing while retaining a closed-in street feel that makes city race tracks so demanding for drivers.
Turns 1 and 2 are based on opening corners at Germany’s Nurburgring – known as a red zone for overtaking. In 2006, you may remember Juan Pablo Montoya sweeping by Giancarlo Fisichella by using the long straight for slipstream and completing his pass in the braking zone for Turn 1.
Turns 12 through to 15 may look familiar, too. They have been inspired by a section of the famous Monaco street circuit, from Turn 1 and the run up the hill to Massenet.
The Turn 16-19 sequence that follows features fast changes of direction reminiscent of the sweeping iconic Esses at Suzuka, while the final three corners take inspiration from Malaysia’s Sepang – the fast left-right followed by a tightening radius entry.
That tricky and challenging final sequence, which completes the lap, offers the potential for mistakes and opens the door for a chasing driver to pick up a slipstream and launch an attack into the first turn.”
The track work has started at Hanoi after FIA President Jean Todt visited the place along with Tilke in March. In more recent news, ex-F1 racer David Coulthard went to Hanoi along with Jake Dennis for a Red Bull showrun to start the one year countdown for the 2020 race.
The simulation presented by Tilke – with all the knowledge about the circuit including the pits placement, the fencing, the barriers, the run-offs, etc – has been done using the Assetto Corsa engine.
Here’s some details on the work starting on the circuit
Check out Red Bull’s show run at Hanoi
