F1 circuit
So you’ve booked your tickets to watch the Indian GP and you’re all set to go to the Greater Noida racetrack. But how much do you really know about the Buddh International Circuit? Don’t worry, we’ve got the information you need to help you understand the track perfectly.
QUICK FACTS
Name: Buddh International Circuit
Circuit length: 5.137 km
Number of turns: 16
Direction: Clockwise
Number of laps: 60 Race distance: 308 km (approx)
Number of Indian marshals: 230
Number of race marshals from abroad: 100
WHO
The Buddh International Circuit has been designed by the legendary F1 track designer, Hermann Tilke. And it was designed with the intention of making it one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Well, Tilke seems to have accepted the challenge and he’s made the Buddh International Circuit one of the toughest F1 tracks around. To begin with cars will average speeds of 210 kph, reaching maximum speeds of 320 kph. This makes BIC the second-fastest racetrack on the circuit after Monza. The track will also have the challenge of elevation changes, with the gradient change within the first three corners itself amounting to 14 metres.
THE PLACE TO BE ON RACE DAY
If you want to see F1 cars going fast(er) you’d have a good vantage point between Turns 3 and 4, which is the longest straight on the track. Cars will hit their high speeds here, before braking quickly for the tight right-hander that is Turn 4
TRICKY STUFF
Turns 10, 11 and 12 form a rather tricky hairpin of sorts that need to be negotiated while braking and steering simultaneously. This means different drivers will follow different racing lines through the corner. Possibilities of overtaking as well as of cars going off track!
