Stoopid pointless poll 2. Chicanes

[mik]

In the original (and still possibly the best) Stoopid Pointless Poll (or indeed poill) @Mito Man wrote (actually I suspect he typed) :

Spa is a pretty good track for low and high downforce cars. Low downforce Eau Rouge, high downforce Pouhon. If it weren’t for the bus stop chicane it would be perfect. Chicanes just ruin the flow of a circuit. See Monza, blighted by 2 of the horrid things.

Red Bull Ring - probably my favourite track overall, elevation change, good for overtaking, flows well, no stupid chicanes. Second half of the lap is just perfection.

I am not a fan of the 2x chicanes clumsily dropped into the middle (how can two chicanes be dumped into the middle you idiot?) of the Mulsanne straight at La Sarthe. Horrible, and I'm fully aligned with young David's disgust.

The chicanes at some other circuits I find fine though - where they are blended in a bit better. The Bus-Stop at Spa - fine. The chicane at Monza is fine (but what idiot made it the first corner after the start line - its always carnage). Brittens at Oulton. Inner Loop at Watkins Glen (which is pretty fast, but still technically a chicane I believe).

Sure they break the original track design flow up a bit, but they can create a real technical challenge / another overtaking opportunity.

[Mito Man]

The Spa chicane is too low speed, if it continued straight you’d have the slow speed turn 1 hairpin anyway which would still allow overtakes. Monza turn 1 I don’t like, however the second chicane before the lesmos is alright. I accept it makes for a better spectacle though as it allows for more overtakes.

The French like putting chicanes in terrible places, the Paul Ricard mistral straight chicane was stupid.

It looks like as cars are getting safer they FIA are moving away from unnecessary chicanes now, they’re getting rid of the last one in Catalunya.

I will say higher speed chicanes are still good as they keep with the flow and you get that threading a needle sensation - Albert Park this week is a good example, they got rid of the old slow chicane in sector 2 and the next high speed one is a real challenge now.
Canadian GP - wall of champions chicane - still very good.
Imola - a necessary evil however they’re still ok, high speed and flowing. At least they’re not Monza style road blocks.

[Jimmy Choo]

Stoopid Chicanes are the ones hastily added in 1994.

[jamcg]

I’d say sometimes- Le Mans have them to prevent cars doing 300mph then experiencing brake failure into a wall, plus FIA decided to implement a maximum straight length so they keep the track legal and in use

However I’d say thank fuck they’ve binned the one at Catalunya for this years F1

[mik]

Just for you @Mito Man - Real life BTCC and Porsche Supercup racer Dan Cammish enjoying some iracing : 2nd Monza Chicane.

[Mito Man]

That’s about right for online racing