![]() ![]() The track also incorporates a drag strip although this is not used for timed segments, it does feature in some challenges and other features on the show. It is considered to be an equaliser for cars since, according to Richard Hammond, both 0–60 miles per hour (0–96.6 km/h) times and top speed are totally meaningless. The track is approximately 1.75 miles (2.82 km) long. The layout of the track is designed to put the car through various conditions, ranging from provoking understeer to testing brake balance and tyres. The track's main route, marked by painted lines and simple structures such as stacks of tyres, was designed by test drivers from Lotus. The track is on a former Royal Canadian Air Force airbase constructed during the Second World War and later used by British Aerospace as a manufacturing and test facility. It is used to test both cars and drivers seen on the program, mainly in Power Laps and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. The track was designed by Lotus Cars as a testing facility for the Colin Chapman run company, with many of its Formula One cars tested there. It is located at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, United Kingdom. Much as with the rest of the lap at Spa-Francorchamps, get this wrong and the price of your mistake will be significant, so drivers will have to tread that fine line between caution and commitment.The Top Gear test track is used by the BBC automotive television program Top Gear. Despite its nature as a somewhat awkward corner in comparison to the rest of the lap, the Bus Stop has gained a bit of a fanbase in its own right, and offers up another really solid opportunity to overtake a slower rival. The final part of the lap is the reprofiled Bus Stop chicane. Pretty much flat out throughout the final sector (85% of the lap is spent at full throttle in a Grand Prix car) the drivers have to deal with the fearsome Blanchimont corner – probably full throttle, depending on setup, track condition and racing line, but very easy to make a mistake and lose lap time, or worse still, have a potentially race ending accident if you get too greedy with the curbs on corner exit. A fantastic place to watch a race car in action. A keen feeling on the brake pedal, and not too enthusiastic getting back on the gas are key ingredients to making your way through this part of the circuit in good time.įrom top gear down to fourth, trail brake into the apex at corner entry then balance the car on the throttle for a smooth transition through the turn and early onto the power trusting the downforce and tyres to stick the car firmly into the racing surface – here you need confidence, commitment and a solid vehicle underneath you to fully unearth the speed needed to propel you through the corner and into the very fast final sector.Īnother overtaking opportunity, on both the outside and inside line, Fagnes is one of those corners so very common to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit – fast, delicate and requiring the driver to dance on the pedals in order to find just that right balance between speed and keeping the car stable. Here drivers have a great opportunity to line up their rivals and make a play for the overtake under braking, either down the inside into the first right-hander, or the long way round the outside and block pass for the switch back to the left-hand part of this section. Fast, challenging and dangerous – depending on the car and your racing line, a driver may just have to breathe off the throttle to safely navigate their way through the steeply uphill section of track, before rounding the blind crest through Radillon and powering down the Kemmel Straight and into the more technically challenging portion of the lap. Instantly recognizable throughout the world, Eau Rouge and Radillon offer up some of the most iconic tarmac in motorsport. This is one of the tightest corners on the track, and despite its relatively simple nature perhaps one of the most critical to get right for a competitive lap time – miss step on corner exit and you’ll be giving away time all the way down to perhaps the showcase corner of Spa-Francorchamps… Finally settling on a suitable configuration for a last corner that is very much at odds with the quick and challenging nature of the circuit, the venue has remained a firm favourite in the minds of both drivers and fans alike.Ĭonsisting of some of the best sections of corners anywhere in the world, including the exceptional Eau Rouge / Radillon complex and the fearsome Pouhon (now called Double Gauche) – almost every one of the 19 turns on this historic venue are noteworthy in their own right – so let’s take a look at some key highlights as we see what we have in store for our rFactor 2 drivers: The current configuration of Spa-Francorchamps first made its public debut during the 2007 racing season, having featured in previous years with several takes on the traditional lap ending Bus Stop chicane. ![]()
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