Famous Formula One Corners
Some of the most Famous most Endeared and most Loved corners in F1
Formula One drivers have various obstacles to overcome during a race; fatigue, stress, accidents, other drivers, tactics, weather and above all, the track itself.
No corner is more important than the first corner after the start. The first corner on any track is however not almost the most difficult, awe inspiring, beautiful or feared. But in the world of Formula One we do have corners that drivers love to drive around, that they can’t wait to attack, maybe even at full speed for the first time.
The most famous and probably the most loved corner in Formula One is Eau Rouge at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. For years drivers tried to take this awe-inspiring piece of track at full speed. Many drivers could not do it, many drivers lifted their right foot just a little out of fear and respect. The drivers come charging down the hill to the lefthander Eau Rouge and then suddenly have to turn right and launch uphill, (which is actually called Raidillon), and then without seeing the summit, turn left again.
Unfortunately this is not the case anymore. Eau Rouge has been tamed with changes in 2002 and due to the incredible downforce created by modern F1 cars, is now taken at full speed more often than not. But even being tamed, Eau Rouge is still the most famous, most loved and most exhilarating corner in Formula One today.
Another fascinating corner is 130R at the Suzuka track. A blindingly fast left hander that pulls almost 5G’s. In 1989 Ayrton Senna used this corner to get close to archrival Alain Prost and tried to overtake him in the next corner to no avail. Unfortunately 130R has also been toned down after some serious accidents in the past and is now more of a double apex section
A new addition to the world of famous and loved corners is the unexcitingly named Turn 8 at the Istanbul track. Turn 8 is a 4 apex, maximum G force pulling, non-stopping lefthander sensation that keeps going and going. A corner that put respect back in the name of it’s designer Hermann Tilke. When drivers and spectators saw and experienced Turn 8 everyone raved about it.
Blanchimont is turn 18 at the aforementioned Spa track. It is one of the last real high-speed left hand turns, taken at around 190 mph (304km/h), which leads to a slam on the brakes for the new Bus Stop chicane.
The last serious accident at Blanchimont involved 2001 drivers Luciano Burti and Eddie Irvine's - Burti lost his front wing after making contact with Irvine and plowed into the tyre barriers at 185mph.
Other great corners in F1 that require certain dedication or skill or just gives drivers a thrill to attempt include: Pouhon, another great Spa double left hander – the Parabolica at Monza, an ever turning right hander –Variante-Ascari complex at Monza, a quick, but long, left-right-left flick that can easily be misjudged. The Wall of Champions at Montreal has claimed many a driver, and as can be deduced from the name, many world champions. Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill all hit the wall in the same race in 1999. The wall also mockingly has the slogan “Bienvenue au Québec” on it, which means, "Welcome to Quebec".
There are many more great corners in F1, and many have their own favorites, and it’s that variety that gives everyone a thrill in F1, whether it’s the driver taking the corner or the spectator enjoying it being taken. Sometimes the driver wins, sometime the corner wins, but at the end of the day, the corner will be there, again, next year, waiting.
