Friday, December 9 2011
The Graham Hill Bend at Brands Hatch will next winter undergo a facelift in order to make the corner simultaneously more challenging and yet increasingly safer as a result of barrier movement and extra run off space in the correct areas.
The corner was in fact named Bottom Bend until 1976 and has been modified before, but Brands Hatch circuit bosses now want to remove it.
Jonathan Palmer, Motorsport Vision boss: “At the moment, Graham Hill is neither fast enough to be a real challenge on a Superbike or slow enough to be a place for a safe overtake. The plans we have submitted will make the track between Druids and it totally straight and the actual corner a contstant radius left.
“It will maximise overtaking on the Indy circuit but that will also affect laptimes on the full GP circuit and we are due to come here three times in 2012. Nothing will move on it until the end of next year, subject to the plans being approved by the local authority.”
What is the point??? If it ain’t broke don’t fixit
Beautiful can`t wait to try it,
Never liked Graham Hill bend bring it on I say..
I would prefer to see the line from druids passing closer to the spectators and take out graham hill all together, maybe a big curve from druids, this would speed things up, and spectators would love to be closer to a fast piece of the track!
The idea is to prevent highsides exiting the corner.The issue was that riders were being thrown back onto the racing line and getting hurt from the following riders.I for one don’t like the new track as in my opinion there is still potential for this to happen but from the right hand exit.In fairness they should have never changed the corner full stop back in the 90′s.
Big mistake! Changing the layout is going to take away the characteristics of why this track is one of the best in the UK. I’v seen some fantastic overtaking because of that corner. Maybe Jonathan Palmer needs to watch the clubman racing that appears on the track near enough every weekend that I’v been watching to see this.
Dont agree Ben…I’m fed up with the Tilke (?) designed tracks etc…puts the fans miles from the track and offers very little in the way of passing & racing (just my opinion
)
Palmer making a mess of another classic track!!!
More bottlenecks at Brands will mean more shunts. The circuit doesn’t need the money spent on making more hairpins, it needs it spending on stopping cars ending up in the carpark!! Don’t care about history just want the circuit safe!
Don’t do it! Spend the money puuting the old Russell Chicane back into Snetterton instead.
Awful idea.
If this is for bikes, then has he considered that all the right handers before will have made the left side of the tyre go cold by the time they get to the hairpin?
There will be a lot of cold tyre crashes.
terrible idea, brands is a classic track and should be left as it is, if this hairpin goes ahead brands will have lost some of its unique character, overtaking is possible at the corner as it is and as others have pointed out, there is allready a hairpin
I dont really see how the proposed new section adds anything to the circuit at all. I normally spectate at Graham Hill and ive seen loads of passing there (in Formula BMW’s & Touring Cars etc). Its not an easy corner as its slightly off camber and looks a challenge to get through quickly. New section looks like every other hairpin
Pingback: Brands Hatch – proposed changes :: Motorsport History
I’ve got an idea, why dont we make all our circuits oval and call it nascar.
Arrggg, please stop changing our motorsport history, these circuits are just fine as they are.
expect to see cars &bikes in the tunnel then where is the run off area other than a armco barrier another track ruined another great bend gone ican remember jimmy clark coming out of bottom bend in the lotus cortina with 1 wheel inthe air now thats all gone. memories i will have them though cant take them away
Great. Another useless hairpin, followed by another equally useless bend! They’ve already had a go at ruining Snetterton circuit with these stupid hairpins, now it’s the turn of Brands Hatch. It already has one! How do these people never learn!
Dreadful idea. If it has to change, why not follow the current line from Druids, take out the kink to the left, and instead have a tight left-hander connect it to the following straight.
The proposed solution appears to have limited run-off, lacks character, and doesn’t look like it would actually provide a passing spot anyway.