We are a few days away from the brand-new Silverstone circuit and its series of added corners dubbed the “Arena” section.
I’ll leave it up to you if we’re about to get a look at a classic “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” scenario.
I’m also curious whether the new section, about 0.472 miles long, will have the great overtaking results we’re being promised.
According to the Red Bull preview of the race and track, there should be three new passing spots in the new section:
Britain Analysis
• Silverstone has a new layout this year, which will provide an extra challenge for all the teams. The new ‘Arena’ section introduces a series of corners after Abbey corner before rejoining the old track at Brooklands. It lengthens the track by 0.472 miles to 3.666 miles and is expected to add about four seconds to lap times. According to circuit chiefs the new section has been designed to provide three new overtaking opportunities.
• As with most tracks this season, tyre management will be crucial here. It’s a medium to high wear track so looking after rubber will be crucial to scoring points. Bridgestone are also likely to give the teams headaches by bringing its soft and hard compounds and again the new layout will add further stress to the tyres.
Three spots, huh? Has anyone formed an opinion yet on the “improvements” to the home of British motorsports? Are you more than cautiously optimistic that we’ll have a great race on Sunday?
