Track Check: Buddh International Circuit

Satellite Image of the Buddh International Circuit

The Buddh International Circuit(BIC) in Greater Noida will once again play host to the Indian GP this weekend. With the drivers all set, lets take a look at the track is one of the fastest tracks on the calender and one of the most unusual ones as well.

The track at the BIC is a 5.137km long and is designed by Herman Tilke, F1′s current favourite track designer. The track features 8% inclines and 10% descending slopes as the drivers blast along the 16 turns that mark the circuit. It track features 2 DRS Zones(Pit And back straight) which are guarded by the four slowest turns on the circuit, which forces driver to go from minimum to maximum downforces settings all in the matter of seconds. The roller-coaster nature of the track can be very hard on both the drivers and the cars. Drivers can experience lateral G-forces of up to 4g. On Raceday, the drivers compete over 60 laps, a distance of over 308 km.

Section 1

A lap of the BIC for the driver starts with a 230m run down the pit straight from the start line to the first corner with the DRS Flap open and the KERS at full blast before they have to break hard for the first corner which is taken in second gear at around a 115 km/hr. The turn also provides the first overtaking opportunity. The driver then throttles up as he immediately enters the sweeping second corner, which heads uphill into the slowest corner of the track which drivers have to take almost blindly at around 80km/hr.

The corner(which is actually a hairpin) leads into the back straight which at 1.2 km is the fifth longest straight in the calender. It also features a small dip which is immediately followed by another incline. The back straight is one of the 2 DRS Zones on the track and provides enough space for overtaking. Drivers can reach speeds of 320 km/hr with the DRS flap open and the KERS boost enabled. The back straight then narrows down into the fourth corner, for which drivers have to brake hard and try to avoid locking up the wheels as they experience almost 5g as the car decelerates from 320km/hr to around a 100 km/hr.

Section 2

Following the 4th turn, the drivers enter a small straight before they slingshot into a set of medium to high speedcorners which can really test the setup of the car. Turn 5 is a left hander which is taken at speeds of around 215 km/h and it is here that drivers experience almost 4g’s of lateral g-forces. The track then almost immediately pushes the driver into the small chicane that are turns 6 and 7.

Turn 6 is another left hander which the drivers drive through at almost 150 km/hr and it immediately opens up into the 7th corner which is a right hander that the car which are still accelerating at this point take at around a 190km/hr. The track then open up a bit before entering another Chicane which consists of turns 8 and 9 both of which can exert lateral g-forces of upto 4g on the drivers. Turn 8 is a right hander which the cars take at almost 220 km/hr before they break just a bit to 200 km/hr as they swing left onto the straight which leads up to the centrepiece of the track, turn 10.

Turn 10 is a double apex looping right hander where drivers really have to keep an eye on the racing line. Drivers have to simultaneously brake and turn into the corner which keeps on going for along time. The drivers keep accelerating through the corner but have to ensure that they have perfect grip due to the lateral g-force pull of 4g on the second part of the curve as they head on to turn 11 which is a small right hander that the drivers take at almost full throttle as they pass through turn 12 which is a gentle left hander which leads onto a small straight.

Section 3

The straight leads into the final section of corners which start with a chicane that consists of turns 13 and 14. The drivers have to step on the brakes and switch to fourth gear to take the 13th corner which is a left hander that the cars take at around 185 km/hr before they accelerate through the right handed 14th curve at around 210 km/hr. Drivers experience lateral g-forces of around 3.7g as they make their way through this turn.

The cars then go uphill as they make their way to the penultimate corner of the lap. Turn 15 is a right hander for which the cars brake hard and take at around 155 km/hr. The cars exit the corner and descend rapidly intto Turn 16, the final corner of the lap which they take in second gear at around 90 km/hr. The corner leads into the pit straight which the drivers take with the DRS flaps open and the KERS at full blast as they cross the start/finish line.