The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours will play host to the penultimate round of the 2016-17 SBMRL season. The track is a new one for SBMRL drivers, and one that Formula 1 drivers haven’t raced on since 2008.
Originally designed and built in 1960, with several corners named in homage of the tracks that inspired them, the circuit didn’t play host to Formula 1 racing until 1991. Due to poor attendance and financing issues, Formula 1 left after the 2008 race, and many were not disappointed due to a lack of overtaking. That’s unlikely to be a problem for SBMRL drivers, who’ve shown a proclivity for the pass.
A lap around Magny-Cours starts on the relatively short pit straight with a short run up from the starting line to Grande Courbe. This is an easy left hander followed by a short straight, and then the corner on the track that will have everyone drooling. The Estoril corner is the longest, smoothest corner on the league calendar. It can easily be taken in 5th gear with little concern for consequences. The incredibly long Golf straight follows, meaning there’s no need to worry about what’s coming ahead.
That opening combination in the first sector means that it’s entirely possible for cars to spend a good portion of the sector in 6th gear. Cars near the front of the grid will be at a slight disadvantage if they can’t get off the line quickly and pick up speed. Those in the middle of the field will have the easiest time shifting up through the gears smoothly as they get under way. For those who’ve managed to handle it properly, there will be no need to downshift at all in the first sector.
The second sector is where cars will have to slam on the breaks. The Adelaide corner is a tight one that will have cars downshifting rapidly after the Golf straight. This is where things might start to look tricky, but Magny-Cours will likely prove to be more forgiving than it initially appears. The Nurburgring bend won’t slow cars down too much, and the 180 corner after that is tight but manageable. Hit it right, and cars will be flying off to sector 3 and Imola.
The final sector has the quick combination of Imola and Chateau D’Eau, which will slow the field moderately. This will be a good spot to pass if cars can maintain speed through it, as the straight before the final Complexe du Lycée can catch cars in between gears. That last chicane will really slow the field down before heading out on the second lap.
Magny-Cours is a circuit that will test each driver’s ability to get the most of their car, and will also reveal a lot about their tolerance for risk. There will be ample opportunity to stay in the higher gears, but running at the front will be key to making that tactic work. If the ideal racing lines get closed off in front, it will be much harder to tolerate the risks of running too fast.
STARTING GRID
Sochi shook up the standings quite a bit and has left everything in turmoil. That said, with two races left to go, the drivers and teams at the back of the standings are just about out of time if they still hope to catch up. It’s now or never for them. Here’s how the grid will shape up on race day:
- Captain Slow (SB)
- Nero (CO)
- Mater (RB)
- The Stig (SB)
- Ice (CO)
- Launch Bornado (RM)
- Jamonito del Verde (ORC)
- Danger Wheel (RB)
- Jaronimus Maximus (ORC)
- Jaap Snellrijder (RM)
Mater gets tie breaker preference with the Stig after finishing behind the Stig in Russia. Likewise, Launch gets preference over Jamonito.
Pit selection is reverse order of average starting grid position, with ties broken in reverse order of team standings. Osito Racing Company and Regency Motors are tied in terms of average starting position, so Osito gets first pit choice due to being farther down the team standings.
- Osito Racing Company
- Regency Motors
- Red Bull
- Cobalt
- Scandinavian Blitz
Since this is our first trip to France to race at Magny-Cours, it’s hard to know what to expect out of the teams. The most similar track we’ve raced at is probably Interlagos, where Osito Racing Company established themselves as serious contenders for both championship titles. Expect some high speed wheel-to-wheel action and possibly even a blown engine or two.