The necessities to host an F1 grand prix

Method 1 has a packed calendar that takes in 24 tracks throughout 21 international locations in 5 continents, nevertheless it takes greater than a pleasant ribbon of tarmac to affix the championship.

F1 and the FIA have strict tips over what circuits can host a grand prix they usually have to be labeled as Grade 1 to qualify. This is the highest degree of the FIA's seven-tiered system that covers every thing from drag strips to rally levels.  

The FIA grading system units out the principles and necessities for various venues, every protecting varied security features or monitor traits. For Grade 1 venues, these are all with the goal of creating the monitor secure for vehicles with an influence to weight ratio of lower than 1hp/kg.  

The format necessities of an FIA Grade 1 circuit 

The FIA has a set of fundamental necessities {that a} monitor should meet with a view to be labeled as Grade 1, however importantly a few of these solely apply to newly constructed venues.  

Firstly, the circuit itself have to be at the least 3.5km and not more than 7km in complete. The FIA additionally mandates that there needs to be no straights longer than 2km – Baku and its 2.2km straight are a uncommon exception to this rule.  

The subsequent large necessities relate to the width of various circuits, in order that the tarmac is huge sufficient for vehicles to simply go with out being run into partitions, grass or gravel traps. The FIA mandates that circuits be at least 12m huge, though short-term road tracks like Monaco get an exception to this rule. Within the principality, the monitor averages round 10m huge throughout the lap, main some critics to argue that it isn't match for right now's two-metre-wide F1 vehicles.  

The beginning of the race should additionally meet a number of parameters, with the grid required to be at the least 15m huge and the beginning line positioned “ideally” 250m from the primary nook. Spots on the grid have to be spaced 6m aside, though for F1 this rises to 8m, and the primary flip ought to present a change of path of at the least 45 levels and have a radius of lower than 300m.  

There are additionally guidelines across the pitlane, which needs to be at the least 12m huge and adjoining to the start-finish straight. Pit entry and exit factors can't intervene with the racing line, so vehicles don't collide when rejoining the monitor. 

Different guidelines cowl the gradient of a circuit, which may't be greater than 2% on the beginning/end straight, and any banking on monitor shouldn't exceed 5.7 levels – though there are exceptions to this rule for Turns 3 and 14 at Zandvoort.  

The security necessities of an FIA Grade 1 circuit  

The laws round F1 circuits do not simply apply to the format of a monitor, because the FIA additionally has strict necessities relating to circuit security.  

Firstly, there are guidelines across the obstacles and runoff necessities for Grade 1 tracks, which differ from decrease grade circuits because of the greater speeds of the vehicles that race on them. These differ monitor by monitor and rely upon nook layouts and the forms of runoffs used – whether or not that's grass, gravel or a protracted tarmac escape street earlier than a mixture of deceleration beds, stopping obstacles, and energy-absorbing obstacles. 

Away from the monitor itself, the FIA additionally has strict necessities concerning the medical amenities on website. From Grade 4 upwards, the medical centre have to be a everlasting fixture of the monitor and for high-level occasions like F1, there must be at the least two medical doctors current throughout the race weekend. There should even be at the least two surgeons on website who're in a position to deal with accidents resembling burns, spinal accidents and concussions.  

When it comes to the tech and amenities that have to be current in each medical centre, the FIA requires gear like ventilators, heart-rate displays, oxygen provides, x-rays, ultrasound gear, and extra. 

What different guidelines should FIA Grade 1 tracks meet?  

The FIA has a complete host of different stipulations round the kind of circuits that may host F1 races. There are guidelines across the drainage on the straights in order that venues don't get waterlogged, which incorporates chopping groves into the tarmac to help waterflow and having a slope of as much as 1.7 levels.  

There may be additionally a fancy method to calculate the variety of vehicles that may run on a Grade 1 monitor, however F1 has its personal guidelines for the variety of runners.  

Then, there are guidelines round promoting gear at races, with the FIA mandating that promoting boards across the outdoors of the circuit have to be steady and safe, they usually shouldn't intervene with drivers or officers' visibility. Monitor surfaces usually are not allowed to hold adverts, and any adverts on run-off areas mustn't scale back the skid resistance that slows vehicles down within the occasion of a collision. 

Lastly, relating to the fan expertise, the FIA doesn't have a algorithm round capability or infrastructure, nevertheless it does require that public areas are accessible to followers with disabilities. At the least, the FIA suggests putting in a chosen viewing space for disabled spectators, specialist rest room amenities, reserved parking locations and paved pathways that permit folks in wheelchairs to get round. 

Each FIA Grade 1 circuit all over the world 

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– The Autosport.com Staff