~ Top 10 F1 Cities ~

[MysteRy]

Top 10 F1 Cities


1. Monaco   



Monaco must be the only country whose street circuit is almost as long as its land border. Amidst luxurious hotels and overlooked by stars-studded yachts worth millions of dollars, the narrow streets of Monaco are closed every year since 1929 in order to host one of the most important and prestigious automotive races in the world, and, arguably the crown jewel of the Formula One season. Apart from its pedigree, the city is also acclaimed for being one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One racing, with its many elevation changes, tight corners, narrow course and, notably, a tunnel requiring a quick light contrast adjustment from the drivers. In fact, had it not been an existing Grand Prix prior to the end of World War II, it would not be permitted to be added to the schedule for safety reasons. Triple Formula One champion Nelson Piquet once described racing at Monaco as "trying to cycle round your living room".

[MysteRy]

2. Melbourne, Australia   



Going way back to 1927, the Australian Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition in Australia, although it was not always held in Melbourne. In 1996 the race was first shifted to Melbourne since Formula Ones inception, although it has seen the international racing stars of several eras flying around the streets of Albert Park without being part of F1. With its status of first Grand Prix of the season, Melbourne has seen many Formula One luminaries debut, including champions Jacques Villeneuve (1996), Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen (both in 2001) and Lewis Hamilton (2007). In 2002 the only current Australian F1 driver, Mark Webber, secured an unlikely fifth position in his debut, making him an instant celebrity and vast overshadowing Michael Schumachers win Down Under. This stature also means that Melbourne is the place where all teams showcase their hard off-season work under scrutiny.

[MysteRy]

3. Istanbul, Turkey   



Considering its special location as the meeting place of the East and the West, its cosmopolitan nature and swift economic growth, it has been only a matter of time for Istanbul to have its own Grand Prix. Since 2005 the Turkish Grand Prix is proudly held at newly built Istanbul Park Circuit, and it is smug not without reason. The circuit is constructed by famed German engineer Hermann Tilke and has many turns influenced from many of the worlds best race tracks, including Turn 8, nicknamed "Diabolica", which is devilishly fast and long quadruple apex corner with a load of 5 g for 4 seconds. If that doesnt mean anything to you, it suffices to say that many drivers find this one of the trickiest corners in Formula 1. It was there that Juan Pablo Montoya spun off and let Fernando Alonso take second place which arguably cost him the 2005 World Championship.

[MysteRy]

4. Valencia, Spain   



Another of Hermann Tilkes masterpieces is the Valencia Street Circuit, which is set to compete with its MotoGP cousin, the Circuit de Valencia, for drawing motor enthusiasts. Part of the newer breed of circuits, the European Grand Prix (designated because the Spanish Grand Prix is already taking place in Barcelona) is as recent as 2008. However, being also a street circuit (as its name rather blatantly hints), it has gained a somewhat notorious lack of overtakes (not a single one was recorded in 2009). Well, that is the price you pay to have 24 people blasting with 300 km/h through a swing bridge. And no matter how much people may complain, precisely this circuit hosted the race with fewest retirements (namely, none) and most finishers, which, although not often appreciated, is something to be proud of.

[MysteRy]

5. Budapest, Hungary   



If we are to believe the Hungarian national tourism office (and there is no reason not to), Hungaroring, the Formula One circuit of the Hungarian Grand Prix, is ranked above Budapest in tourist visits. Particularly telling is the fact that, of course, Hungaroring was built just outside the Hungarian capital. This happened in just eight months, the shortest time for any of the Formula One circuits, and in 1986 the second Hungarian Grand Prix was held. The first one was held some fifty years ago, in 1936, with cars from Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union and Ferrari, among others, drawing huge crowds, but politics and ensuing war secured a half-century freeze for Grand Prix motor racing in Hungary. When it was reinstated, it became the first Formula One race to happen behind the Iron Curtain. Since then Hungaroring has seen its fair share of historic dry races, including Nigel Mansell supreme win starting from 12th in the grid.

[MysteRy]

6. Montreal, Canada



Montreal may not strike every one as a motor sport centre, but since 1961 it has hosted a F1 event on various circuits. As with any other, the Canadian Grand Prix has hosted many notable wins, but perhaps the most important for Canadians is fellow countryman Gilles Villeneuves first Grand Prix win in 1978. Following his tragic death in 1982, the race course was named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In 1999 Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacque Villeneuve, all former World Champions, all crashed into the same wall with the ironic slogan Bienvenue au Quebec (Welcome to Quebec in English). From this moment on the final corner of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve became known as the "Wall of Champions". Later inductees are champions Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya, Nico Rosberg, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Nick Heidfeld and Kamui Kobayashi. All without serious injuries, thankfully.

[MysteRy]

7. Singapore   



Singapore Grand Prix has also been a coveted prize in 1961, but unlike the one in Montreal, it was discontinued in 1973 and had to wait to be reinstated for 35 years. It has been worth the wait. On September 28, 2008 Formula One had its first ever night race, a staggering event. Even though the nearby Malaysian Grand Prix has longer history in the Formula One World Championship (first inducted in 1999), it is far more spectacular. Illuminated by around 1,600 light projectors with a total power requirement of 3,180,000 watts, it measures around 3000 lux, which is roughly four times brighter than the lights at sports stadiums. Each light consists of a projector with internal reflectors individually modified to adapt to a particular area of the circuit. When lit and viewed from above, the Marina Bay Street Circuit looks like a computer generated image, very unreal indeed.

[MysteRy]

8. Sao Paulo, Brazil   



Brazil may be commonly associated with its football frenzied devotion, and it most certainly is, but the atmosphere is no less electrifying at Interlagos, the current location of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Its former name is Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, but is now known with the neighbourhood where it is situated, Interlagos. When asked, many journalists say that the Brazilians cheering their fellow countryman, the great Brazilian F1 driver Ayrton Senna, when the Brazilian Grand Prix was moved back to Interlagos in (1990, before that it has been held at Jacarepagua in Rio de Janeiro), is one of the greatest moments they have witnessed in their carrier. Appropriately, next year, in 1991, he managed to win with great difficulty and against all circumstances and reportedly fainted from exaltation and fatigue. Although Senna is no longer around the circuit, nothing has changed with regard to the terrific Brazilian fans.

[MysteRy]

9. Shanghai, China   



When it was completed in 2004, Shanghai International Circuit, the home of the Chinese Grand Prix, was the most expensive Formula One circuit facility with costs exceeding 450 million dollars. Like Istanbul Park, it was designed by Hermann Tilke and likewise features one of the trickiest corners combinations on the Formula One calendar. The 5.451 km long track was inspired by the Chinese character "shang", which is the first character in the name of the city Shanghai, which means "above" or "ascend". It may be slightly lost in the vastness of the biggest populated city in the world, and may still be lacking enthusiasm spectator-wise, but, as they say, the only way is up and Shanghai International Circuit is as good starting point as anyone would ever get. With the coming economic and cultural prevalence of China, we can only wait and see what kind of an undoubtedly great Formula One city Shanghai will become.

[MysteRy]

10. Monza, Italy   



When speaking of Formula One cities, standing in front of everyone else, without a doubt, is the small town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza has hosted the Italian Grand Prix since the sports inception, and its pedigree is undisputed. It is really difficult to compress the rich history of the circuit in so little sentences since the Italian Grand Prix was held there in 1922. It may be an educational comparison to say that Ferrari, the worlds most famed sports car manufacturer and Formula One team, was not even founded for another seven years. Throughout the years it has seen many landmarks and milestones surpassed, records broken and legends created. Tires have left layer above layer of high speed excitement, years of drama have seeped through the gravel and the air is, even on a non-race day, whistling with motor enthusiasts spirit, many of whose last breath was taken here.