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F1 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON 2000 DRIVING GUIDE
By
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM
Completed January 25, 2001
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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Assumptions and Conventions
General Tips
The 2000 Courses
Course Difficulty and Drivability Rankings
Differences and Additions
Training Mode
Scenario Mode
Grand Prix of Australia: Albert Park
Grand Prix of Brazil: Interlagos
Grand Prix of San Marino: Imola
Grand Prix of Great Britain: Silverstone
Grand Prix of Spain: Catalunya
Grand Prix of Europe: Nurburgring
Grand Prix of Monaco: Monte Carlo (Temporary Street Circuit)
Grand Prix of Canada: Gilles Villeneuve
Grand Prix of France: Nevers Magny-Cours
Grand Prix of Austria: A1-Ring
Grand Prix of Germany: Hockenheim
Grand Prix of Hungary: Hungaroring
Grand Prix of Belgium: Spa-Francorchamps
Grand Prix of Italy: Monza
Grand Prix of the United States: Indianapolis
Grand Prix of Japan: Suzuka
Grand Prix of Malaysia: Sepang
Wish List
Wrap-up
Contact Information
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SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters
below line up:
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Note that this driving guide is well over 50 pages long using
Courier 12 font with single-spacing in Microsoft Word.
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PERMISSIONS
Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or
print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use.
This driving guide may only be posted on CheatCC.com; please
contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet.
Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other
languages (F1 Championship Season 2000 is also optimized for
French and Spanish), please contact me for permission and
provide me with a copy when complete (especially important so
that I can improve my French and Spanish skills).
Remember: Plagiarism is NOT tolerated!!!!!
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INTRODUCTION
Most likely, if you play F1 Championship Season 2000, then
you are at least a casual fan of Formula 1 racing, and have
at least basic knowledge of many or all of the currently-used
F1 courses. That knowledge does indeed help when first
playing F1 Championship Season 2000, and vice versa -
extensive gameplay helps in determining where the drivers are
on each course when races are televised.
The main part of this driving guide provides information to
help you to cleanly drive each course. Even those who know
the courses fairly well and/or play the game regularly can
always use tips.
Please note that much of this information comes from the
driving guide I wrote for F1 2000, the predecessor to F1
Championship Season 2000, also by EA Sports. Those who have
read and/or downloaded the driving guide for F1 2000 will
already have the same basic information covered in this
driving guide. This driving guide has been modified to
reflect the differences between the two games.
The information within this driving guide is based on the PSX
version of F1 Championship Season 2000. I have not had the
chance to acquire the PS2 version, but I have been told by a
gaming store employee that the only real difference between
the two versions is richer overall color in the PS2 version.
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ASSUMPTIONS AND CONVENTIONS
Several of the official course and segment names used in F1
racing include the use of characters which are not standard
to the English language, on which the Internet and standard
text-only documents are based. In order to eliminate the
potential for "strange characters" in a standard text-only
document, these characters have not been used.
This driving guide is designed with the assumption that you
(the player) are playing with Dry Weather, Fuel Usage, Flags,
Equipment Failures, and Damage all activated. (Weather is
randomized if Realistic Weather is chosen.) Most important
here is Flags; with the Flags option activated, shortcutting
corners, driving too far off-course, passing another car when
the yellow flag is displayed, and reckless driving (including
driving backward during a race) will instigate a ten-second
Stop-Go Penalty; driving backward results in an immediate
Black Flag, ending your race). It is not possible to
"accumulate" multiple outstanding Stop-Go Penalties and then
serve them all at once; if more than one Stop-Go Penalty is
outstanding, you will be shown a Black Flag and be forced to
end the race prematurely.
According to the FIA's rules for F1 competition, a driver may
make no more than three complete laps before serving a Stop-
Go Penalty once one has been assigned, or else the driver is
shown the Black Flag. However, if a Stop-Go Penalty is
issued in the last five laps of a race and is unserved, the
driver is instead penalized by adding twenty seconds to his
or her overall time. F1 Championship Season 2000 also
follows the twenty-second penalty in this case, but only if
the Stop-Go Penalty was assigned with less than three
complete laps remaining in the race.
Most racetracks outside the United States name the corners
and even some straightaways. Where these names are known,
they will be included in parentheses and referenced in the
explanatory text. These names have been gathered from course
maps available on the courses' official Web sites, my memory
of how F1 races have been called by the TV sportscasters,
and/or from the Training mode of F1 Championship Season 2000.
To the extent possible, these names have been translated into
English.
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GENERAL TIPS
In general, bumping other cars is a bad thing: You might
damage your own car, and, if it occurs too much, you may also
receive a Stop-Go Penalty. If you ram another car's backside
at full speed, you will almost definitely receive a Stop-Go
Penalty. The best way to avoid Stop-Go Penalties is to keep
at least two wheels on the approved driving surfaces
(pavement and rumble strips) at all times, and to refrain
from colliding with other cars.
Normally, the best way to approach a turn is from the
outside. At the apex of the turn, your car should be as
close as possible to the inside of the turn. As you leave
the turn, drive back toward the outside. This is obviously
made more difficult on really tight and/or blind corners,
especially at Monaco.
If playing with Fuel Usage activated, it may be a good idea
to set your Pit Stops for late in the race. This way, should
you need to pit early to repair damage, you can also take on
"extra" fuel at that time and eliminate a later-scheduled Pit
Stop. Note that this is not possible when serving a Stop-Go
Penalty, as the Pit Crew is not permitted to touch the car
while the Penalty is being served.
Braking is of utmost importance, especially when approaching
a tight chicane or a blind corner. If you are not sure of
where a corner is (especially with other cars in front of
you), brake early. For a real-world example of what can
happen by missing a braking zone, refer to the 2000 Grand
Prix of Italy at Monza (Lap 1, Roggia Chicane; this is the
massive accident in which flying debris struck and killed a
volunteer corner worker).
If you come into a (tight) corner too fast, several things
may happen. First, if you slam hard on the brakes, you may
have brake-lock and slide straight ahead into whatever is
there to stop you - hopefully sand or grass, but perhaps a
barrier or (worse) one or more cars. Second, if you keep
your speed up and try to take the corner anyhow, you will
likely spin and/or slide the car. With the new physics
engine of F1 Championship Season 2000, the spin and/or slide
are far more likely now than in the preceding version of the
game. This second scenario is also (subjective statement
coming) "more true" to actual F1 racing, as the line between
having control of the car and losing control - especially at
the incredibly high average speeds of many of the circuits -
is not only gray and hazy, but thinner than a strand of hair.
This further demonstrates the importance of early braking
(again, refer to the 2000 Grand Prix of Italy).
Activating the Flags option in F1 Championship Season 2000
causes the game to use the same flags and related rules as an
actual F1 race. If shown a Blue Flag, you are to allow the
car(s) behind you to pass. When shown a Yellow Flag, you are
to slow down and not pass anyone until you see a Green Flag
(normal racing conditions); however, when the Yellow Flag is
displayed, you are certainly permitted to pass a vehicle with
obvious problems, such as a car with a blown engine.
Amazingly, in F1 Championship Season 2000, a car can still be
driven even after a wheel has fallen off!!!!! If you do lose
a wheel, it will usually be on the front of the car, due to
bumping another car or smashing against a barrier. Turning
the car toward the missing wheel (i.e., turning left if the
left front wheel is missing) is not very difficult, but
turning away from the missing wheel (turning right in this
example) is nearly impossible at any speed faster than a
snail's crawl. However, once any two wheels have separated
from the car, your race immediately ends.
It is rare that your rear wing will ever be damaged (except
in a Scenario race); the most probable means of damaging the
rear wing is spinning and hitting a barrier or another car
with the backside of your vehicle. However, if you are too
aggressive or are not careful entering the Pit Lane
(especially if coming in at full speed at Monza), you may
damage your front wing. If a wing only has "a slight knock"
and is labeled yellow in the damage indicator, you can still
drive normally, although serious caution must be taken on
downhill turns (such as the first corner at Hungaroring).
One significant change from F1 2000 is that, should you lose
a wing, your car still handles as if the wing was still
intact, which reduces the realism of the game, but does allow
you to stay out of the pits, which is highly important in a
close race.
If playing the Championship mode, points are awarded for the
top six cars at the end of the race; these points are given
to the driver (for the Drivers Championship) and the team
(for the Constructors Championship). The points are awarded
as follows, in accordance with FIA regulations:
First Place: 10 points
Second Place: 6 points
Third Place: 4 points
Fourth Place: 3 points
Fifth Place: 2 points
Sixth Place: 1 point
Thus, if you are concerned about winning the Constructors
Championship, race as a driver for an historically good team,
such as Ferrari or McClaren.
Whichever driver and team you select to represent you in the
race, you will periodically be given updates as to your
teammate's status during the race (i.e., if you race as Jean
Alesi, you will be given status updates on Nick Heidfeld's
track position and pitting schedule). It is extremely
important to listen to this information, especially during
the window(s) for pit stops, as each team can only service
one car at a time in Pit Lane. If you come into Pit Lane
while your teammate is being serviced, you cannot pit and
will be forced to drive straight through Pit Lane without
receiving serviceŠ which itself will likely set you back
severely in track position, but you will also be set back
even further when you come around again to make your true pit
stop.
If you are a visually-oriented person, it may help you to go
to the FIA's official Web site (http://www.fia.com/ - the
site is available in both English and in French) and go to
the current season's race schedule. From here, the official
Web sites (available in at least English and the host
country's official languages; sometimes other language
options are also available) of most of the race circuits can
be accessed, and course maps can be downloaded and printed
for you to study. Note that some online course maps are in
very high resolution, thus file size is large; this may be a
concern for those using a slow computer and/or modem.
Always use caution when passing, cornering, or even
breathing, as auto racing is an inherently dangerous sport!!!
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THE 2000 COURSES
F1 Championship Season 2000 presents the courses in the order
in which they were presented for the 2000 Formula 1 season.
This driving guide will follow the same convention, which
will be especially useful for those playing the Championship
Mode.
F1 Race Schedule, 2000 Season:
March 12 Australia Albert Park
March 26 Brazil Interlagos
April 9 San Marino Imola
April 23 Great Britain Silverstone
May 7 Spain Catalunya
May 21 Europe Nurburgring
June 4 Monaco Unnamed (Street Circuit)
June 18 Canada Gilles Villeneuve
July 2 France Nevers Magny-Cours
July 16 Austria A1-Ring
July 30 Germany Hockenheim
August 13 Hungary Hungaroring
August 27 Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
September 10 Italy Monza
September 24 USA Indianapolis
October 8 Japan Suzuka
October 22 Malaysia Sepang
NOTE: The 2001 F1 race schedule has been posted and is now
available at the FIA Web site (http://www.fia.com/). The race
schedule also has links to the official Web sites of most of
the permanent and temporary street circuits hosting F1 races.
Please note that the 2001 race schedule uses the same courses
as the 2000 season (on which F1 Championship Season 2000 is
based), but in a different order. For example, the Grand
Prix of Malaysia was the final race of the 2000 season, but
is the second race of the 2001 season.
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COURSE DIFFICULTY AND DRIVABILITY RANKINGS
This section is highly subjective - take this information
with several grains of salt. The courses here are listed by
their order in the 2000 F1 racing season.
Australia Easy Extreme fun
Brazil Medium Lower course frustrating
Imola Medium Fun
Silverstone Medium Good
Catalunya Easy Fun
Nurburgring Medium Somewhat Frustrating
Monaco Difficult A bit annoying
Gilles Villeneuve Medium Fun
Nevers Magny-Cours Easy Quite fun
A1-Ring Medium Very challenging
Hockenheim Easy Fun and FAST
Hungaroring Medium Upper course challenging,
but fun overall
Spa-Francorchamps Medium Enjoyably challenging
Monza Easy Fun and FAST
Indianapolis Medium Depends on set-up
Suzuka Medium Fun challenge
Sepang Medium Not too bad
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DIFFERENCES AND ADDITIONS
There are some notable differences from F1 2000, as well as
significant additions.
The first major difference is the sleeker design of the
game's menus. I have been playing F1 Championship Season
2000 on a PlayStation 2, and the colors are also much more
vivid; whether this is due to the game itself and/or the PS2
I do not know. The video footage of actual F1 races is also
much better on the eyes than in the original game.
Along the same lines, the opening video of actual F1 races is
much nicer than the opening of F1 2000, although the original
game's initial focus on a particular driver in its opening
video certainly helped to position the player within the F1
environment.
The music is also different, as one would probably expect.
The music is good overall, but I personally do prefer the
music from F1 2000.
The physics model has been modified for this newer game.
This is especially good for racing on the streets of Monaco;
the newer physics model makes simple SURVIVAL at Monaco MUCH
easier!!!!!!!!! However, the set-up options have changed;
most significantly, the Front Downforce and Rear Downforce
options have been eliminated.
Speaking of Monaco, the chicane after leaving The Tunnel now
has only rumble strips marking the official course; the
barrier has thankfully been removed. Even better, the CPU
does not assign a Stop-Go Penalty for driving in a straight
line over the rumble strips and bypassing the chicane, so
this is a new passing zone.
The most significant additions for F1 Championship Season
2000 are Training Mode and Scenario Mode. Training Mode
allows you to learn each course's intricacies by using
colored cones to mark braking, turning, apex, and exit for
each corner, and by providing interactive commentary.
Scenario Mode presents realistic racing situations which
range from fairly easy to expert. Training Mode and Scenario
Mode are both discussed further below.
Another set of additions to this newer game is the new
potential problems you can face. The original game's
problems of engine expiration and lost and damaged wing(s)
and tire(s) are still available, but new problems have been
added: brake failure, suspension failure, engine misfire,
missing gears, etc. These problems are most significant in
Scenario Mode.
As you progress through Championship Mode, you may be given
the option to change the difficulty setting of Championship
Mode based upon your performance. You are also given the
opportunity to view the race analysis (lap-by-lap positions
of each car/driver) after each race.
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TRAINING MODE
Risking to make this driving guide obsolete is the Training
Mode, which was not available in F1 2000. Even expert-level
drivers from F1 2000 should begin here, as the physics engine
of F1 Championship Season 2000 is somewhat different, thus
the overall handling of the cars is also a little different.
The biggest driving change between F1 2000 and F1
Championship Season 2000 is that this newer game requires
more use of the brakes, especially for aggressive drivers.
Fortunately, wheel lock and flat-spotting does not occur
quite as often in this newer game.
Training Mode uses colored cones to help you see how to
handle each corner of a given course:
Blue Cone Begin braking here
Orange Cone Begin cornering here
Yellow Cone This is the apex; begin acceleration
White Cone This is the exit; accelerate hard
Note that after a quick combination of corners or a chicane,
there will not be a white exit cone for each corner.
Instead, the white cone will follow that segment of the
course.
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SCENARIO MODE
One of the more interesting aspects of the "upgrade" to F1
Championship Season 2000 is the new Scenario Mode. There are
fourteen total scenario races, each progressing in the level
of difficulty. Each scenario race takes place at a different
course, so it would be wise to become quite familiar with ALL
the courses before attempting Scenario Mode.
Each scenario presents a realistic F1 situation, ranging from
simply finishing at or above a certain position, to simple
survival; furthermore, for each scenario race, you race as a
different driver from the 2000 F1 season. Many of these
scenario races are "simple," in that you need to just drive.
However, some of the later scenario races require quite a bit
of strategy; here, it might be best to read the scenario,
then wait and consider the potential strategies for several
hours first.
The initial scenario races are fairly short, and can be
completed well within thirty minutes (usually approximately
fifteen minutes). The later scenario races will likely take
longer. The fourteenth and final scenario race is a FULL
race, so do not even attempt the final scenario unless you
have about two hours during which you will not be interrupted
by siblings, telephones, bathroom breaks, etc.
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GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRALIA: ALBERT PARK
This course is built around the beautiful Albert Park Lake.
There are usually plenty of trees on both sides of the track,
with a nice view of Melbourne's buildings as you come through
Turns 12 and 13. The Albert Park circuit features many long,
gentle, no-braking corners, allowing for incredible top-end
speed. However, these are tempered with several moderate-
and hard-braking corners.
Pit Straight: The front straight is fairly long, following a
light-braking corner (Turn 16). However, Turn 1 requires an
early braking zone.
Turn 1: A moderate-braking right-hand corner. If you miss
the braking zone here, there is a wide area in which you can
recover. Traffic will often bunch up entering Turn 1.
Turn 2: Immediately following Turn 1, this is a gentle left-
hand turn which can be taken at full speed. Excellent
acceleration out of Turn 1 makes the exit of Turn 2 and the
ensuing straightaway a prime passing zone.
Turn 3: This is a hard-braking right-hand corner following a
long straightaway. Again, there is a wide recovery area
here. A little speed can be made coming out of Turn 3, but
the straightaway is virtually non-existent, requiring
moderate braking for Turn 4. This is definitely NOT a place
to pass (safely). Traffic tends to bunch up here for Turns 3
and 4.
Turn 4: A left-hand corner requiring at least moderate
braking. To the outside of the corner is a wide, paved
recovery area; however, driving too far out to the right will
result in a Stop-Go Penalty. Good acceleration out of Turn 4
can set up a good passing opportunity.
Turn 5: A gentle right-hand corner through the trees which
leads to a nice straightaway. No braking is necessary here.
Turn 6: A semi-hidden moderate-braking right-hand corner.
Traffic will sometimes bunch up here, as drivers try to spot
the corner. A wide recovery zone is available here as well,
but don't shortcut the corner.
Turn 7: Immediately following Turn 6, Turn 7 is a very gentle
left-hand corner which brings you alongside the northernmost
end of Albert Park Lake.
Turn 8: This is almost not a turn at all, as it curves
extremely gently along the shoreline.
Turn 9: The first piece of pavement to the right is NOT the
official corner; taking this bypass area results in a Stop-Go
Penalty. The official corner is a tight right-hand turn
which requires moderate or hard braking. Traffic almost
always bunches up here.
Turn 10: This is almost not a turn at all, as it curves
extremely gently to the left and back along the shoreline.
There is absolutely NO room for error on the right side of
the track, as the pavement runs directly up against the
barrier. The view of Albert Park Lake is actually quite
serene from here (and the water is oh-so-blueŠ), but don't
take your eyes off the course!!!
Turns 11 and 12: If you are not navigating traffic, Turns 11
and 12 can be taken at full speed, although some drivers may
feel more comfortable with tapping the brakes once in each
turn. However, sliding even one pixel across the rumble
strips on either side of the road results in a Stop-Go
Penalty.
Straightaway: The pavement runs directly up against the
barrier on he left side of the course here, creating problems
for cars on the left whose engines suddenly expire.
Turn 13: This is a semi-blind right-hand corner requiring
moderate braking if you are alone; traffic tends to bunch up
here. The recovery area again is quite wide, with a long
run-off area if needed. This leads to a short straightaway
which can be a prime passing zone if acceleration out of Turn
13 is strong.
Turn 14: A light-braking, right-hand corner with a wide
recovery area. Experts should be able to take this corner at
top speed (if not in traffic) with a flawless racing line.
This is a good place to pass on braking upon entering the
corner.
Turn 15: Do not be fooled by the run-off lane which goes
directly ahead into an unforgiving barrier; there IS a turn
to the left here, requiring moderate braking. This is also a
good place to pass on braking when entering the corner. Note
that the Pit Entry is immediately to the right upon exiting
the corner, to be sure to look for cars moving slower than
expected as they enter Pit Lane.
Turn 16: Without traffic, this right-hand corner can be taken
at full speed if you slowed enough in Turn 15. But, be
careful with the approach and exit angles for this turn, as
the barrier (and a grandstand) is just a few feet off the
pavement on the left as you exit the corner. This leads onto
the Pit Straight.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins to the right immediately after
Turn 15. It is possible to enter at a fairly high speed, but
there will be a turn to the right very quickly, requiring
moderate braking. Before entering the main Pit area,
however, is a right-left chicane, so be prepared to truly
slam on the brakes, or else the nose of your car will slam
into the Pit Lane barrier.
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GRAND PRIX OF BRAZIL: INTERLAGOS
Most F1 courses are driven clockwise; built on a steep
hillside, Interlagos is driven counter-clockwise. The upper
part of the course features long segments of flat-out, full-
throttle, top-speed driving. However, the lower part of the
course (where the most clock time is spent) features tight
corners and several significant elevation changes.
Pit Straight: This is the highest point of the course in
terms of elevation. There is no room to pull off the course
here if there is a problem with a car. This is also the
fastest portion of the course, leading into the most
dangerous corner at Interlagos. There are several left-hand
fades along the "Pit Straight." This "straightaway" is the
longest stretch of flat-out acceleration of this course. The
optimal racing line is hard to the left, so be careful not to
rub the left-side tires against the barriers. The Pit
Entrance is also to the left, and cars may enter here at top
speed.
Turn 1 (S do Senna): Especially since this corner follows an
incredibly long and fast "Pit Straight," this is by far the
most dangerous turn on the course, and perhaps the most
dangerous corner in all of F1 racing. This is a tight, left-
hand, semi-blind, downhill corner requiring severe braking
long before reaching the turn. Unless you have PERFECT
confidence in your car's braking AND turning ability, this is
definitely NOT a place to pass!!! For those who overrun the
corner, there is a continent-size patch of kitty litter, but
there is also a two-level barrier; the first barrier is a
short segment, so it is possible (if necessary) to drive
behind this first barrier and come out on the other side in
the middle of Turn 3.
Turn 2 (S do Senna): This follows immediately after Turn 1.
This right-hand corner can be taken at full speed (unless
slower traffic blocks the path) to set up prime passing
opportunities in Curva du Sol or along the following
straightaway. Amazingly, there is a small paved path between
the main track and the Pit Lane where the old Pit Lane met
the course (drivers used to rejoin the race at the outside of
Turn 2). F1 Championship Season 2000 does not penalize you
for leaving the main course via this short piece of pavement
and driving along the rest of the Pit Lane, which makes this
a great method for passing a large group of cars at once (the
Pit Lane rejoins the course just beyond the exit of Turn 3);
however, extreme caution must be taken not to ram the barrier
on the left of the Pit Lane when attempting this maneuver at
full speed. (Historical note: The Pit Lane used to rejoin
the main course at the exit of Turn 2, but FIA and the
drivers deemed that this was too dangerous.)
Turn 3 (Curva du Sol): Immediately following S do Senna, Turn
3 is a gentle left-hand corner which can also be taken at top
speed. Just beyond the exit of Turn 3, the Pit Lane rejoins
the main course on the left. Curva du Sol leads into yet
another long straightaway.
Straightaway: This long straightaway presents a gentle
downhill slope leading to the lower portion of the course.
Turn 4 (Lago): This corner truly begins the lower portion of
the course in terms of elevation. Lago is a semi-hidden
left-hand corner with a slight downward slope. Moderate
braking is necessary here to keep from sliding the car into
the recovery zone. Good acceleration out of Lago sets up
great passing in the next corner and along the following
straightaway. Do not overrun the course, or you will be
slowed by the sand and grass.
Turn 5: A gentle left-hand turn, this can be taken at full
throttle. The course begins to slope upward again.
Straightaway: This is effectively the last straightaway
before the Pit Straight at the beginning of the course. The
course here slopes upward, so cars with excellent
acceleration out of Turns 4 and 5 can pass those with poor
uphill speed.
Turn 6 (Laranjinha): This is the beginning of a pair of
right-hand corners which effectively form a "U" shape. The
entry of this corner can be taken at full throttle, but be
ready to touch the brakes at the exit of this corner. Turn 6
is also on the crown of a hill.
Turn 7 (Laranjinha): The final corner of a "U" shape in the
course, this is a right-hand decreasing-radius corner with a
gentle downward slope.
Turn 8 (Curva do S): After an almost negligible straightaway,
this right-hand corner requires moderate braking. The course
also begins to slope downhill at the beginning of Turn 8.
Pinheirinho immediately follows.
Turn 9 (Pinheirinho): Immediately upon exiting Turn 8, slam
on the brakes again for the sharp left-hand Pinheirinho.
This is potentially a good place to pass other cars. Turn 9
is a long corner, however, so it is important to hug the apex
much longer than usual. The exit of Pinheirinho leads to an
upward-sloping straightaway.
Turn 10 (Bica do Pato): The entrance of Turn 10 begins the
final downward slope of the course, making this right-hand
corner even more difficult to navigate. Heavy braking and
excellent hands are required to maneuver the car safely
through this corner. Good acceleration is needed exiting
Bica do Pato to pass traffic in the next corner and ensuing
straightaway. The kitty litter is available if you overshoot
the corner, but then you will quickly find yourself rubbing
against a barrier.
Turn 11 (Mergulho): This left-hand corner almost immediately
follows Bica do Pato and can be taken flat-out to provide
good speed along the next (very short) straightaway. Good
acceleration out of Bica do Pato makes this a good passing
zone if you have a decent racing line, otherwise you may find
yourself off the course on the outside of the corner.
Turn 12 (Juncao): This is a tight left-hand corner requiring
moderate to heavy braking. The final, steep uphill slope
begins here, and the exit of the corner is hidden (even in
chase view). It is extremely easy to run off the outside of
the corner here, but a small patch of grass and another paved
lane provide some run-off relief here. This corner leads to
the incredibly long Pit Straight.
Pit Entry: As you climb the long "Pit Straight," the Pit Lane
begins on the left. It is possible to fly into Pit Lane at
high speed.
Pit Exit: The Pit Lane once emptied onto the exit of Turn 2;
it now rejoins the main course just after the exit of Curva
du Sol. This makes Pit Lane extremely longŠ and F1
Championship Season 2000 refuses to give you control of your
car until you are effectively past Turn 2. This fact makes
it extremely important to select your pit strategy carefully
in long races.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF SAN MARINO: IMOLA
The Imola circuit is challenging but rather fun. Again, this
is a "counterclockwise" circuit, but, oddly, the Pits and
Paddock are located on the outside of the circuit and not on
the inside. There is extremely little tolerance for
shortcutting the chicanes. Due to the slope of the grass on
the inside of the corner, Turn 6 (Tosa) is essentially a
blind corner unless traffic is present to mark the course for
you.
Pit Straight: This is a long straightaway, which enables high
speeds as the cars cross the Start/Finish Line. Good exit
speed out of the final chicane makes for prime passing and a
good show for the spectators. The Pit Straight fades to the
left at the exit of Pit Lane (which is aligned with the
Start/Finish Line). Once past the Pits, there is a barrier
directly against the right side of the track.
Turns 1 and 2 (Tamburello): This is a left-right chicane.
Turn 1 requires moderate braking, but if you slow enough in
Turn 1, you should be able to drive at full throttle through
Turn 2 and beyond. There is slight tolerance for cutting the
corners here, but not much. If you try to take the entire
chicane at full speed, you can make it through Turn 1 fairly
well, but you will quickly find yourself in the grass on the
outside of Turn 2 and banging against the nearby barrier. If
you completely miss the braking zone for Turn 1, there is a
huge sand trap to help you recover.
Turn 3 (Tamburello): Immediately following Turn 2, Tamburello
is a soft left-hand corner which can be taken at full speed.
Strong acceleration out of Turn 1 makes this a good passing
zone. Following this corner is a significant straightaway.
Turns 4 and 5 (Villeneuve): This is another left-right
chicane, but not as lengthy as the first. Care must be taken
not to slide off the course at the exit of Turn 5. It is
possible for experts to fly through this chicane at top speed
(if not encumbered by traffic) by rolling up on the rumble
strips, but doing so produces a significant chance of losing
control of the car. The course slopes upward at the exit of
this chicane.
Turn 6 (Tosa): This is a blind left-hand corner which
continues the upward slope of the course. Moderate or even
severe braking is required here, or else your car will be in
the kitty litter and headed toward the spectators. Traffic
is actually a benefit in approaching this corner, as the
course is largely hidden from view given the slope of the
grass on the inside of the corner, but other cars are easy to
see.
Straightaway: The course continues up the hill here, cresting
underneath the overhead Firestone advertisement. Just beyond
the ad, the track fades to the right as it begins its gentle
downward slope, but then leads directly into Piratella.
Turn 7 (Piratella): The course continues downward here, with
the slope increasing. This is a left-hand semi-blind corner.
It is rather easy to slip off the pavement here and into the
kitty litter on the outside of the corner. Any passing here
is best made tight to the apex of the corner, perhaps with
only the right-side wheels on the pavement or rumble strip.
Turn 8: Barely a corner at all but more than a fade, the
course gently turns to the left here as the track passes
under an Arexons banner. This is a full-speed "corner."
Turns 9 and 10 (Mineralli): This is a pair of right-hand
corners which effectively function as a decreasing-radius "U"
formation. Turn 9 can be taken at full speed, but upon exit
to the outside of Turn 9, heavy braking is needed and extra
steering to the right is required to safely navigate around
the decreasing-radius Turn 10. The track begins another
(steep) uphill slope in Turn 10. Tightly hugging the apex
allows for prime passing through Turn 10. Care must be taken
not to enter Turn 10 too fast, or else you will be off the
course on the left. If you do find yourself off-course, you
MUST turn sharply to the right to get back onto the pavement,
as Turn 11 immediately follows and the CPU allows virtually
no tolerance here for shortcutting.
Turn 11 (Mineralli): Immediately following Turn 10, the left-
hand Turn 11 continues the upward slope of the course. There
is almost no CPU tolerance for shortcutting here, so it is
very important to remain on-course here. Care must be taken
not to slip off to the right of the track as you pass
underneath the EA Sports banner.
Turns 12-13 (Alta Chicane): This is a right-left chicane,
beginning underneath the EuroBusiness banner. There is NO
tolerance for shortcutting here. Other cars generally slow
significantly for this chicane, so a full-speed maneuver here
in traffic is not advised. In fact, attempting to take this
chicane at top speed will require rolling up on the rumble
strips, and you will likely lose control and either spin or
collide with the all-too-close barrier to the right side of
the course. The barrier to the outside of Turn 13 is very
close to the track, so be careful not to slip off the course.
Straightaway: The course begins its final downhill slope
here, fading gently first to the left, then to the right.
Turns 14 and 15 (Rivazza): This is a left-hand "U" formation.
Moderate braking is required entering Turn 14, but then Turn
15 can be taken at full speed (if you slowed enough in Turn
14), although some may feel more comfortable lightly tapping
the brakes here. Caution must be taken to use enough braking
entering the "U" formation, or else you will end up in the
sand on the right side of the track.
Straightaway: This is the final long straightaway before
reaching the Pit Straight. However, the official course
fades to the right just after passing underneath the Helix
banner; driving straight ahead (the pavement of the old
course) and thus missing the entire final chicane results in
a Stop-Go Penalty. The end of this straightaway provides two
options: 1.) Keep driving straight ahead onto Pit Lane; 2.)
Turn left for the final chicane.
Turns 16 and 17 (Bassa Chicane): This is the final chicane
(left-right) of the course. There is NO tolerance for
shortcutting here. To the outside of Turn 16 is the Pit Lane
entry, so be mindful of slower cars entering Pit Lane as you
approach the chicane. Moderate braking is required entering
Turn 16, but then Turn 17 requires light braking.
Pit Entry: Instead of turning left for Turn 16, keep driving
directly ahead. However, there is no room for slowing once
you leave the main course, so stay tight to the right side of
the pavement as you slow to enter Pit Lane.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN: SILVERSTONE
For the 2000 F1 season, the British Grand Prix was moved up
in the racing calendar, and resulted in a very wet weekend
(although the race itself was semi-sunny). Built on an
airport site, this historic course features wide run-off
areas in most places. At last, this course is a return to
normal, "clockwise" racing.
Pit Straight: The Start/Finish Line is directly at the
beginning of the Pit Straight. There is no room for error on
the right side of the track, as the Pit Lane barrier is
directly against the pavement.
Turn 1 (Copse): This is a moderate right-hand corner which
can be taken at full speed, but be careful to not run off the
course at the exit of the turn. The best racing line is to
tightly hug the apex, but the Pit Lane barrier is right there
against the pavement, so it is imperative to keep the right-
side tires from rubbing the barrier. Turn 1 exits onto a
long straightaway.
Straightaway: The Pit Lane rejoins the main course from the
right about 1/3 of the way along the straight.
Turns 2-5 (Bechetts): This is a set of left-right-left-right
"S" curves. Turns 2 and 4 can be taken at full speed or with
very quick tapping of the brakes, but Turns 3 and 5 require
moderate or even heavy braking.
Turn 6 (Chapel): This is a gentle left-hand corner which can
be taken at full speed. This opens onto Hangar Straight.
Straightaway (Hangar Straight): At 738.28m, this is the
longest straightaway of the course. Good acceleration out of
Turn 5 (the final "S" curve) can lead to good passing
opportunities along Hangar Straight and/or entering the
braking zone for Turn 7 (Stowe). To your left is the Roger
Clark Circuit, owned and operated by the same organization
which owns and operates this Grand Prix Circuit.
Turn 7 (Stowe): Light or moderate braking will be required
here in order to remain on the pavement. This is a tricky,
sweeping, right-hand corner followed immediately by a left-
hand semi-corner. This is the southernmost point of the
course.
Straightaway (Vale): If you can somehow successfully navigate
Turn 7 (Stowe) without braking, then you should be able to
continue passing others fairly easily along Vale, especially
if they had to brake heavily in Stowe.
Turns 8 and 9 (Club): There is a stretch of pavement to the
left, but that is NOT the official course; in fact, it has a
tall barrier blocking a clear path for those who wish to
accumulate a Stop-Go Penalty. The official corner is a tight
left-hand turn followed by the increasing-radius right-hand
Turn 9, leading out onto another long straightaway (Abbey
Straight).
Turns 10 and 11 (Abbey): Like the previous set of corners,
there is another stretch of pavement to the left which is not
part of the official course; as before, this patch of
pavement is blocked by a tall barrier, and taking this route
will accumulate a Stop-Go Penalty. The official Turn 10 is a
tight left-hand corner, but not as tight as Turn 8. This is
immediately followed by a light-braking Turn 11, a right-hand
corner. Be careful not to slip off the course and rub the
nearby barrier on exiting Abbey.
Straightaway (Farm Straight): With good acceleration out of
Abbey, good passing opportunities can be made here.
Turn 12 (Bridge): Immediately after passing underneath the
pedestrian bridge, you will enter a complex similar to The
Stadium at Hokkenheim. This is a right-hand corner which can
likely be taken at full speed.
Turn 13 (Priory): This left-hand corner will require light
or moderate braking.
Turn 14 (Brooklands): Another left-hand corner, this one
requires moderate braking. There is a small sand trap for
those who miss the braking zone.
Turn 15 (Luffield): This set of right-hand corners
essentially form a "U" shape, and both require moderate or
severe braking to avoid sliding off into the kitty litter.
The exit of Luffield can be taken flat-out all the way to
Turn 2. The entry to Pit Lane is on the left shortly leaving
Luffield.
Turn 16 (Woodcote): Barely a corner but more than a fade, the
course eases to the right here. At the exit of the corner is
the Start/Finish Line, and the right-side barrier begins
abruptly here (be careful not to hit it).
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins to the right between Luffield
and Woodcote. The new Pit Lane has a gentle right-hand
swing, so you can come into Pit Lane at top speed and have
plenty of room to slow.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF SPAIN: CATALUNYA
The Catalunya circuit is challenging, especially the two
hairpins and the final corners of the race. For observers
and drivers alike, plenty of action can be found at the
Spanish Grand Prix.
Pit Straight: As usual, incredible speeds can be attained
here. Watch for cars rejoining the race from the right side
of the straightaway.
Turn 1 (Elf): This is a right-hand corner which requires
light braking. Be careful not to hug the inside of the
corner too tightly, or you will damage your right-side tires
on the barrier. Strong acceleration out of Turn 1 creates
great passing opportunities all the way to Repsol.
Attempting to take Turn 1 at top speed will either cause you
to lose control as you run up on the rumble strips, or send
you too far off course to survive Turn 2.
Turn 2 (Elf): Immediately following Turn 1, the left-hand
Turn 2 can usually be taken at top acceleration. With strong
acceleration out of Turn 1, this is a prime passing zone.
Turn 3 (Seat): A sweeping right-hand increasing-radius corner
which can be taken at full speed, this is also a good place
to pass slower cars, especially if you have the inside line.
Turn 4 (Repsol): This is a semi-blind right-hand hairpin
corner which requires moderate or heavy braking. The barrier
on the inside of the corner rests almost directly against the
track, and blocks your view around the corner. This can
actually be a good place to pass on braking, but only with
extreme caution. Don't come too hot into this corner or else
you will find yourself in the sand. After clearing the first
90 degrees, you should be able to accelerate fairly well if
not encumbered by traffic.
Turn 5: After a very short straightaway, this is a semi-blind
left-hand hairpin, a bit tighter than Turn 4. Moderate or
heavy braking will be needed here, or you will definitely be
using the recovery area.
Straightaway: This straightaway fades to the left. Good
acceleration out of Turn 5 can create passing opportunities,
especially in the braking zone for Wuth.
Turn 6 (Wuth): With a good racing line, you should be able to
brake lightly to clear this semi-blind left-hand turn.
Beware the barrier on the inside of the corner. The angle of
the rumble strip along the apex in relation to the short
patch of grass is rather odd; if you roll your left-side
tires onto the grass, you may quickly lose control of the
car, causing the vehicle to slide or even spin. The exit of
Wuth has an immediate fade to the right.
Turn 7 (Campsa): This right-hand corner can be taken at full
speed. Note that the official circuit is to the right; do
not drive directly ahead on another patch of pavement, or you
will be assigned a Stop-Go Penalty.
Turn 8 (La Cacsa): Severe braking is required for this left-
hand corner. While not suggested, you may be able to pass
other cars on braking here. As with Wuth, stay off the
rumble strips and grass on the inside of the turn, or you
will risk losing control of the car. This is a "J" turn, and
the corner seems to go on forever before you reach the exit.
Turn 9 (Banc Sabadeau): Shortly following Turn 8, moderate or
heavy braking will be needed here for the right-hand, upward-
sloping corner. This is also a "J" turn. If you need a
recovery area anywhere on the course, it will most likely be
here.
Turn 10: Light braking may be needed for this right-hand
corner. The key here is to truly hug the inside of the turn
and accelerate strongly through the exit. Watch for slow
cars here preparing to go to Pit Lane for servicing.
Turn 11: Entering this right-hand corner, the Pit Lane begins
on the right, so be on the lookout for very slow cars here.
If you take this final corner too tightly, or make a VERY
late decision to go to the pits, you will likely damage the
front of the car on a barrier.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE: NURBURGRING
>From a driving standpoint, the hilly Nurburgring circuit is
very much characterized by its tight corners. Thus, tire
wear is a definite issue in long races here. Even more
important, however, is braking early for almost every corner;
perhaps only the streets of Monaco require more braking than
does the Nurburgring circuit.
Pit Straight: This straightaway is fairly long, but the
Start/Finish Line is near the exit of the final corner. The
Pit Lane rejoins the course near the end of the Pit Straight,
just before the Castrol S.
Turns 1 and 2 (Castrol S): Light or moderate braking is
required before entering the right-left "S" curve. It is
quite easy to miss seeing the entry to the Castrol S unless
traffic is present to mark the corner for you. Until you
know the course really well, expect to find yourself driving
straight ahead into the recovery area. Also, be careful not
to drive too wide exiting the Castrol S.
Turn 3: Light braking will be necessary for this left-hand
corner. However, hard braking will be required for the Ford
Curve. Beginning at the top of Turn 3, the course moves
downhill.
Turn 4 (Ford Curve): This is a hard right-hand corner,
practically a "J" curve. The course resumes an uphill slope
here. Braking too late here means a trip through the kitty
litter, while riding up on the inside rumble strips usually
means losing control of the car. This is definitely NOT a
place to pass unless absolutely necessary.
Straightaway: The course fades to the left here. If you can
accelerate well out of the Ford Curve, you should be able to
pass several cars here.
Turn 5 (Dunlop Curve): Severe braking for this hairpin is a
mustŠ unless you really want to drive through the sand.
Again, rolling up on the rumble strips on the inside of the
curve will likely cause you to lose control of the car. The
course continues gently uphill here toward the Audi S.
Turns 6 and 7 (Audi S): Entering the left-right Audi S, the
uphill slope of the course increases, making it very
difficult to see the course more than a few feet ahead. The
exit of Turn 6 is the crest of this hill; Turn 7 begins a
slight downhill slope. Unless traffic blocks your racing
line, the entire Audi S can be taken at top speed, so good
acceleration out of the Dunlop Curve will be very beneficial
for passing exiting Turn 7.
Turn 8 (RTL Curve): With the rise in the course entering the
left-hand RTL Curve, this appears to be identical to Turn 6
on approach. However, you MUST use moderate braking entering
the RTL Curve, of you will definitely be on the grass on the
outside of the curve. This corner is followed by the gentler
BIT Curve.
Turn 9 (BIT Curve): This right-hand curve quickly follows the
RTL Curve, forming an "S" curve. If you have a good racing
line exiting the RTL Curve, you should be able to speed
through the BIT Curve without any problem.
Turn 10 (Bilstein-Bogen): This is a gentle right-hand semi-
corner which can be taken at full throttle. From here to the
Veedal S, the course makes its final and steepest upward
slope.
Turns 11 and 12 (Veedal S): This is an extremely tight left-
right made even worse for the drivers by its placement at the
very crest of the hill. For those who overshoot the chicane,
there is a patch of pavement which bypasses the chicane and
rejoins the main course, but those taking this route are
greeted with a Stop-Go Penalty. Only experts can fly through
the Veedal S at full speed; even then, the car is likely to
spin or careen straight into a barrier.
Turn 13 (Coca-Cola Curve): A "J" turn to the right, moderate
braking is required here to keep from sliding off the course.
The entry of the Coca-Cola Curve is also where the Pit Lane
begins, so cars may be slowing on approach to go to the pits
for servicing. This is the final corner of the course.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins at the entry of the final
corner. It is extremely important to slow down before
entering Pit Lane; if you come in too fast, you will almost
certainly damage the front of the car on the barrier.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF MONACO: MONTE CARLO (TEMPORARY STREET CIRCUIT)
"To finish first, first you must finish." The Monaco circuit
is a highly daunting temporary street course, especially from
the Driver View or the Front Wing View, as the barriers are
FAR too close for comfort, and passing is virtually
impossible for even expert drivers. If there is a problem
with a car, there are extremely few places to pull off the
course, so all drivers must be wary of damaged vehicles,
especially slow or stationary cars around the many blind
corners. The most significant key to simply finishing a race
at Monaco is SURVIVAL, which means a slow, methodical,
patient race. Aggressive drivers (like myself) would almost
certainly end up dead - or at least driving an extremely
beat-up vehicle - driving the Monaco circuit for real!!! For
a comparison, the Surfer's Paradise circuit in Newman-Haas
Racing is a sweet dream compared to the Monaco circuit!!!!!
Fortunately, the new physics engine of F1 Championship Season
2000 makes the Monaco circuit a little easier than the same
course in F1 2000, but this is still - by far - the most
challenging circuit in the game.
Tip: F1 Championship Season 2000 allows you to toggle the
Fuel/Damage Indicator on and off at will. When driving at
Monaco, this Indicator should be on at ALL times. This
course is so unbelievably TIGHT that even the most cautious
of drivers will likely bump a barrier (or another car) fairly
oftenŠ and all those bumps WILL eventually take their toll.
Pit Straight: Not straight at all, the "Pit Straight" fades
to the right along its entire length. Near the end, the Pit
Lane rejoins the main course from the right.
Turn 1 (Sainte Devote): This is a tight right-hand semi-blind
corner; heavy braking is required long before reaching Sainte
Devote. To the left on entering this corner is one of the
few areas to pull off the course if there is a problem. The
uphill portion of the course begins here.
Straightaway (Beau Rivage): Not really straight with its
varying-direction fades, the circuit climbs steeply uphill
here. Because of the fades, this is actually NOT a passing
zone; you may think you have enough room to pass a slower car
and actually pull up alongside it, but then you and the
slower vehicle will end up bumping each other and/or a
barrier because of a fade.
Turn 2 (Massanet): This is a sweeping decreasing-radius left-
hand blind corner requiring moderate braking on entry and
light braking as you continue through the turn. If you come
in too fast, the corner workers will be scraping the right
side of your car off the barrier at the end of the race; if
you take the corner too tightly, the same will happen for the
left side of the car. The exit of Massanet is the highest
point on the courseŠ which has only just begun, even if it IS
all "downhill" from here!!!
Turn 3 (Casino): Light or moderate braking will be needed for
the right-hand Casino. This corner almost immediately
follows Massanet, and begins the long downward trajectory of
the course. This corner is actually wider than most, to the
extent that a car in trouble may be parked along the barrier
on the outside of the corner. Be careful not to scrape the
left-side barrier while exiting Turn 3.
Turn 4 (Mirabeau): Following a long downhill straightaway,
heavy braking is needed for this right-hand blind "J" turn.
A small pull-off area is provided on the left on entry. If
you miss the braking zone, your front end will be crushed up
against yet another barrier. This corner continues the
course's downhill slope, which adds to the difficulty of the
turn.
Turn 5 (Great Curve): Following an extremely short
straightaway, this left-hand hairpin is one of the slowest in
all of F1 racing. If you have excellent braking ability, you
can actually PASS (a rarity!!!) by taking the tight inside
line; otherwise, it would be best to drive through the Great
Curve single-file.
Turns 6 and 7 (Portier): This pair of right-hand corners form
a "U" shape, but neither can be taken at any respectable
speed. Between these two corners is a pull-off area on the
left, with another to the left on exiting the "U" formation.
Turn 7 is the slowest of the two corners, and is the most
difficult in terms of the almost-nonexistent view of the
track. Accelerating too soon out of Turn 7 means banging the
left side of the car against yet another immovable barrier.
Straightaway (The Tunnel): This "straightaway" is actually a
very long right-hand fade in a semi-tunnel (the left side
provides a clear view of the water). However, even on a
sunny day, visibility here is poor due to the sun being at a
"wrong" angle compared to the circuitŠ and made even worse
should you be following a car with a malfunctioning or
expired engine. Start braking shortly after breaking back
out into the sunlight (assuming Dry Weather is active) for
the chicane.
Chicane (Nouveau Chicane): The course narrows as you come
around the chicane, but then "widens" back to "normal" at the
exit. Fortunately, F1 Championship Season 2000 has removed
the barrier on the inside of the chicane which made this a
treacherous configuration in F1 2000; however, if you attempt
to speed in a straight line over the rumble strips, you are
quite likely to lose control of the car and either careen
into the right-side barrier following the chicane, or
spinning and hitting barriers on both sides of the chicane's
exit.
Turn 8 (Tobacco): This left-hand corner is best taken with
light braking, although it can be cleared with no braking
with sufficient downforce, no traffic, and a FLAWLESS racing
line.
Turns 9-12 (Swimming Pool): This is essentially a double
chicane around the swimming pool. Turns 9 and 10 form a
tight left-right combination, for which moderate braking is
required, although little or no braking can be used if you
roll straight over the rumble strips. After an extremely
short straightaway, Turns 11 and 12 form the opposite
configuration (right-left), but are even tighter. This opens
out onto a short straightaway where you MIGHT be able to pass
ONE car.
Turns 13 and 14 (La Rascasse): This is a tight left-right
chicane requiring moderate braking for Turn 13 and heavy
braking for Turn 14. Even worse, Turn 14 is a "J" turn, so
the racing line is also very important here. The Pit Lane is
to the right at the exit of this chicane.
Turns 15 and 16 (Anthony Hoges): A tight right-left chicane,
these are the final corners of the Monaco circuit. The
course narrows here through the chicane, then "widens" to
"normal" for the Pit Straight.
Pit Entry: The entrance to the Pit Lane is to the right
immediately after clearing La Rascasse. Given that La
Rascasse is a blind corner, on every lap, expect a slower car
here headed for the pits.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF CANADA: CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE
This incredible circuit is built on an island, accessible to
spectators only via subway. Much of the course runs along
the southern and northern shores of the island. This course
is also unusual in that the paddock area is to the outside of
the course, along the northern shore of the island. The
long, sweeping straightaways provide for excellent top-end
speed - a much-welcome change from the slow, tight corners
and the many unforgiving barriers of the streets of Monaco
(the previous race circuit in Championship Mode) - but there
are several tight corners here to challenge both drivers and
cars. Mind the Casino Hairpin (Turn 10), the westernmost
corner of the course.
Pit Straight: This follows the final chicane of the circuit.
As the Pit Lane rejoins the main course from the left, the
Pit Straight fades to the right, setting up Turn 1.
Turn 1: This left-hand corner will require moderate braking,
and immediately flows into the Senna Curve. There is a patch
of extra pavement before entering Turn 1, but it is set too
far back to be useful in attempting to gain a better racing
line.
Turn 2 (Senna Curve): This is a right-hand hairpin corner
requiring heavy or severe braking. It is very easy to run
too wide here, slipping off into the grass. Likewise, it is
rather easy to overcompensate and cut the corner, which can
result in a Stop-Go Penalty. A moderate straightaway follows
the Senna Curve, so acceleration from the exit is important.
Turns 3 and 4: This right-left chicane can provide a good
passing zone. Turn 3 is tight and semi-blind, but passing on
braking is an option for those who know the chicane well.
Turn 4 is an easier corner, allowing good acceleration on
exit, but it is still easy to overshoot the exit of the
chicane and bang the right side of the car against the nearby
barrier. If you overshoot the entry to the chicane, you will
be given a Stop-Go Penalty if you attempt to simply edge back
onto the main course.
Straightaway: At the end of this moderate straightaway, the
course fades to the left, followed by Turn 5. Light braking
may be required at the fade if navigating traffic.
Turn 5: This sweeping right-hand corner can be taken at full
speed, unless you are coping with traffic. Be careful not to
hug the corner too tightly, or your right-side tires will be
on the grass here.
Turn 6: This left-hand corner will require moderate braking,
or you will be flying through the grass toward the spectators
in Grandstand 33. Minor shortcutting of this corner is
allowed by the CPU, which may be beneficial here for passing
on braking. This leads out to a very short straightaway.
Turn 7: Following a very short straightaway, Turn 7 is a
light-braking right-hand corner. The outside of Turn 7 is a
short, steep hillside with a barrier, so DO NOT run wide
entering the corner!!! It is easy to run wide on exit and
slip off the course and into the barrier on the left, so be
careful.
Straightaway: The course runs along the southern shore of the
island here. Unfortunately, the extremely tall barrier
prevents much of a viewŠ which actually forces your eyes to
be transfixed on the road and any other cars ahead. Once you
pass underneath the pedestrian bridge, begin braking for the
next chicane.
Turns 8 and 9: This right-left chicane is similar to Turns 6
and 7 in that overrunning the chicane leaves you driving
through the sand directly toward another grandstand full of
spectators. Moderate braking will be needed to safely enter
the chicane's tight right-hand corner. The second corner of
the chicane is a gentler left-hand turn, but you might still
run off the course to the right on exit and grind the right
side of the car against the barrier, or roll up on the rumble
strips on the inside of the corner and lose control of the
car. Accelerate strongly out of the chicane to set up
passing possibilities along the following straightaway and
into Casino Hairpin. Nowhere on the course is there less CPU
tolerance for shortcutting than in this chicane; if you
overshoot the first corner, you can certainly expect to
receive a Stop-Go Penalty.
Straightaway: About two-thirds of the way along, the course
fades to the left. Begin braking early for Casino Hairpin
unless you really want to slip through the sand trap; braking
after passing underneath the second pedestrian bridge is
almost certainly too late for this braking zone.
Turn 10 (Casino Hairpin): This is a tight right-hand hairpin
requiring heavy or even severe braking, depending on when you
begin braking for the corner. Somehow, this corner seems to
be longer than it really is, so be judicious with the
accelerator until you see clear, straight track ahead.
Straightaway: On exiting Turn 10, the course fades to the
right, then back to the left. However, no braking is
required here.
Turn 11: Officially marked on course maps as a corner, the
course actually only fades to the right here, thus no braking
is required. You should be fairly high up in the gearbox by
the time you reach Turn 11.
Straightaway (Casino Straight): The Casino Straight (named
for the casino in the middle of the island) runs parallel to
the northern shore of the island on which the course is
built; there is not much of a view to the left, but it is not
very interesting anyhow. This is by far the longest
straightaway of the entire course, so much of the time spent
here will be in your car's top gear. The Casino Straight
leads to the final (right-left) chicane of the course, as
well as the entry for Pit Lane. The Casino de Montreal is
the grayish complex off the course to the right as you drive
between the final two pedestrian bridges.
Turns 12 and 13: This is a right-left chicane which can be
cleared (without traffic) with light or moderate braking.
For experts, this chicane can be taken at full speed and no
braking, but only with a flawless racing line and a perfect
knowledge of the corners. The exit of Turn 13 has a wide
odd-colored lane of concrete to allow for some swing-out;
nonetheless, be careful not to bump the barrier. The exit of
the chicane flows onto the Pit Straight. The Pit Lane entry
runs straight ahead in line with the Casino Straight, so cars
slowing on the left are likely heading in for servicing.
Pit Entry: As you enter the final (right-left) chicane, the
Pit Entry runs straight ahead. Once clear of the main
course, there is very little room for deceleration before the
Pit Lane's own tight right-left chicane, so it is very
important to slow down on Casino Straight before reaching the
Pit Entry. Keep to the left when slowing on Casino Straight,
allowing other cars to keep to the right as they prepare for
the final chicane.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF FRANCE: NEVERS MAGNY-COURS
The Magny-Cours circuit is characterized by long, sweeping
straightaways, and fairly quick corners. The Adelaide hairpin
will almost definitely cause trouble, especially for
aggressive drivers, and rivals the Turn 1 (La Source) hairpin
at Spa-Francorchamps as the slowest corner in all of F1
racing. This is a very fun course to drive (admittedly a
very subjective statement), but its layout can produce
problems from the standpoint of hearing other cars: Three of
its straightaways are almost exactly parallel to each other,
sometimes making it difficult to determine where other cars
are truly located around you as you try to anticipate where
the next group of traffic that you will need to navigate is
located. The circuit also has extremely wide areas along
most of the main course to pull aside should your car have a
major malfunction.
Pit Straight: Following the tight High School chicane, strong
acceleration through the Pit Straight creates good passing
chances through Great Curve and into Estoril. However, the
tightness of the High School chicane and the incredibly close
proximity of the Pit Lane barrier requires immense caution as
you come onto the Pit Straight. The Start/Finish Line is
about halfway down the Pit Straight; the Pit Lane rejoins the
course from the left at this point.
Turn 1 (Great Curve): In accordance with its name, this is a
wide left-hand corner which can be taken flat-out.
Turn 2 (Estoril): Either light or moderate braking will be
needed for entering the VERY long right-hand 180-degree
Estoril; in either case, you will almost certainly be tapping
the brakes in Estoril. It is quite easy to roll the right-
side tires off onto the grass, and it is just as easy to slip
off on the grass on the outside of Estoril.
Straightaway (Golf): The Golf Straight if by far the longest
of the course and includes several fades to the right.
Turn 3 (Adelaide): The right-hand Adelaide hairpin is
EXTREMELY tight. The key here is to brake EARLY, as you will
be downshifting from your top gear to your lowest gear
rapidly; if you begin braking too late, you will be off in
the grass. If you accelerate too soon out of Adelaide, you
will be rolling through the kitty litter and losing valuable
track position.
Straightaway: Acceleration out of Adelaide is important for
passing other cars here. There are a few fades in the course
here.
Turns 4 and 5 (Nurburgring): This is a right-left chicane
which will require light braking. It is possible to fly
through Nurburgring without braking by making use of the
bright-green extension on the inside of Turn 5; however, if
you remain on the bright-green extension for too long, you
will be assigned a Stop-Go Penalty.
Turn 6 (180 Degrees): This is quite true - the official name
of this corner is "180 Degrees" according to the official Web
site of Magny-Cours. This is a wide left-hand hairpin
nestled well within the Estoril hairpin. Running too wide
here will put you out in the sand; running too close to the
apex could put you up on the rumble strips and force you to
lose control.
Straightaway: The third of the three parallel-running
straightaways, this "straightaway" has several fades before
the Imola chicane.
Turns 7 and 8 (Imola): This right-left chicane should require
light braking, except for cars with a flawless racing line.
A short straightaway out of Imola sets up the Water Castle
curve. There is not much CPU tolerance for running off the
course here.
Turn 9 (Water Castle): Somewhere between a standard "J" turn
and a hairpin, this is an increasing-radius right-hand corner
leading into the final straightaway of the circuit.
Turns 10 and 11 (High School): There is a false line of
pavement to the right as you near the official chicane; this
false pavement runs directly up to an immovable barrier. The
official chicane requires moderate braking on entering, and
allows for a VERY short burst of acceleration on exit. There
is yet another bright-green extension on the inside of Turn
10, but taking this risks acquiring a Stop-Go Penalty. If
you completely miss this chicane, you will both accumulate a
Stop-Go Penalty and blast through the sand trap and break the
front end on a perpendicular barrier blocking direct access
to Pit Lane.
Turn 12 (High School): On entry, the Pit Lane begins to the
left. The official corner is a TIGHT right-hand turn which
requires moderate or even heavy braking; wheel lock is very
much a possibility here. If you miss the corner, you will
blast through the all-too-brief sand trap and ram directly
against a barrier and bounce backward into the cars behind
you. If you roll up on the inside of the corner, the angle
of the rumble strips to the pavement will almost certainly
cause your car to spin.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins to the left at the entry of
Turn 12. The Pit Lane has its own sharp corner almost
immediately, so it is best to begin slowing (or rather,
barely accelerating) as you leave the High School chicane.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF AUSTRIA: A1-RING
This course may only have seven corners, the fewest of the
circuits used in the 2000 racing season, but it is still
quite challenging for the drivers. The course itself is
built on a hillside, with the Paddock area and the Pit
Straight located at the lowest elevation of the course.
Pit Straight: Long and straight; main grandstands to the
left, Pit Lane to the right. Rather mundane, except that the
entire Pit Straight has a slow uphill climb into the Castrol
Curve.
Turn 1 (Castrol Curve): After a rather mundane Pit Straight,
the Castrol Curve is anything but mundane. This is a right-
hand uphill corner which requires moderate braking. The Pit
Lane rejoins the main course on the right at the exit of the
corner, but the Pit Lane barrier ends just before the
entrance to Castrol Curve, meaning that if you really need to
avoid an accident (or a large group of cars) on Castrol, you
can suddenly jump over to the end of the Pit LaneŠ without a
Stop-Go Penalty. Because of the steep slope of the hill, it
is all too easy to drive off the outside of the corner and
into a sand trap.
Straightaway: There are a few fades in the straightaway as
the course continues its uphill climb. The end of the
straightaway (approaching Remus Curve) has a suddenly steeper
grade.
Turn 2 (Remus Curve): This is a TIGHT right-hand "J" turn
requiring heavy or even severe braking. The uphill climb of
the course continues through most of the turn, making high or
even moderate speeds impossible here. Even worse, this is a
blind corner due to the barrier. Aggressive drivers will
certainly end up overrunning the Remus Curve on exit and find
themselves in the kitty litter.
Straightaway: Located at the highest elevation of the course,
this straightaway has a fade to the right, then another to
the left. After the second fade, prepare for braking before
arriving at the Gosser Curve.
Turn 3 (Gosser Curve): Another tight right-hand corner,
moderate braking will be required here to avoid sliding off
the course and into yet another sand trap. This is also a
blind corner, due to the barrier on the inside of Gosser.
The course begins to slowly descend in elevation here.
Straightaway: This is actually NOT a straightaway at all; the
course map does not list the right-hand turn, but it is
definitely more than just a fade. If you overrun this, you
will end up in the same sand trap as before - it is simply
extended along the left side of the course from the outside
of Gosser until well beyond this unofficial corner.
Turn 4 (Niki Lauda Curve): This is a wide left-hand corner
which will require light or moderate braking; even if you
slow greatly before entering the corner, you will likely be
tapping the brakes as you progress through Niki Lauda. There
is another wide patch of sand on the outside of the corner,
stretching almost all the way to the entrance of the Gerhard
Berger Curve. A short straightaway separates Turns 4 and 5.
Turn 5 (Gerhard Berger Curve): This is almost identical to
the Niki Lauda Curve, but with an additional sand trap which
begins on the inside of the corner.
Straightaway: Again more than a fade but not listed as an
official corner, there is a "turn" to the right shortly after
exiting the Gerhard Berger Curve. About two-thirds of the
way along, the course enters a scenic forested area.
Turn 6 (Jochen Rindt Curve): This is a semi-hidden right-hand
corner which can be taken with light braking. Another sand
trap awaits those who run off the outside of the corner. A
short straightaway follows Jochen Rindt.
Turn 7 (Mobilkom Curve): This is a right-hand corner which
will require light or moderate braking. The Pit Lane begins
on the right just before the entry to Mobilkom, so be careful
not to bump cars slowing before going to the pits.
Pit Entry: Located just before the entrance to the Mobilkom
Curve, the Pit Lane is to the right. This is a long pit
lane, so plan to stay out of here as much as possible!!!
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF GERMANY: HOCKENHEIM
Surrounded by multitudes of trees, this is the fastest course
used for F1 racing in 2000. If not for the Jim Clark, Brems,
and Ayrton Senna chicanes, cars would be flying around the
course in top gear all the way from the North Curve (Turn 1)
to the entry of the Stadium (Turn 10). The three chicanes
all have paved shortcuts, but taking these will amass a Stop-
Go Penalty each time. Except the right side of the Pit
Straight, there is more than enough room to pull well off the
pavement should a car have a serious problem.
Special Note: To truly discover the speeds and the lap times
once possible before the chicanes were added to Hockenheim,
turn off the Flags option (if necessary) and purposely drive
on the old course pavement through each of the chicanes. Fun
and fast!!!!!
Pit Straight: The entire left side of the Pit Straight has a
rumble strip, the only course with this design. This is an
extremely short straightaway compared to the rest of the
course.
Turn 1 (North Curve): This right-hand corner can be taken
with no or little braking. The Pit Lane rejoins the course
from the right at the exit of North Curve. Opening lap
aside, if you are not at full acceleration exiting this
corner, you will definitely be passed in the long sweeping
straightaway leading to the Jim Clark chicane.
Straightaway: Immensely lengthy and lined with trees, speed
is of the utmost importance here. The entire straightaway is
an extremely gentle fade to the right. Drift to the left
when you reach the grandstands.
Turns 2 and 3 (Jim Clark Chicane): DO NOT keep driving
straight ahead here; the mandatory chicane is a right-left
pair of corners. Moderate braking should be required for
Turn 2, but full acceleration can be taken leading out of the
chicane.
Straightaway: Yet another long, sweeping straightaway which
fades calmly to the right. Again, drift to the left before
entering the Brems Chicane.
Turns 4 and 5 (Brems Chicane): The original course
configuration (used in older F1 racing games) did not have a
chicane here, and the original pavement remains. However,
the official course currently in use advances slightly from
the old course, suddenly cuts tightly to the right and
crosses the old pavement, then cuts tightly to the left to
rejoin the old pavement. Moderate braking will be needed for
Turn 4, and light braking for Turn 5.
Turn 6 (East Curve): This is a very wide right-hand corner
which can be taken at top speed. Strong acceleration out of
Brems is important to assist in passing here.
Straightaway: This is yet another long straightaway, but
without any fades. Drift to the right for the Ayrton Senna
Chicane.
Turns 7-9 (Ayrton Senna Chicane): DO NOT follow the old
course pavement directly ahead unless you really WANT to
serve a Stop-Go Penalty. The official course turns to the
left, cuts tightly to the right, and eases left again. It is
actually possible to speed into Turn 7 at top speed, then
slam HARD on the brakes through Turn 8, and accelerate
quickly out of the chicaneŠ but this is certainly NOT
recommended.
Straightaway: The final long straightaway of the course has
extra pavement on the left, "blocked" only by a line of
orange cones. Surprisingly, the CPU does not assign a Stop-
Go Penalty for driving to the left of these cones, so this
could potentially be a place to pass large numbers of cars.
This extra pavement begins shortly after the exit of the
Ayrton Senna chicane, and ends at the entry of the Stadium;
thus, if you are on this "extra" pavement entering the
Stadium, you will have a better racing line for Turn 10,
allowing you to navigate the corner without braking.
Turn 10 (Entrance to the Stadium: Agip Curve): Light braking
may be required here, but you should be able to pass through
the Agip Curve without any braking at all (especially if your
racing line began with the "extra" pavement on the left
before the Stadium). A short straightaway follows.
Turn 11 (Continuing through the Stadium: Sachscurve): This is
a left-hand wide hairpin turn. Be careful not to overrun the
corner and end up in the grass, either entering or exiting
the corner.
Straightaway (Continuing through the Stadium): This short
straightaway has a fade to the left, followed by a fade to
the right.
Turns 12 and 13 (Exiting the Stadium: Opel): The first right-
hand corner is somewhat tight, and moderate braking will be
required here; the old course rejoins the current course from
the left on exit, so if you run wide in this corner, you can
recover here on the pavement. The final corner of the
circuit is a right-hand corner which will require light
braking. The Pit Lane entry is to the right just before the
official Turn 13. Unless you are headed for the pits, you
should be able to accelerate out of the Stadium here and stay
on the accelerator all the way to the Jim Clark chicaneŠ
which is quite a long time!!!!!
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins to the right at the entry of
Turn 13 (the final corner of the Stadium).
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF HUNGARY: HUNGARORING
The Hungaroring circuit has wide run-off areas, which can be
quite important, especially for Turn 1. It is imperative to
qualify near the top of the grid and be (one of) the first
through this corner, as traffic backs up tremendously here at
the start of a race.
Pit Straight: This is the highest point on the course and a
very long straightaway. Actually, the highest point is at
the very end of the Pit Straight, at the entrance of Turn 1.
Turn 1: It's all downhill from hereŠ almost literally. This
right-hand hairpin corner is downhill all the way through,
making early braking a necessity; plus, you will certainly be
tapping the brakes all the way through this important first
turn. If you do overrun the corner, there is a huge sand
trap for your inconvenience. However, if you roll up on the
inside rumble strips, expect your car to spin violently.
Turns 2 and 3: After a short straightaway, Turn 2 is a left-
hand "J" turn requiring light braking; do not keep going
straight ahead and miss the official corner, as that patch of
pavement ends in an immovable barrier. Turn 2 is quickly
followed by Turn 3, a right-hand corner which must be taken
at full throttle to set up passing opportunities through Turn
3 and along the ensuing straightaway.
Turn 4: This moderate left-hand corner may require light
braking or may be taken flat-out. Plenty of kitty litter
awaits those who overrun the corner.
Turn 5: Moderate braking is necessary for this right-hand "J"
turn. Plenty of sand is available on both sides of the
pavement here, just in case.
Turns 6 and 7: The CPU is very touchy about this right-left
chicane; virtually ANY short-cutting here results in a Stop-
Go Penalty. There is plenty of sand here as well, just in
case. Turn 6 is tight, requiring heavy braking. Turn 7
requires moderate braking, and beware the barrier on the
right on exit if you happen to swing out too wide.
Turn 8: This moderate left-hand corner may require light
braking, but may also be taken as full speed passing zone if
using rapid reflexes and a perfect racing line.
Turn 9: Almost immediately following Turn 8, this right-hand
corner definitely requires moderate braking to keep to the
pavement. Accelerate strongly out of Turn 9 to set up
passing opportunities.
Turn 10: An easy left-hand corner which can be taken at top
speed. This is a prime place to pass if sufficient
acceleration was made out of Turn 9.
Turn 11: Shortly following Turn 10, the right-hand Turn 11
requires moderate braking to stay out of the kitty litter.
Turns 12 and 13: This is a right-left chicane for which the
CPU is again very touchy concerning shortcutting. While
slowing for the corner here is officially preferable, it is
possible to speed through at full throttle by making use of
the rumble strips; of course, this is virtually impossible to
do safely if racing in wet conditions.
Turn 14: This is a wide "J" turn to the left. At first,
there is plenty of sand to the outside for those who overrun
the corner, but then a metal barrier rubs up against the
pavement beginning about halfway around the corner, so DO NOT
overrun the corner if you like having the right side of the
car intact. The course begins its steep uphill trajectory
here. A very short straightaway follows.
Turn 15: At the entry of this final corner is the Pit Lane
entry on the left, so beware of slower cars on the right.
The official corner itself is an uphill, right-hand hairpin
with little room for those who overrun the corner.
Accelerate strongly out of this final corner to pass along
the Pit Straight and put on a show for the spectators.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins at the entry of Turn 15 on the
right; begin slowing (or do not accelerate much) at the end
of Turn 14.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF BELGIUM: SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
This is a well-storied course used for many forms of racing.
One of the longer courses used in the 2000 F1 season, the
forest setting is rather scenic. This is also home to the
famous Turn 1 - the La Source hairpin - which is the slowest
corner in all of F1 racing. As at Hungaroring, it is very
important to be at the front of the grid on the first lap to
safely navigate the first turn.
Pit Straight: Strong acceleration out of the Bus Stop chicane
allows SOME room for passing here, but only experts would
ever consider waiting until after crossing the Start/Finish
Line to brake for La Source, because the Line is so far down
the Pit Straight. The course also slopes downward here, all
the way through La Source.
Turn 1 (La Source): This is an incredibly tight right-hand
hairpin. Fortunately, there is plenty of swing-out room and
plenty of recovery space, both paved. The downward slope of
the course is not much here, but it does add to the
difficulty of this hairpin turn. Brake lock-up and the
resultant flat-spotting of the tires is quite easy to
inadvertently accomplish here, especially in wet racing
conditions, so caution is extremely important. If a car in
front of you takes the wrong racing line, passing here can be
easy. Passing can also occur here if you brake REALLY late
(after crossing the Start/Finish Line).
Straightaway (Eau Rouge): Immediately at the exit of La
Source is where the Pit Lane rejoins the main course, so try
to keep away from the inside of the course here. To the
right is the Pit Lane for the 24-hour races held at Spa-
Francorchamps; take care not to smash into this Pit Lane
concrete barrier. Immediately after passing the "other" Pit
Lane and entering Eau Rouge (Red Water), the straightaway has
several fades during a semi-blind steep uphill climb into
Turn 2. It is all too easy to misjudge the racing line and
wind up out in the sand and the grass on either side of the
pavement here.
Turn 2 (Eau Rouge): This is an easy right-hand corner at the
top of the steep uphill climb. The kitty litter on either
side of the course fades away shortly after the corner.
Straightaway (Kemmel): The course truly enters the forested
area here, with trees lining both sides of the course. Cars
can easily achieve speeds around 200MPH by the end of this
straightaway.
Turns 3-5 (Malmedy): This is a right-left-right combination
of corners. Moderate or even heavy braking is necessary
entering Malmedy (Turn 3), but little or no braking is needed
for Turn 4. After an almost non-existent straightaway, light
braking is needed for Turn 5. The Malmedy complex has plenty
of run-off room, both sand and grass.
Straightaway: Between Malmedy and Bruxelles (the French
spelling of "Brussels," the capital of Belgium), the course
takes a steep downward trajectory. This can be a good
passing zone for those who did not need to use the brakes
leaving the Malmedy complex.
Turn 6 (Bruxelles): The course continues downhill all the way
through this right-hand hairpin, making heavy braking a
necessity before the corner as well as light braking most of
the way through Bruxelles. If any corner is to be overrun on
a regular basis during the course of a race, this is it, so
the wide sandy recovery area may actually be a blessing in
disguise. However, due to the slope of the hill, running up
on the rumble strips on the inside of the turn may well
result in a spin or other loss of control.
Turn 7: Shortly following Bruxelles, this left-hand corner
requires light braking.
Turn 8 and 9 (Pouhon): These two easy left-hand corners
essentially form a wide "U" shape. Unless traffic blocks the
main racing line, top speed can be carried from Bruxelles all
the way through Pouhon. There is plenty of run-off room
here, if needed.
Turns 10 and 11 (Fagnes): This right-left complex will
require light braking on entry, and possibly tapping the
brakes through Turn 11 as well. Accelerate well out of
Fagnes to pass one or two cars on the short straightaway
which follows.
Turn 12 (Stavelot): This is another right-hand corner,
requiring light or moderate braking. It is highly important
to accelerate STRONG out of Stavelot, as you won't be even
tapping the brakes until the Bus Stop.
Turn 13 (Blanchimont): This is a long, sweeping, left-hand
corner which must be carried at top speed (from Stavelot) or
else you WILL be passed by others. The trees here are
pretty, but keep your eyes on the road!!!!!
Turns 14-17 (Bus Stop Chicane): This is a tight left-right
followed by a short straight and a tight right-left. The
beginning of the chicane is at the top of a small rise, so
the first two turns are blocked from view on approach unless
other cars are there to mark the course for you. Moderate
braking should be used for both parts of the Bus Stop, but
experts can semi-easily fly through the Bus Stop at top speed
(but be prepared to save the car should the rumble strips
cause you to lose control). The CPU has little tolerance for
shortcutting here.
Pit Entry: While the Bus Stop begins here with a tight left-
hand corner, the Pit Lane continues straight ahead, with a
quick right-left mini-chicane of its own. There is not much
room in Pit Lane to slow down before reaching the Paddock, so
slow on the main course, but keep to the right to allow cars
remaining in the race to pass you on the left as they enter
the Bus Stop Chicane.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF ITALY: MONZA
This historic high-speed track hosts a highly partial pro-
Ferrari crowd. Unfortunately, as with F1 2000, F1
Championship Season 2000 uses the "old" course configuration;
for the 2000 incarnation of the Italian Grand Prix, the
initial tight left-right-left-right chicanes used in previous
races were removed and replaced instead with a gentler right-
left-right chicane similar to Hokkenheim's Jim Clark Chicane,
but slightly tighter in overall configuration. The 2000
Italian Grand Prix is the race in which a volunteer corner
worker was killed at the Roggia chicane, due to all the
flying debris from the first-lap multi-car collision caused
by a driver missing his braking zone. This is the final race
of the "European" season; the final three races are all
overseas, "flyaway" races.
Pit Straight: Strong acceleration out of the Curva Parabolica
can create prime passing opportunities alone the Pit
Straight. The Pit Lane begins on the right shortly after
exiting the Parabolica. All along the Pit Straight, take
care not to rub the right-side tires against the barriers,
which are practically flush up against the pavement.
Turns 1-4 (Rettifilio): These are the aforementioned "old"
chicanes. This is a pair of consecutive tight left-right
corners. The CPU does allow for some shortcutting here, but
not much. The inside of each of these four corners has a
straight line diagonal to the pavement where the different
types of grass join together; cross this line by a single
pixel, and you will be serving a Stop-Go Penalty shortly.
Turn 5 (Biassono): This sweeping right-hand corner among the
thick trees can be taken flat-out. To the left is a long,
wide area of sand, but the corner is so extremely gentle that
the sand should not be needed for any reason unless you blow
an engine.
Turns 6 and 7 (Roggia): This chicane is extremely difficult
to see on approach unless traffic is present to mark the
pavement for you, so it is very easy to overrun the chicane.
This is a very tight left-right chicane which even experts
will rarely be able to handle at full speed; moderate or
heavy braking is required by drivers of all levels of
experience. The CPU has NO tolerance for shortcutting
Roggia, so don't even try it!!!!! There is a large sand trap
for those who miss the chicane altogether.
Turn 8 (First Lesmo): This right-hand corner requires light
or moderate braking. There is a wide sand trap on the
outside of the corner.
Turn 9 (Second Lesmo): This right-hand corner is a little
tighter than First Lesmo, and also has a significant area of
kitty litter on the outside of the corner. Moderate braking
will be needed here.
Straightaway/Turn 10 (Serraglio): This is really just a fade
to the left, but the official course map lists this as a
curve. Counting this as a fade, this marks about the halfway
point on the longest straightaway of the Monza circuit.
There is sufficient room to pull off the course here on
either side if necessary, except when passing underneath the
bridge.
Turns 11-13 (Ascari): The Ascari chicane is more difficult
than it seems. Turn 11 is a left-hand corner requiring at
least light braking. This is followed immediately by a
right-hand corner requiring moderate braking. Turn 13 can be
taken at full acceleration if you slowed enough in Turn 12.
Wide areas of grass and sand are available for those
overruninng any part of the chicane, but those drivers will
also be given a Stop-Go Penalty. Unfortunately, F1
Championship Season 2000 does not provide the real course's
paved swing-out area at the exit of Ascari.
Straightaway (Rettilineo Parabolica): This is a significant
straightaway and a prime passing zone, especially with
powerful acceleration out of Ascari.
Turn 14 (Curva Parabolica): This final corner is a wide
increasing-radius right-hand "hairpin." Light or moderate
braking is required on entry, but once about one-third of the
way around the "hairpin," stand on the accelerator all the
way through to Rettifilio. The outside of the Curva
Parabolica has an immense expanse of kitty litter, but this
should not be necessary.
Pit Entry: Shortly after exiting the Curva Parabolica, the
Pit Lane begins on the right. This is perhaps the shortest
Pit Lane in all of F1; there is virtually NO room for
deceleration once leaving the main course, so cars going in
for servicing will begin slowing at the exit of the Curva
Parabolica.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF THE UNITED STATES: INDIANAPOLIS
The inaugural U.S. Grand Prix was significant for three
reasons. First, for the first time ever, cars were racing
"backward" (clockwise) at Indianapolis. Second, cars were
racing in the rain, which is unheard-of in American auto
racing. Third, FIA allowed Fox Sports Net, the American
cable network which provided the world feed coverage of the
race, to introduce the side-view of a driver (Michael
Shumacher) at work. Fortunately, except the Pit Straight,
the course features wide run-off areas, especially along
Hulman Blvd. For the drivers, part of the "mystique" of the
U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis was the closeness of the
spectators; at no other F1 circuit are the fans literally
"just across the wall" from the cars. The U.S. Grand Prix
begins the final "flyaway" (non-European) races of the 2000
season.
Pit Straight: This is the same as the Pit Straight used for
the Indy and NASCAR races here, but the cars drive in the
"wrong" direction. Expect top speeds close to or even
exceeding 200MPH.
Turns 1 and 2: After about 28 seconds at full throttle, this
tight right-left combination can be deadly if you miss the
braking zone. Brake early and hard to safely navigate Turn 1
in first or second gear, then accelerate through Turn 2.
Turn 3: This is a sweeping right-hand corner which can be
taken at top speed.
Turn 4: This is a long right-hand "J" turn requiring moderate
braking to keep to the pavement.
Turn 5: Another right-hand corner, this corner requires light
or moderate braking, and can be a good passing zone with good
braking on entry.
Turn 6: This left-hand hairpin requires good braking
throughout. Accelerating too soon will certainly put you out
on the grass.
Turn 7: This is a right-hand "J" turn onto Human Blvd.
Moderate braking is need here, but there is fortunately a
wide paved swing-out area on exit.
Straightaway (Hulman Blvd.): This is the longest straightaway
of the infield course, so strong acceleration is key here.
Turn 8: Turning a little to the left, this corner requires
light or moderate braking, depending on top speed on Hulman
Blvd. However, the following straightaway is extremely
short, so do not expect to accelerate much (if at all) before
"Mickey" and "Mouse."
Turn 9 ("Mickey"): This is a tight right-hand "J" turn,
nicknamed "Mickey" by the sportscasters at the inaugural F1
race at Indianapolis. This is a second-gear corner at best,
but likely first gear is a better choice here.
Turn 10 ("Mouse"): This tight left-hand hairpin corner was
nicknamed "Mouse" by sportscasters. Any speed above 45MPH
will certainly force you off the course and into the grass.
A strong, short burst of acceleration out of "Mouse" can set
up a good passing opportunity in Turn 11.
Turn 11: This long right-hand corner is the final corner of
the course requiring braking. It is still fairly easy to
slip off the course (especially in wet racing conditions), so
be careful here. From here all the way to the end of the Pit
Straight, you should be fully on the accelerator for
approximately 28 seconds before braking for the first corner.
Turn 12: This right-hand corner brings the cars back out onto
the oval used for Indy and NASCAR races, and coming back out
onto the banking may be a little challenging at first. No
braking is required here.
Turn 13: This is the banked "Turn 1" of the Indy and NASCAR
races here, taken in reverse. It is important to hug the
apex of the corner tightly, but to keep off the infield
grass.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins just before Turn 13, but in F1
Championship Season 2000, the Pit Lane barrier doesn't begin
until the exit of Turn 13. This means that 1.) you can enter
the Pit Lane "late," or 2.) you can use the beginning of the
Pit Lane to pass slower cars on the main course, then cut
back out to the Pit Straight just before the barrier; in
either case, you are likely to cross the grass, although
there is a short paved area immediately before the Pit Lane
barrier.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN: SUZUKA
This famous figure-eight circuit is used for many forms of
auto and motorcycle racing. One of the most famous sights of
the "circuit" is the large Ferris Wheel on the left behind
the spectator stands as cars pass along the Pit Straight.
The Grand Prix of Japan is usually the last race of the F1
season, but was pushed back by one race for the 2000 season;
it will once again be the final race of the season beginning
in 2001.
Pit Straight: Good speeds can be achieved here with strong
acceleration out of the chicane. The Pit Lane rejoins the
course from the right near the end of the Pit Straight.
Turn 1: This right-hand hairpin requires moderate braking on
approach, and you will likely be tapping the brakes through
the hairpin itself. This begins an uphill climb, and it is
difficult to see the left side of the pavement on exit, so be
careful not to run too wide and end up out in the sand.
There is really no reason to overrun the hairpin on entry, as
the corner is quite easily identifiable.
Turns 2-5 (S Curves): This is the hardest section of the
course - tight left-right-left-right corners. The first of
the "S" curves can likely be taken at full speed, with light
or moderate braking for Turn 3. Turn 4 can be taken either
flat-out (not suggested) or with light braking. No matter
what, slam on the brakes for Turn 5, the tightest corner of
the "S" section. This entire segment of the course continues
the uphill climb, making Turn 5 particularly a little more
difficult. There is ample recovery room on either side of
the course through the uphill "S" section. The "S" section
is a good place to pass slower cars, if you have enough
confidence in your brakes to pass during corner entry. No
matter what, you will NOT be surviving the "S" curves unless
you use the brakes generously.
Turn 6 (Dunlop Curve): This sweeping left-hand corner is the
crest of the initial uphill segment of the course, and can be
taken at full acceleration.
Turn 7 (Degner): Here, the course turns to the right in
anticipation of the figure-eight pattern. Light braking will
likely be required, but it is possible to speed through here
without braking. To the outside of the course is a wide
expanse of grass and sand in case you overrun the corner.
Turn 8 (Degner): The final right-hand corner before passing
underneath the bridge, this turn is tighter than the previous
corner, thus moderate braking and a steady racing line will
be required here. This is also another prime passing zone.
Straightaway: Accelerate strongly out of Degner and you
should be able to pass one or two cars as you drive
underneath the bridge. The course fades to the right here
before reaching the tight Hairpin.
Turn 9 (Hairpin): This is a tight left-hand hairpin which
begins the next uphill segment of the Suzuka circuit. It is
possible to shortcut a little here, but the grass combined
with the angle of the hill here will really slow you down and
perhaps cause you to spin and/or slide. Be careful not to
accelerate too soon, or you will be out in the grass. There
is a sizeable patch of kitty litter for those who miss the
hairpin completely.
Turn 10: Continuing the uphill run, the course here makes a
wide sweep to the right. Any braking here means losing track
positions.
Turns 11 and 12 (Spoon): This is a tricky pair of left-hand
corners, in a decreasing-radius "U" formation. The first
corner is fairly standard, requiring little (if any) braking.
However, Turn 12 is both tighter AND slopes downhill, so
judicious usage of brakes and a pristine racing line are both
important here, especially if attempting to pass a slower
vehicle. If you misjudge any single corner at Suzuka, it
will be Turn 12; fortunately, there is plenty of recovery
room on both sides of the pavement here. However, do not
roll up on the rumble strips or the grass on the inside of
Turn 12, as that will almost certainly cause you to lose
control and likely spin.
Straightaway: Power out of Spoon and fly along the
straightaway, passing multiple cars. After you cross the
bridge, start thinking about the chicane.
Turn 13 (130R): Shortly after crossing the bridge, the course
turns gently to the left. No braking is required here, but
look for cars slowing for the Pit Lane entry just before the
chicane.
Turns 14-16 (Chicane): This is a very tricky part of the
course. The chicane begins with a moderate turn to the
right, then a tight left-hand corner, then ends with a wider
turn to the right and empties out onto the Pit Straight.
Fortunately, the inside of the chicane is filled with just
sand, not barriers, but cutting the chicane results in a
Stop-Go Penalty. Be careful coming out of Turn 15 that you
don't go too wide and bump the right-front tire on the Pit
Lane barrier.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins to the right just before
Chicane. Note that the Pit Entry is the SECOND patch of
pavement to the right coming off the main course.
==============================================
GRAND PRIX OF MALAYSIA: SEPANG
This is the second-newest F1 course in use, its construction
completed in time for the end of the 1999 F1 season. Sepang
includes very wide recovery zones all along the course, on
both sides of the pavement, with very few exceptions. The
main grandstands are nestled "within" the course itself, as
the "back straight" and the "Pit Straight" flank each side of
the main spectator seats, linked by a tight left-hand
hairpin. While the pavement is rather wide for an F1
circuit, it is actually more difficult to drive than it
appears on television, especially the "back" part of the
course (behind the main grandstands).
Pit Straight: The main grandstands are to the left as you fly
down the Pit Straight. There is a short bit of sand or grass
to the right between the main course and the Pit Lane
barrier, about enough room for a car to pull off. Slam on
the brakes at the end of the Pit Straight, as the first two
corners are VERY tight.
Turns 1 and 2: Turn 1 is a TIGHT right-hand corner, followed
immediately by a not-as-tight-but-still-difficult left-hand
Turn 2. If there is traffic ahead of you, the cars will
certainly bunch up here. The first corner on the opening lap
of any F1 race is characterized by cars bunching up together;
given the downhill slope of Turns 1 (beginning at the exit)
and 2, cars are even more likely than usual to bump each
other and/or the barrier here. Fortunately, the outside of
Turn 2 has a wide (sand-filled) recovery area, so if a major
accident takes place, it might be wise to (carefully) take to
the sand to avoid the worst of the chaos and debris.
Turn 3: Accelerate hard through this sweeping right-hand
corner. No braking is necessary here. The course begins a
gentle uphill climb here.
Turn 4: It is easy to overrun this corner, either on entry or
on exit, but the wide patch of sand is available to slow you
down in these situations. This right-hand corner is the
crest of the uphill climb which began in Turn 3. Moderate
braking will be required here.
Turns 5 and 6: Turn 5 is an easy left-hand corner, followed
by the similarly-shaped right-hand Turn 6. In Turn 5, the
barrier comes very close to the pavement on the inside of the
corner, so be careful not to roll up on the grass here.
There is plenty of space for recovery on the outside of each
corner, which may be important exiting Turn 6 as it is rather
easy to run too wide on exit. Both corners can be taken
either flat-out or with simply a light tapping of the brakes.
Turns 7 and 8: These two right-hand corners are best taken
in a wide "U" formation. It is possible to fly through these
corners at top speed, but some may feel more comfortable by
tapping the brakes very briefly at about the apex of each
corner (especially in Turn 8). There is plenty of kitty
litter on the outside of the corners here if you lose
concentration and drive off the pavement.
Turn 9: This tight left-hand corner is made even more
difficult by the brief uphill slope leading to the corner
itself, which hides the view of the pavement as the course
turns to the left here. Early braking is key, or else you
WILL be caught out in the sand trap. Moderate or heavy
braking will be needed here, depending on your top speed
coming out of the "U" formation of Turns 7 and 8. If you
have excellent confidence in your braking ability (especially
with fresh tires after a pit stop), this is a great place to
pass other cars on braking, but only if attempted near the
inside of the corner - otherwise, any car(s) you try to pass
will force you out into the sand.
Turn 10: After the tightness of Turn 9, Turn 10's right-hand
corner can be taken at full throttle. The course climbs
gently uphill here, cresting shortly after the exit.
Turn 11: The course begins a gentle downhill slope near the
entry of Turn 11, then turns to the right as the downhill
slope continues. Light or moderate braking will be needed
here. This is also a good place to pass other cars on
braking. It is also easy to overrun the corner, so there is
plenty of sand to the outside of the corner to slow you down
in this instance.
Turn 12: After a short straightaway, the course turns to the
left. If you hug the apex tightly, you should be able to
take Turn 12 without braking. Again, plenty of sand awaits
those who slide off the pavement here.
Turn 13: This is a right-hand decreasing-radius hairpin with
no paved swing-out area on exit, making the corner more
difficult than it at first appears. The first 90 degrees can
be taken at top speed, although some braking is greatly
recommended here. After that, moderate or heavy braking is
required to keep from rolling out into the kitty litter.
Strong acceleration is key on exit.
Straightaway: This straightaway runs along the "back side" of
the main grandstands. This is a very long straightaway, so
powerful acceleration out of the Turn 13 hairpin can provide
good passing opportunities here, especially for those using a
low-downforce set-up. Near the end of the straightaway, a
line of pavement leaves to the right, but this is NOT the Pit
Lane entry used for F1 races.
Turn 14: This is the final corner of the course, and perhaps
the most important in a close race. Following the long
straightaway on the "back side" of the main grandstands, this
is a left-hand hairpin, much tighter than Turn 13. It is key
here to approach from the right, tightly hug the apex, and
accelerate strongly while drifting to the right on exit. The
Pit Lane entry begins here halfway through the hairpin, so
beware of slower cars going in for servicing. This is also a
good place to pass on braking, especially for those with a
high-downforce set-up.
Pit Entry: The Pit Lane begins halfway through the Turn 14
hairpin (the final corner of the course). Keep to the right
entering the hairpin, to allow those passing you to dive to
the left-hand apex of the corner; after the first 90 degrees
of the corner, drive straight ahead along the Pit Lane.
However, you will quickly find the Pit Lane curving to the
left, so make sure you have slowed enough to not bang the
front wing or front-right tire against the barrier.
==============================================
==============================================
WISH LIST
There are several additions and modifications I hope EA
Sports makes in future versions of their F1 racing games.
This is a highly subjective list, but I believe most readers
of this driving guide will recognize that these changes will
both add to the realism of the F1 games and also make the
games more marketable with the proposed extra/bonus features.
1.) When a player skips both Practice and Qualifying and
begins instantly with a Race, it would be nice to have the
opportunity to change car settings.
2.) More (single-player) scenarios would be niceŠ perhaps
about thirty scenarios.
3.) Perhaps one or more bonus courses - courses designed
entirely by EA Sports and which are far more technical than
anything used in current F1 racing - for achieving some
fantastic feat, such as accumulating 150 or more total points
in the Drivers Championship.
4.) Bring back the Front Downforce and Rear Downforce
options.
5.) Two-player competition scenarios - For example, Mika
Hakkinen versus Michael Schumacher for the Drivers
Championship at the final course of the season, with only one
point separating them at the beginning of the race.
6.) Demolition Mode - This may also be an unlockable feature,
one in which the object is to both survive an entire race
(perhaps only eight laps) AND try to take out as many other
cars as possible. For an eight-lap race, any single car may
be permitted to go to Pit Lane only twice.
7.) Course Builder - Allow players to design their own
courses. This may be best done via a separate game disc
(sold separately to increase your profits!!!), but the main
game would be able to import the data for the courses players
have created. Several standard templates should be available
in this case to give players a starting point. Several
location options should also be available: seaside,
mountains, plains, airport, city circuit, etc.
8.) History Mode - Perhaps also unlockable, allow players to
race in versions of F1 cars from the 1950s to the present.
9.) Future Mode - Perhaps also unlockable, allows players to
race in potential futuristic versions of F1 cars.
10.) Add hazards - oil on the course, spectators running
across the track, blowing sand from the sand traps, etc.
11.) Corner Workers - Instead of displaying flags at the top
of the screen, force the player to look for the corner
workers when entering each turn to see if a flag is being
displayed. The first time a particular flag is displayed by
a corner worker, the team principal can still announce over
the radio that a particular flag is being shown, and what it
means; for all subsequent displays of that flag, no radio
announcement is given.
12.) More frequent updates on teammate's race status,
including approximately when he will be going to Pit Lane
(i.e.: "Pedro De La Rosa is scheduled to pit in two laps").
13.) Periodic radio updates on the points-paying positions.
14.) Leave the on-screen race updates (the TV-style
information at the bottom of the screen) on-screen a few
extra seconds. If this is not possible (likely due to FIA
standards), include a radio version of this same information
(to the extent possible) simultaneously.
15.) Start each race on the warm-up lap, and force players to
correctly find their grid position for the Standing Start.
(This may best be used only in Championship Mode.)
16.) When lapping traffic or being lapped by the race
leaders, it would be nice to have a second column on the top-
left of the screen showing who is immediately in front and
immediately behind the player on the track. This second
column should be immediately to the right of the current
column which shows the player's current race position. Also,
it would be beneficial if both columns showed the TWO cars
immediately in front of and behind the player.
==============================================
WRAP-UP
The official FIA Web site (http://www.fia.com/) has a lot of
good information for F1 racing, including the current
season's race schedule and links to the official Web sites of
most of the courses used. The FIA Web site is available in
both French and English.
==============================================
CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions, rants, raves, permissions, etc., including the
latest version of this driving guide, please contact me at:
FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM
==============================================
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remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
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