Last month, we covered the consortium trying to bring Formula One to the streets of Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. The story contained a picture of a city that was not Copenhagen (oops) and information surrounding those sponsoring the project, which include local and national dignitaries and private groups seeking either national pride or cash flow. We now know that one of the major private backers is Lars Seier Christensen, a former banker, now a part of the cycling world, and that the circuit’s designer, the controversial engineer Hermann Tilke, visited Copenhagen months ago, in March, giving him plenty of time to have drafted a circuit proposal.
And now, in July, said proposal is now complete, and has made its way to Danish publication Jyllands-Posten. The circuit is comprised of approximately 13 (depending on how you count the kinks) corners, and is run counterclockwise. It crosses five bridges in total, and passes beneath a glass bridge similar to that found at Yas Marina, and though a tunnel-like building under construction, reminiscent of Monaco. Much like Monaco, this proposed street course is so narrow that it makes one clench at the mere thought of doing over 200 miles per hour down its asphalt. It curves back over itself, like Suzuka, too.
We took a look in Google Street View of the whole race course, and discovered some significant, but not insurmountable problems. For one, many of the streets are divided by raised medians, preventing use of the whole road. Even fast parts of the track, some as narrow as two lanes, are afflicted with this. Furthermore, no particularly good spot for the pits was noted, with the best candidates being the inside of the long, fast southern section of the track, and the corner immediately succeeding it, the slow left, where the inside could be converted to a tight pit area.
All of these problems will be a trivial matter to the Danish entrepreneurs and officials backing the project, should it be greenlit. In the meantime, enjoy our “onboard” of the circuit, as seen from only the fastest of Google Street View cars.
We start out lap here, as it is uncertain where the actual proposed start/finish line is located. This is the view from just before the bridge on the northeastern straight., Google Street ViewOnward, the drivers will stay flat through this fast, wide section of the track, a likely candidate for a DRS zone., Google Street ViewWhat appears to be a small ascent, toward one of the circuit’s bridges. Note the raised median that would need modification to host the race., Google Street ViewNow on the bridge, we approach the left kink., Google Street ViewA closer view of the kink. Even with low-downforce setups, this is likely to be a flat corner., Google Street ViewAfter the kink, this is the view uphill toward the slow left-hander., Google Street ViewHere is the left itself. The trees in the divider make it hard to gauge where Tilke intends to send cars: around the trees, or cut in before them?, Google Street ViewA view from the outside of the slow left., Google Street ViewNow, onto the short, narrow straight., Google Street ViewThe buses are not a likely feature of the Grand Prix weekend., Google Street ViewInto the next corner, a slow right., Google Street ViewThe view from outside the right hander., Google Street ViewFlat again, into what becomes one of the narrowest parts of the track., Google Street ViewThe bridge that reminds me of Yas Marina, only less nouveau riche., Google Street ViewFast, and absurdly narrow. Two lane road with a raised median? This will present a problem for the race’s organizers., Google Street ViewIt might not be an actual tunnel, but passing under this building will give the cameras something to stay occupied by on this long straight., Google Street ViewSomething tells me the construction will be long gone by the time any F1 car speeds though here., Google Street ViewLike Suzuka, this circuit passes over itself. The circuit loops around and onto that bridge later., Google Street ViewNow into the slow right hander. It turns into a sort of pseudo-chicane., Google Street ViewView from outside the right hander., Google Street ViewEsses, or chicane? Not quite sure what to call it, but there’s the left that completes it., Google Street ViewExit stage left, onto this donkey trail., Google Street ViewThey will need a lot of fencing around here to prevent cars from getting in the harbor., Google Street ViewView from outside the next right hander., Google Street ViewIt just gets tighter, doesn’t it?, Google Street ViewThe next right, seen here., Google Street ViewSlow right, seen from the outside., Google Street ViewOnto the next straight., Google Street ViewKink right. Less narrow now, and no median., Google Street ViewOutside of next corner, right hander. Cars would enter right, leave left., Google Street ViewNow on the longest, fastest part of the track., Google Street ViewStay flat onto yet another bridge., Google Street ViewLeft kink, like Monza’s grand first sector, but flipped around., Google Street ViewStill flat., Google Street ViewHere’s the next left kink. Probably still flat., Google Street ViewNarrowing up. By now, the cars are banging on their limiters in 8th., Google Street ViewSmall kink left in the braking zone, ahead is the left hander leading back toward where our lap started., Google Street ViewAnd now, finally, the slow left., Google Street ViewSlow left as seen from outside., Google Street ViewBack on the gas., Google Street ViewCan’t this thing go any faster?, Google Street ViewBack into the buildings, and toward our lap’s end., Google Street ViewAnd here we are, back where we started. Want another lap?, Google Street View
