Latest news with #HermannTilke
New York Times
13-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix live updates: Follow latest from today's race with Oscar Piastri on pole
Nestled in Sakhir and the southern half of the island kingdom, Bahrain International Circuit presents a complicated problem for F1. A night race in desert terrain sees the air and track temperatures drop rapidly, impacting the balance of the car and tires. Sakhir's circuit was the first Middle Eastern track on F1's schedule and built on a former camel farm. The design by German engineer Hermann Tilke has the usual long straights but also features fairly tight corners, meaning there will be plenty of heavy braking. Between the straights and DRS zones, fans should expect to see a decent number of overtaking battles. While the track map may seem straightforward and the drivers will know it well given preseason testing also took place here, there is a critical factor here: the sand. Organizers sweep the track regularly and even spray an adhesive on the surrounding desert to minimize sand moving about, but they can't eliminate the threat totally. If a driver is slightly off of the ideal racing line, the car can start to slide. Key circuit facts include: Circuit length: 5.41 km (3.36 miles) (3.36 miles) Laps: 57 Lap record: 1m31.446s (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) First GP: 2004 You can take a trip around Sakhir in Madeline Coleman 's circuit breakdown, which is linked below. GO FURTHER Bahrain GP track breakdown: F1 speeds into the sands of Sakhir
New York Times
12-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Key times for the Bahrain GP weekend
Nestled in Sakhir and the southern half of the island kingdom, Bahrain International Circuit presents a complicated problem for F1. A night race in desert terrain sees the air and track temperatures drop rapidly, impacting the balance of the car and tires. Sakhir's circuit was the first Middle Eastern track on F1's schedule and built on a former camel farm. The design by German engineer Hermann Tilke has the usual long straights but also features fairly tight corners, meaning there will be plenty of heavy braking. Between the straights and DRS zones, fans should expect to see a decent number of overtaking battles. While the track map may seem straightforward and the drivers will know it well given preseason testing also took place here, there is a critical factor here: the sand. Organizers sweep the track regularly and even spray an adhesive on the surrounding desert to minimize sand moving about, but they can't eliminate the threat totally. If a driver is slightly off of the ideal racing line, the car can start to slide. Key circuit facts include: Circuit length: 5.41km (3.36 miles) (3.36 miles) Laps: 57 Lap record: 1:31.446 (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) First GP: 2004 You can take a trip around Sakhir in Madeline Coleman 's circuit breakdown, which is linked below. GO FURTHER Bahrain GP track breakdown: F1 speeds into the sands of Sakhir
New York Times
12-04-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1 Bahrain GP live updates: Follow latest from qualifying and FP3 in Sakhir today
Nestled in Sakhir and the southern half of the island kingdom, Bahrain International Circuit presents a complicated problem for F1. A night race in desert terrain sees the air and track temperatures drop rapidly, impacting the balance of the car and tires. Sakhir's circuit was the first Middle Eastern track on F1's schedule and built on a former camel farm. The design by German engineer Hermann Tilke has the usual long straights but also features fairly tight corners, meaning there will be plenty of heavy braking. Between the straights and DRS zones, fans should expect to see a decent number of overtaking battles. While the track map may seem straightforward and the drivers will know it well given preseason testing also took place here, there is a critical factor here: the sand. Organizers sweep the track regularly and even spray an adhesive on the surrounding desert to minimize sand moving about, but they can't eliminate the threat totally. If a driver is slightly off of the ideal racing line, the car can start to slide. Key circuit facts include: Circuit length: 5.41 km (3.36 miles) (3.36 miles) Laps: 57 Lap record: 1:31.446 (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) First GP: 2004 You can take a trip around Sakhir in Madeline Coleman 's circuit breakdown, which is linked below. GO FURTHER Bahrain GP track breakdown: F1 speeds into the sands of Sakhir
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Here's What It's Like to Drive at One of the Best Private-Track Clubs in the World
No matter what the preferred expressions of luxury may be, we who obsess about best-of-the-best products, places, and experiences understand one thing: when you encounter the real deal, you know it. For me, it's holding a flawless yellow 10-carat cushion-cut diamond at Harry Winston, piloting a McLaren F1, and now, driving at Magarigawa—a private club and track about 66 miles southeast of Tokyo. Some of the greatest circuits in the world take their cues from nature. The topography, not a designer, is what's responsible for the legendary Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as it encompasses the hillside's challenging 18 percent drop. The same holds true for the famous Eau Rouge corner at Belgium's Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, also presenting an 18 percent change in elevation. More from Robb Report Spring-Break Travel Prices Have Hit a Record High This Year This New Track Club Gives Members Access to Miami's F1 Circuit Japan Hit a Record 37 Million Tourists Last Year Magarigawa—the name refers to the winding Nanamagarigawa River that runs through the property, part of which flows underground—is also the product of its dramatic landscape, and features 20 percent and 16 percent uphill and downhill grades, respectively. The foundation is a previously untouched mountaintop on the Boso Peninsula, surrounded by lush valleys. The club's founders, the Japanese conglomerate Cornes & Company, spent years searching for a spot that offered seclusion, drama, and quick access to Tokyo and nearby airports. (Through two of its subsidiaries, Cornes & Company is the official Japanese retailer for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley, so a passion for cars runs deep.) The 250-acre automotive country club, perched atop the site's highest point, features a ribbonlike 2.2-mile track with 22 corners slithering around stomach-dropping peaks and pitches. Construction was painstaking and took more than three years. Hermann Tilke—famed designer of Formula 1 tracks—and his team were tapped to both conceive of and engineer the course, which officially opened in 2023. (Tilke built the tracks at Circuit of the Americas, Azerbaijan, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, to name a few.) The course is narrower than many new tracks because the founders wanted members to purely focus on their driving. No racing is allowed, and no motorcycles, either. My son, Walker, and I are touring Magarigawa while visiting Japan. We are graciously hosted by pro racer Hideto Yasuoka, a former Porsche Carrera Cup champion, a Formula 3 racer, and now a Super GT competitor. Yasuoka has been an official member of the Magarigawa team since the beginning. He meets us early in the nearby town of Tateyama and chauffeurs us to the property. The temple-like entrance gate and minimalist signage immediately make us speak in hushed tones. As we twist up the winding access road, we pass a dog park, a gas station, a helipad, and two car storage facilities, one for 150 rarefied vehicles and a bigger Fort Knox–like structure housing 300 vehicles along with a fully staffed workshop and repair facility. For privacy reasons, we don't get to look inside, but I play 20 Questions with our host. 'Are there any Valkyries or Gordon Murray T.50s in there?' I dare to ask. 'We can't talk about specific member cars, but in general, yes,' is his reply. (He later shared with us that he set the current track record in a Valkyrie.) Not all of that precious sheet metal stays under wraps, though. As we continue up the road to the massive contemporary clubhouse, we pass nine glass-and-stone-skinned villas nestled into the hillside. Inside each one, we glimpse Ferraris, Paganis, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and the like, all parked adjacent to the main living spaces to allow members to enjoy their automotive art even at rest. Another 18 villas—the club's zoning maximum—are slated to be built. At the top, we park at the sprawling and impressively imposing clubhouse. Exiting the club's sleek lobby, we enter a vaulted, glass-walled, wood-paneled space with leather furniture, ceiling-mounted fire-extinguisher lines, and flatscreens flashing live feeds from the track. We are standing in the poshest 'pits' I have ever encountered—18 bays, each holding two cars. It looked more like an exclusive resort in Aspen. Next, Yasuoka leads us through the club's wine-and-cigar bar, a simulator room, sumptuous locker rooms for men and women—with natural onsen (hot springs) features sourced from the grounds—and an outdoor infinity-edge pool. Spa rooms look out over various corners of the track, as does the well-equipped gym (trainers are always on duty). We also get a glimpse at the indoor and outdoor play areas for the members' children—dozens of pairs of little sneakers scattered at the entrance. We end the tour in the formal restaurant and are served a Michelin-star-worthy four-course lunch courtesy of the club's official hospitality partner, Kayana Resorts. The glass walls of the dining area give us full views of the cars on track. In the distance, Mt. Fuji stands proudly. Finally, it's our turn to drive. 'The club doesn't have any specific age restrictions,' says Yasuoka to my thrilled 19-year-old son, as he brings us back to the pit exit. There, three Toyota GR86 Cup Cars are lined up for our use (the club also has Porsche, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota Yaris Cup Cars for rent). 'Members are really starting to gravitate toward race cars and away from production cars,' he said. 'The cost of running them, including brakes and tires, is much less.' On the biggest downhill curve of the track, Yasuoka stomps on it in the lead car as I stay stapled to his bumper. 'The track is designed to allow even novice drivers the chance to get 80 to 85 percent out of their car right away,' he would later explain. 'It's narrow enough that you really can't mess up the racing line.' He was right. As we get warmed up and pick up speed, piloting the GR86s around all 22 turns begins to take on the rhythm and grace of dancing. There are long straights, decreasing radius sweepers, and a few fast left-right squiggles, which I wish I had time to master. The long, sweeping uphill left-hander is both the high note and the bravest pill: a completely blind 20 percent corner requiring you to keep your foot in it, take a deep breath, and put a lot of trust in the pro. As we lap, I begin to experience the sort of Zen-like focus the founders intended drivers to feel. It's exhilarating—and addictive; the track's flawless surface consistent and grippy. Too soon, though, Yasuoka brings us back into the pits. There are excellent private tracks in the U.S. and beyond, but none come close to this caliber in my opinion. California-based restoration house Singer came to Magarigawa in 2024 to launch its brand in Japan. 'We were able to give potential clients and current customers an experience like none other on one of the most important and brilliant circuits in the world—configured in a way that shows how a car best performs,' says Rob Dickinson, Singer's founder and executive chairman. Currently, 80 percent of the club's 400 members are from Japan, with the other 20 percent coming from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. The eventual maximums are 500 full memberships (which never expire) and 750 associate memberships (which renew every five years). 'We will only admit a handful of new full members each year at irregular intervals,' says Yasuoka. The good news: associate memberships are granted upon approval without limit, and this year's deadline for application is June of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1 Bahrain testing live updates: Follow the latest from final preseason running in Sakhir
Bahrain International Circuit is nestled in Sakhir, in the southern half of the island kingdom. It's desert terrain, which presents a problem for F1 and the other motorsports series — mostly on race weekends, when air and track temperatures rapidly drop come the night, impacting the balance of the car and tires. Sakhir's circuit was the first Middle Eastern track on F1's schedule. Built on a former camel farm, the track designed by German engineer Hermann Tilke is similar to most modern-day tracks with long straights — but Bahrain also features fairly tight corners, usually promoting plenty of heavy braking. While the track map may seem straightforward, there is plenty of room for error because of a critical factor: the sand. Although organizers sweep the grippy track regularly and even spray an adhesive on the surrounding desert to minimize sand moving about, they can't totally eliminate the threat. Key circuit facts include: Circuit length: 5.41 km (3.36 miles) (3.36 miles) Lap record: 1:31.447 (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) (Pedro de la Rosa, 2005) First GP: 2004 There's loads more to read on the Sakhir track with Madeline Coleman 's circuit breakdown, which you can enjoy with the link below. GO FURTHER Bahrain GP track breakdown: F1 speeds into the sands of Sakhir
