GP of America in NJ Discussion and Speculation

pitpass - Progress in New Jersey

 

Somebody tell the tree-huggers that Baltimore is an Indycar race, not F1.

I wonder about air access, though. If they don't fly into Newark, the driver's drinks bottles may get confiscated in NYC, if they're larger than 12 ounces.

I don't recall seeing any stories: How did that waterfront area fare during Sandy?

I hope they learned from Long Beach. The last F1 race at Long Beach had the manhole covers coming loose from the cars' ground effect aero.
Which is why it was the *last* F1 race at Long Beach.
The pitpass article, above, may have them kvetching about Charlie Whiting's paving quality requirements, but we've seen what happens to cheap paving when it meets F1 tires. (Remember the emergency patching at Montreal?)

 

Just saw the photos of the construction.
What exactly is that building?
It looks to me like a parking garage with retail stores on the ground floor..

 

Smart to build it in a way that can be used as a parking garage with retail stores, in case F1 doesn't work out for some reason.

 

Drivers fly commercial?

 

Several do. Particularly when they come to the US.

Benoit has more than once reported about meeting/talking with them in 1st class flights from Zurich to Montreal/NY etc.

 

Benoit flies First Cabin?


I'd be curious which drivers.

 

It depends. More business class though. He was pissed when we had to fly coach from Istanbul

Last time he reported about a driver in a commercial plane was Vettel

 

I think many people here have also commented about seeing drivers on commercial flights and/or in the airports.


Mark

 

+1

One of my nephews bumbped into Heidfeld at Zurich airport.

And I remember the reports about some drivers (including Ralf) learning new tracks on their mobile PS during the long flight to Asia.

I think particularly a down-to-earth kinda guy like Vettel is smart enough not to bring his own jet to a trans Atlantic race: The fuel costs most be exorbitant and you don't gain that much compared to a nonstop first class flight. Traveling around Europe is another matter though.

 

Its actually probably a good thing it was pushed back a year so that any paving or race prep wasn't completely damaged. To my knowledge nothing substantial was damaged at the ferry/paddock area, but the Hudson did come up over the banks by 5 to 10 feet. I went for a walk on the riverwalk the night before Sandy hit in NJ and at high tide it was already over the banks. We live on the third floor and we were planning on staying, but day of the West New York PD had a mandatory EVAC. We had to go get our car(which we had moved to a garage up on the cliff) pack up and leave. My neighbor actually refused to leave and rode it out. The riverfront buildings were all flooded out, but since ours is off the river it never got into the garages. The Palisades Medical center from what I was told because essentially an island in the middle of the river.

There's always windy days on the riverfront, but to see the Hudson act like the ocean was really quite scary. Here's some pictures from the days following and some others I found online showing the water height.
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Just thought this one was cool. Pano from the supposed pit exit. Gives a good idea of what the complex feels like.
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Nice! Nice view for a race!

 

Note to self: make a hotel reservation for next year

 

I wonder how the "special paving" will hold up after the winters up there. The upkeep is going to be substantial.

 

I don't think that NJ winters are worse than German ones.

 

+1

 

To be fair German contractors may be better than the NJ crew.

 

True, didn't think of Germany, and I quess Italy for that matter.

 

It's not that they're any better, but the buildings are more stable if you don't put squishy human bodies into the concrete mix.

 

Jimmy?
Is that you?


Anyone who has traveled the Autobahn knows that the Germans build better roads than we do.

 

Jokes aside, NJ winters should not be a concern. Contractors 100% yes. Winters no.

Growing up in Syracuse/Rochester the winters in NJ are very mild. I could even see the local municipalities limiting salt and plow use on the "track route" in order to protect the track.

On any given snowy day + or - 2" NY/NJ shuts down. No salt. No trucks. Why waste tax dollars when everyone has a pearl white SUV on summer tires ,but they are confused when they wreck?

 

Source???


Mark

 

A garbage collection company from New Jersey told me so...
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+1.

My wife commutes through there every week day.

F1 pits? Mystifies the hell out of me. This was the building they planned before any F1 race was suggested. I don't see how this functions as a pit area.

So far just lots of smoke up our ...

There is plenty of other construction now going on nearby and some remaining rough condition parking lots directly adjacent so maybe they'll build something else in those areas once this building has been completed. It appears very close to completion now.