Czech Republic targets GP

Circuit prime mover Toni Charouz is aiming to stage a round of the DTM on the 2.5-mile track as a pre-cursor to a Formula 1 event.

"F1 is the ambition," Charouz told AUTOSPORT. "If we put on a good show with the DTM, then maybe we can have a grand prix, but we've got nothing on paper yet."

A draft layout of the circuit, which will be situated three miles outside Prague city centre, has been drafted by F1 circuit guru Hermann Tilke. The track will include a 1.3-mile permanent section and a corner within a 15,000-seater sports stadium.

Charouz would not reveal how far negotiations have progressed with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but is confident that the track can be a success.

"This track will be very central in a city of 1.5million people," he added. "This type of track is the future of motor racing."

Charouz, who has run teams in sportscars and A1GP, and has promoted various international events at Brno, said that the planning process for the circuit was "90 per cent complete."

He expects work on the track to begin next year with the first races taking place in 2012.

A spokesperson for DTM organiser the ITR was optimistic that the saloon car event will become a reality.

"Hans Werner Aufrecht [ITR boss] loves street races, so of course we would be interested in a project like this, but it is just a proposal at the moment."

SOURCE: Autosport

ED:

A draft layout of the circuit, which will be situated three miles outside Prague city centre, has been drafted by F1 circuit guru Hermann Tilke. The track will include a 1.3-mile permanent section and a corner within a 15,000-seater sports stadium.Autosport

Houston, we have a problem.

I want to know why no one likes Hermann Tilke, sure he's made most all modern circuits but they aren't the ones with the problems. Barcelona - Snore (Also apparently a Hermann track). Monaco - Snore. Hungary (while I DO like the circuit) - Snore.

The circuit in China has created the most overtakings for a single race in a season for many years, and I can back this up given some time to dig through F1T, Turkey has the wicked turn 8 and has produced some good racing, Malaysias circuit I've personally been fond of and produces good races. The failure that I can see is Bahrain and his epicly lame street circuits, but all street circuits are subject to the same lame-duck 90 degree bends except for Canada and Melbourne whose circuits aren't on city streets.

See the post with many graphs, there may be more info earlier in the topic.

The circuit in China has created the most overtakings for a single race in a season for many years, and I can back this up given some time to dig through F1T...KimisApprentice

2009, 2007 and 2006 were all rain-hit races though.

Malaysia doesn't exactly deliver the goods all the time. Bahrain and Valencia have been major fails, Turkey was good for the first race and Lewis Hamilton shows, Singapore has only been spiced up by incidents and the only memorable moments of Abu Dhabi were two passes (one was after Button had come out the stops, the 2nd Alonso on his way in to the pits) and 1 decent battle near the end.

In my opinion, China is the only one that can deliver consistently, and occasionally Turkey. The sooner we have some more Gilles Villeneuve and Sao Paulo-type tracks, the better. Those two deliver EVERY time.

I'm not going to defend the god awful street circuits he builds because he doesn't have the freedom to actually build what he wants to, Shanghai and Turkey are good examples of what can be done when given enough freedom.

Bahrain does produce over-taking but the location doesn't really inspire anyone and the races aren't as exciting. 2004 Schumi destroyed the field, 2005 the race was reasonable with de la Rosa slicing and dicing everywhere in a quick car, 2006 saw Kimi go from 22nd to 3rd, 2007 had pretty much only Heidfeld passing Alonso and the Williams and Toyotas dicing amongst themselves (which people don't tend to care much about when in the midfield) 2008 wasn't special and 2009 again not quite so special (from memory.)

Abu dhabi was the failure of gimmickery over quality and I agree with you on that point Redders. 

The circuits you point out are both circuits with long straights followed by slow, tight chicanes. That's how overtaking works in F1 in this day and age, it's sad. Should also be pointed out that they're both relatively low downforce circuits so cars aren't quite so limited by aero disruption. Unfortunately for Tilke all the circuits he's been asked to pen have been largely medium speed circuits which tend to have two slower sectors requiring real downforce and then some nice high speed sections that really need low downforce to help with overtaking which leads to teams having to find a compromise, they need to be able to be fast in the corners so they increase downforce which is good for quali but they need to be fast down the straights to pass people and defend their position good for the race.

It's hard to say it's Tilkes fault but he hasn't been able to look good with all these gimmicky/street circuits of late.