planetf1.com

A quick ranking poll on how people rank the circuits. Put your favourite circuit at the top, you least favourite circuit at the bottom.

You are rating them as circuits, not ranking the particular races held there this year.



How to use the poll
To add a circuit to the list, click on the circuit name in the left column and it will move to the right hand column below whichever circuit is highlighted in blue (obviously, in the empty list it just gets added in position 1)

To remove a circuit from the list, click on the x by the circuit name. To change the circuit you are adding after, click on the circuit in the right hand list and they will be turned blue. To insert a circuit at the top, click on the right hand column header.

Note, you must have ranked all items in the poll to be able to vote and you cannot rank things 'equal'

Good thread.

Interesting thread -

1	Suzuka
2	Interlagos (Brazil)
3	Monaco
4	Red Bull Ring
5	Hungaroring
6	Montreal (Canada)
7	Monza
8	Baku
9	Spa-Francorchamps
10	Hockenheim
11	Melbourne
12	Silverstone
13	Shanghai
14	Austin (USA)
15	Barcelona Catalunya
16	Singapore
17	Bahrain
18	Mexico City
19	Sochi (Russia)
20	Paul Ricard
21	Abu Dhabi

I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

I often find the Hungaroring gets under rated. It had a period if producing poor races in the late 90s and early 00s but for the last decade or so we've had more good races there than most tracks. It flows really nicely as well with some really good corners.

Agreed, interesting thread. I'm also surprised to see Spa with a gap at top, and I think a comfortable level of nostalgia enters into that rating. I do still rate Spa in the top group, but I wouldn't consider it the clear best as the current voting would imply.

Here are mine, separated into tiers (although since the vote is a linear ranking, the order within the tiers shows how I voted):

Tier 1
Silverstone
Suzuka
Monza
Spa
Austria
Hungary

Tier 2
Austin
Interlagos
Bahrain
Montreal
Hockenheim

Tier 3
Shanghai
Barcelona
Mexico City
Singapore

Tier 4
Paul Ricard
Monaco
Melbourne
Baku

Tier 5
Abu Dhabi
Sochi

If you notice a lot of street circuits towards the bottom, that's not a coincidence...

Talking of sentiment - and I know it's all down to personal opinion - but I never understand the high rating Silverstone gets. Becketts is a real good place to watch an F1 car on the limit but the rest of the circuit gives me nothing above the majority of other circuits.

I'd watch racing at Interlagos ahead of it all day long.

Asphalt_World wrote:Talking of sentiment - and I know it's all down to personal opinion - but I never understand the high rating Silverstone gets. Becketts is a real good place to watch an F1 car on the limit but the rest of the circuit gives me nothing above the majority of other circuits.

I'd watch racing at Interlagos ahead of it all day long.

Believe me, I don't have any British rosy sentiment towards Silverstone. For years I've thought it was a totally overrated circuit. But recently I've come to realize that not only is it a historic part of the sport, it consistently produces good racing through almost any generation of F1 cars.

That doesn't mean I want to hear people natter on about how Maggots/Becketts is the best sequence of corners in the world, though. It's not.

I cannot remember a single boring Bahrain GP since that horrific layout in 2010. Some of them have been absolutely phenomenal (2014, 2018). The others have all been a solid 7/10, but none of them were boring. This is despite never having any rain.

China has produced the most number of classics in this decade: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018. Even 2013 and 2017 were quite good.

These two circuits have the misfortune of being located in undesirable locations. If you copied and pasted the layouts in some European country, they are an instant classic.

KingVoid wrote:I cannot remember a single boring Bahrain GP since that horrific layout in 2010. Some of them have been absolutely phenomenal (2014, 2018). The others have all been a solid 7/10, but none of them were boring. This is despite never having any rain.

China has produced the most number of classics in this decade: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018. Even 2013 and 2017 were quite good.

These two circuits have the misfortune of being located in undesirable locations. If you copied and pasted the layouts in some European country, they are an instant classic.

Bahrain in particularly but both really have awkward niggly layouts that don't flow at all. They are also way to similar. No way would they be classics. Bahrain is an odd one. Dire with refuelling. Exciting without it.

mikeyg123 wrote:Bahrain in particularly but both really have awkward niggly layouts that don't flow at all. They are also way to similar. No way would they be classics. Bahrain is an odd one. Dire with refuelling. Exciting without it.

I rate Bahrain pretty highly, just behind the tracks I consider to be the best. It's hard to ignore the consistently good racing it's produced in recent years. If Spa is downrated for producing duds in the modern era, Bahrain needs to get uprated.

Exediron wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:Bahrain in particularly but both really have awkward niggly layouts that don't flow at all. They are also way to similar. No way would they be classics. Bahrain is an odd one. Dire with refuelling. Exciting without it.

I rate Bahrain pretty highly, just behind the tracks I consider to be the best. It's hard to ignore the consistently good racing it's produced in recent years. If Spa is downrated for producing duds in the modern era, Bahrain needs to get uprated.

I agree. Although I rated it low myself I'm surprised to see so many others do so as well.

Asphalt_World wrote:Talking of sentiment - and I know it's all down to personal opinion - but I never understand the high rating Silverstone gets. Becketts is a real good place to watch an F1 car on the limit but the rest of the circuit gives me nothing above the majority of other circuits.

I'd watch racing at Interlagos ahead of it all day long.

Copse is an awesome corner in modern F1 cars. It would probably be my favourite if they hadn't installed a car park on the outside of it. Everything that 130r used to be.

Tier 1:
Monza
Spa
Silverstone
Interlagos
Hockenheim
Red Bull Ring
Montreal

Tier 2:
Baku
Melbourne
Hungaroring
Suzuka
Mexico

Tier 3:
Barcelona
Paul Ricard
Austin
Sochi
Abu Dhabi

Tier 4:
Bahrain
Shanghai
Singapore
Monaco

Wow, my vote perfectly matched the current consensus!

Here is how I voted in the poll:

1	Silverstone
2	Spa-Francorchamps
3	Suzuka
4	Montreal (Canada)
5	Interlagos (Brazil)
6	Austin (USA)
7	Monza
8	Shanghai
9	Bahrain
10	Red Bull Ring
11	Hockenheim
12	Singapore
13	Hungaroring
14	Baku
15	Mexico City
16	Melbourne
17	Abu Dhabi
18	Barcelona Catalunya
19	Monaco
20	Paul Ricard
21	Sochi (Russia)

Grouped in my Gold Tier, Silver Tier and Bronze Tier circuits. Silverstone is top because I think it has the best balance of history, technical demands, driver skill and exciting races. I think that Hamilton's dominance there of late may have masked how good the racing is there - and to be additionally controversial I think that the layout changes have improved it from a racing point of view. Before the new section was added it tended to produce quite dull races unless it rained.

Shanghai and Bahrain possibly deserve to go into the Gold Tier to be honest, as they are both 15 years old now so are now modern classics - I think once they hit 20 years in the sport I'll promote them. As many have said, the racing at both is usually excellent.

The Bronze category consists of races I am usually excited for, but don't usually feature that much action - well Baku is an exception on that front, but its action tends to be safety car and accident dependent rather than wheel to wheel.

The wooden spoon circuits is topped by Abu Dhabi - all are dull (Monaco the worst but saved from the bottom because it's Monaco) - however I do like sector 3 of Abu Dhabi from a technical point of view. It's full of off camber corners that the drivers hate, but that makes it far more challenging, and requires excellent driver skill to maximise the lap time there. But other than that, it's a shocking for wheel to wheel racing - but then neither are any of the other bottom 5.

Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

Abu Dhabi, Paul Ricard and Sochi are sh*t.

I say that despite living in Abu Dhabi, and thinking Yas Marina is the grippiest circuit I've ever driven - by a margin. It is more interesting to drive than watch, but... what track isn't.

Glad to see Montreal is popular.

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

mikeyg123 wrote:I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

In Formula One, agreed. But you have not been watching the right races, because the Six Hours of Spa in May was a fantastic race, and the 24 Hours of Spa went down as a classic.

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote: I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

Oh, in that case I'll put Lewis Hamilton at the top to avoid any arguments or upset.

mikeyg123 wrote:Interesting thread -


I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

I often find the Hungaroring gets under rated. It had a period if producing poor races in the late 90s and early 00s but for the last decade or so we've had more good races there than most tracks. It flows really nicely as well with some really good corners.

Haven't nearly all of them been turned into car parks now though? I mean, look at the horror of the Parabolica now for example! I voted it top because of the magnificent corners it has, and the potential there should be for having great races there. Also, since there wasn't any defined criteria for ranking them, the fact that it's my favourite track to drive on a racing sim probably helped it get number one spot on my list.

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

minchy wrote:Looks like mikeyg123 is personally keeping Monaco out of the bottom 3

I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I agree, Monaco qualifying is usually more exhilarating than a bunch of Grand Prix races in a given season.

I would contend that this is in large part because the race is such a waste of time. Qualifying has an extra edge to it when you know it's almost as if they were handing out the points on Saturday.

Schumacher forever#1 wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:Interesting thread -


I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

I often find the Hungaroring gets under rated. It had a period if producing poor races in the late 90s and early 00s but for the last decade or so we've had more good races there than most tracks. It flows really nicely as well with some really good corners.

Haven't nearly all of them been turned into car parks now though? I mean, look at the horror of the Parabolica now for example! I voted it top because of the magnificent corners it has, and the potential there should be for having great races there. Also, since there wasn't any defined criteria for ranking them, the fact that it's my favourite track to drive on a racing sim probably helped it get number one spot on my list.

Unfortunately you are largely correct. It just hurts a lot more when it's done to a great corner.

Your choice is your own. If you like Spa best then fair enough. I was just surprised. I expected Interlagos to win tbh.

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote: It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

I would have thought on the spectacle they provide come raceday?

Normally a race around Monaco is boring because there's no over taking.

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote: I'm desperately holding off all the philistines

It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

Oh, in that case I'll put Lewis Hamilton at the top to avoid any arguments or upset.

Discussing something is someone being upset, how ridiculous and how trivial a subject matter anyhow for anyone to get upset over.

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote: It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

Oh, in that case I'll put Lewis Hamilton at the top to avoid any arguments or upset.

Discussing something is someone being upset, how ridiculous and how trivial a subject matter anyhow for anyone to get upset over.

Well, I decided that I would choose a way of ranking circuits as my initial way was perhaps not suitable!

Everyone is free to rank the tracks as they see fit. Let's just leave it at that.

mikeyg123 wrote:

Schumacher forever#1 wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:Interesting thread -


I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

I often find the Hungaroring gets under rated. It had a period if producing poor races in the late 90s and early 00s but for the last decade or so we've had more good races there than most tracks. It flows really nicely as well with some really good corners.

Haven't nearly all of them been turned into car parks now though? I mean, look at the horror of the Parabolica now for example! I voted it top because of the magnificent corners it has, and the potential there should be for having great races there. Also, since there wasn't any defined criteria for ranking them, the fact that it's my favourite track to drive on a racing sim probably helped it get number one spot on my list.

Unfortunately you are largely correct. It just hurts a lot more when it's done to a great corner.

Your choice is your own. If you like Spa best then fair enough. I was just surprised. I expected Interlagos to win tbh.

Yeah, Interlagos is great. I think I voted it second or third. Though I am surprised at how the track constantly produces great races considering how difficult overtaking should be there.

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote:

pokerman wrote: It is noticeable how it's sliding lower and lower as the votes come in.

I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

I would have thought on the spectacle they provide come raceday?

Normally a race around Monaco is boring because there's no over taking.

I kind of went by how much I look forward to each race weekend. I look forward to Monaco a lot so I voted it highly. Overtaking of itself doesn't much excite me.

mikeyg123 wrote:I'm surprised Spa is comfortably top. It used to be a great track but sadly it's been turned into a car park. It doesn't even produce great races regularly anymore.

I often find the Hungaroring gets under rated. It had a period if producing poor races in the late 90s and early 00s but for the last decade or so we've had more good races there than most tracks. It flows really nicely as well with some really good corners.

Tracks don't produce great races, the car formulae do. The worst enemy of classic tracks, in F1, is downforce. Coupling that with ever sillier adaptations for "safety", makes everybody go at near-100% all of the time. With the levels of passive safety now reached in car design, reducing downforce and taking away car parks outside fast corners (replacing them with punishing, potentially race ending sand traps that can beach cars) would change the face of F1 back to favouring classic tracks more. It would even allow a return to enforcing track limits, if they were very careful to explain the sport to fans raised on running people off the track instead of just racing them.

Francorchamps, Suzuka, Monza and Silverstone are among the tracks I enjoy most, though I'm probably in a minority in saying I like Le Castellet, Baku and even Abu Dhabi. Thinking about it, they make the downforce point for me. I look forward to the return of Zandvoort, though probably more to see what that shortened, banked track can do in the way of allowing racing. What I fear somewhat is that for some non-F1 race categories, the "new" Zandvoort may well have ruined the track for them, due to the urge to get Max a home race. Or rather a second home race.

End of rant!

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

Asphalt_World wrote: I'd put Monaco very close to the top, or perhaps even top, when it comes to circuits to watch F1 qualifying.

I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

I would have thought on the spectacle they provide come raceday?

Normally a race around Monaco is boring because there's no over taking.

I kind of went by how much I look forward to each race weekend. I look forward to Monaco a lot so I voted it highly. Overtaking of itself doesn't much excite me.

Well has been said each to his own.

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote: I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

I would have thought on the spectacle they provide come raceday?

Normally a race around Monaco is boring because there's no over taking.

I kind of went by how much I look forward to each race weekend. I look forward to Monaco a lot so I voted it highly. Overtaking of itself doesn't much excite me.

Out of interest, what do you look for in a circuit for F1 racing?

Asphalt_World wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote:

pokerman wrote: I'm not sure that's how the circuits get ranked?

How do the circuits get ranked? I didn't realise there was an official criteria?

I would have thought on the spectacle they provide come raceday?

Normally a race around Monaco is boring because there's no over taking.

I kind of went by how much I look forward to each race weekend. I look forward to Monaco a lot so I voted it highly. Overtaking of itself doesn't much excite me.

Out of interest, what do you look for in a circuit for F1 racing?

Challenging for drivers, good mix of corners, punishes mistakes, showcases what the cars can do, produces exciting races. Something that gives it a unique feel is a plus as well.

Here is how I voted in the poll:

1	Silverstone
2	Spa-Francorchamps
3	Suzuka
4	Austin (USA)
5	Interlagos (Brazil)
6	Shanghai
7	Bahrain
8	Montreal (Canada)
9	Singapore
10	Baku
11	Hockenheim
12	Monza
13	Hungaroring
14	Red Bull Ring
15	Barcelona Catalunya
16	Melbourne
17	Monaco
18	Mexico City
19	Paul Ricard
20	Abu Dhabi
21	Sochi (Russia)

Silverstone is my favourite. I don't deny that bias plays a role here, but it is a genuinely great race track.

Austin has become a classic. Along with Shanghai and Bahrain it regularly produces great racing.

Montreal is slipping down my list each year. It was only ever good because it punishes the smallest of mistakes, but since Pirelli came in and the drivers stopped pushing during races we just don't see memorable races there any more. Spa and Suzuka get away with uneventful races because they are excellent race tracks with some awesome corners; Montreal is just straights and chicanes so if it's not giving a little bit of chaos then there's not really anything going for it.

I don't like Monza, I find the layout so uninspired. Not to mention the classless fans booing anyone who's not driving a Ferrari.

I've had enough of Monaco, it has no place on the modern F1 calendar in my opinion. Make it an exhibition event or a non-championship time trial or something if it must stay. But calling it a Grand Prix makes a mockery of racing.

Sochi is the worst circuit F1 has ever been to.

Amazed Baku is so low, super fast low down force Street circuit with great scenery.

Bahrain is my favourite race of the year, i love the track, it produces great races and looks spectacular at night. Just a shame about location

Barcelona is a great circuit just produces boring races. Can't think of many better sites then an F1 car doing turn 3

Still baffles me how with a blank sheet of paper and limitless cash they managed to produce Sochi and Abu Dhabi. Monaco just waste of time in modern cars