The design of Vietnam’s Formula 1 circuit in Hanoi was created using what has been described as the world’s first “overtaking simulation”.
Former Williams technical chief Pat Symonds is working alongside F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn to develop regulations which would encourage closer racing and generate more action from 2021.
While changes to the cars are being made, Symonds also revealed research into circuit design looking to ways of encouraging more overtaking without needing such aids as DRS.
“We’ve produced what I think is the world’s first overtaking simulation,” he said at the Autosport International show which began this week in the UK.
“It’s been extremely complex to do. To run a lap takes several hours and it’s a very, very complex simulation but it has a proper wake model of the cars, it looks at the surface and the tyre characteristics and all these sorts of things.
“We’re now using that to design our new circuits and to look at some modifications.”
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A first true test of this new technology will come at the Hanoi street circuit next year which is characterised by a number of long straights.
“Vietnam, which is the first circuit we’ve really been involved with, I think that we have really been able to understand what it will take to make good racing there,” Symonds continued.
“I think Vietnam is going to be a superb circuit. It’s got some great features and it’s going to have some close racing at it.”