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Donington

http://www.donington-park.co.uk/
Castle Donington, Derby DE74 2RP

EVO Circuit Guide here

The circuit is full of naturally flowing cambers & crests, the most reknown being The Craner Curves with a series of varying gradients. The Melbourne loop is included when the circuit is run as the longer GP configuration (2.5 miles instead of just 2 miles).

The future of Donington is now uncertain as the company responsible for rebuilding the circuit ready for a future F1 went bust, leaving parts of the circuit demolished. The British GP will instead return to Silverstone.

Hotels: Melbourne View Hotel or The Paddock Hotel

Donington Park (National), Bookatrack, Mar 2004

Despite being rather wet, this was a much better day than the last time here. Bookatrack prove their worth.

You exit the pitlane right into the final approach to Redgate. The turn in point is very late, the bend itself is more than 90°. The apex is usually clearly visible from the rubber on the inside kerb (about a third of the way along the kerb, to about a third from the end). The earlier you apex, the more kerb you'll use on the exit as you'll be straight on the power again. The kerbs on the exit are wide - but the gravel is close behind. The track then drops down the hill into Hollywood which needs only a gradual turn.

Craner Curves is next, and for many this is what Donington is all about - it's fast & challenging (loadsa runoff if you get it wrong though). The first turn must be made before the crest of the hill - if left too late the car will understeer and possibly spin. There is no need to use the full width of the circuit here (in fact it tends to become dirty and slippery through infrequent use and build up of debris from those that got it wrong earlier). Now aim for he kerb on the left (you'll be slightly off camber here) and turn in there aiming for the next apex kerb on the right, then let the car run wide to the long kerb on the left again (continue to turn and you'll probably spin). This is the Old Hairpin - but it's not really that tight - it maybe just feels that way after Craners.

Run out to the right under Starkeys bridge to smooth out the line and then move to the left so that you can just clip the small kerb on the Schwantz curve, that'll leave you in a straight line approach to McLeans Corner.

The apex to McLeans is half way along the kerb to the right, the car can then drift back to the left after the apex and use the next kerb there. In the wet this corner can get slippery - not helped by aviation fuel fallout from planes into East Midlands airport!

Accelerating out of McLeans, the circuit climbs again to the blind Coppice corner, make an initial turn in before the brow and you'll see a first small kerb to the right, then run out to the long kerb on the left (ignoring the next small kerb on the right), power down and follow the circuit around the corner aiming for the next long kerb on the left, which then brings you onto Starkeys Straight.

After this straight the circuit splits, the GP circuit goes straight on, but for the National circuit you take the Esses. Approach to the Esses is downhill and fast, so braking is hard at the end, and with a late turn in. Power comes back in mid-corner and is held through the exit, then we're then back to the pit straight. Phew!

Some more info and pix at http://www.jackals-forge.com/lotus/trackdays2004/trackdays2004_donny1.html