Tome Alfonso, General Manager of RacingLoop and previously Circuit Director of the Losail International Circuit and MotorLand Aragon, spoke about the layout of circuits and how they decide the direction of the tracks.
The General Manager of RacingLoop - a company which consults with circuits on the safe running of events, as well the construction and management of the tracks - is one of the best-informed people in the world about what it takes to construct and maintain and racing circuit, and he explains how it’s decided which direction the race will take place. Alfonso explains that, during the construction of the circuit, it’s very important to take into account “where the sun rises and where it sets”.
“We consider that in the Warm Up, first thing in the morning, if you ride towards the east, where the sun is rising, the braking into Turn 1 where the sun is, will disturb the riders,” he explains, showing just how conscious they have to be of the details when making each decision.
“In principal, we decide if we’ll ride clockwise or anticlockwise with a system as simple of the position of the sun. Depending how the course of the sun is oriented, we always try to make it so that in the morning, when the sun is rising, the riders have the sun on their back when they enter the straight,” explains the RacingLoop Manager.
Alfonso was chatting on the Spanish MotoGP™ Podcast. This week on the Last On The Brakes Podcast you can hear from former F1 ace Mark Webber about his passion for motorcycle racing, and the speed comparisons between F1 and MotoGP™.