Circuits seen from above
Interpreting images is a serious business. Who has never seen a rabbit in the clouds? Who has never seen a butterfly in an ink stain? Who has never seen a penguin on skis in a racetrack? Not all circuits necessarily represent something, but Henry The Podiumist was undeterred. Sweet madness.
Chinese Grand Prix - An emperor penguin with a long beak on skis
First of all, you should know that its $240 million price tag makes the Shanghai International Circuit the most expensive ever built. At this price, the German architect Hermann Tilke did what he does best: long straights and hairpins. The real problem is that it puts the penguin on skis. But animal lovers can rest assured: an emperor penguin was born in captivity in the Laohutan Ocean Park in 2010. Proof enough that the Chinese know how to look after these endearing birds.
Bahrain Grand Prix – A recumbent fox
Hermann Tilke again. The two long straights on both sides of the stands form the body of the animal, with turn 4 as the top of the ears, the nose at turn 8 and the tip of the tail at turn 13. And since we are in the desert – the organizers were even forced to spray adhesive around the track to keep the sand off it – it might as well be a desert fox.
Spanish Grand Prix - A crab
When you love something, you tend to see it everywhere. And so it is with Spaniards and crabs. Take for example the Circuit de Catalunya: the pit lane is the body, the Repsol turn represents the large pincer, the Bank of Sabadell turn the small one, with Campsa standing for the head.
Monaco Grand Prix - A Sloane’s Viperfish
Sloane’s Viperfish, also called Chauliodus sloani is a very elongated deep sea fish with big eyes and a jaw filled with long curved teeth. Its teeth are so large and sharp that they prevent it from closing its mouth. This explains the turn of the Grand Hotel Hairpin.
Canadian Grand Prix - A penguin diving
Decidedly, penguins keep cropping up in the racetracks. However, Canadians are pragmatic people who chose to represent it in a more natural position, seen here diving to be precise. The Hairpin pits are the tip of the beak and the Senna turn is the tail. Which is really not very nice.
German Grand Prix - A vacuum cleaner
It’s been quite a while since the Nordschleife was last scheduled. A track nicknamed “The Green Hell” about which Jackie Stewart used to say: “If a driver tells you he is not afraid of the Ring, there are two possibilities: either he’s lying or he doesn’t drive fast enough to understand what it is.” In short, a thrill a minute. Which explains the shape of the new route taken by cars since 1984.
Hungarian Grand Prix - A camel with rockets for legs
Unlike the other Ring, the Hungaroring is very dusty, being very little used outside Formula 1. It is therefore not surprising to find a camel, an animal used to deserts, with turn 11 forming the hump. Especially since it has only really rained there once, in 2006. However, as regards the rockets at turns 1 and 16 it is slightly darker, the circuit being rather slow.
Grand Prix of Belgium - A penguin
Some sourpusses might say that we are seeing rather a lot of penguins. Or that penguins do not fly. So first of all we need to distinguish between auks and penguins. While the penguin sacrificed his ability to fly in order to be an excellent swimmer, this is not the case of auks, often confused with penguins. So we have the Spring for beak, Stavelot for the wing and Rivage for the legs. And Spa-Francorchamps has sometimes been dubbed the “toboggan of the Ardennes.” Now, as everyone knows, auks like tobogganing. Unless they are penguins.
Brazilian Grand Prix - A whale
When your name is Interlagos, literally “between the lakes”, you are bound to come under the influence of a watery sign to kick off with. When, in addition, torrential rains bucket down on almost every race, the water connection is inescapable. And when to cap it all, your circuit is the spitting image of a whale, the conclusion is inevitable.
USA Grand Prix - An old rifle
Hermann Tilke yet again. The pit straight forms the butt, turn 5 the trigger, 15 the dog, and the line between 11 and 12 is the barrel. What else but a rifle would you expect from Texas? It is one of the bastions of the NRA, the powerful federation who defend the right to bear arms.
By Charles Alf Lafon
