I've been there too and I'd say the GPL track doesn't really do the real track justice. I mean, it's fairly close in terms of shape but altitudes and with of the track are not accurate. The real track is twice as narrow as the GPL track. Eau Rouge, Blanchimont, Les Combes, Stavelot and Burnenville are quite nice, but I'd say the Masta turn has the radiusses of both turns wrong (they are slightly too sharp in GPL, IMHO) and Malmédy is so different I didn't even recognise it untill we already passed it. I'd say it was probably flat-out in the sixties. There's almost NO elevation difference in real life there while in GPL it is like driving Eau Rouge the wrong way.
I think a track should require a combination of guts, ability to show driver skill and ability to show car performance. So a driver who is really good but has an average car is about level with an average driver who has a good car. The track has to be challenging for spectators, drivers ánd manufacturers. It would be degrading for the engineers if a track tried to even out the relative car performances in my opinion. The Nürburgring Nordschleife has it all in my opinion, that's why it's the greatest circuit in the world for me, of the circuits that I know that is.
All modern racetracks (even the new Spa) no longer have gravel traps but have this stupid tarmac instead. That just sucks ass because a driver now knows he can make a mistake and get away with it, taking the factor 'guts' and also a lot of the factor 'driver skill' totally out of the equasion. I mean, a driver should not get injured or anything if he makes a mistake, but a little bit of punishment like a broken wing or retirement is much more fair to the drivers who have more skill and confidence in their skill and áre able to drive the car through the corner successfully. With a gravel trap, a driver who is not as skilled will slow down more since he doesn't want to wreck his car, whilst without one a driver will just go as fast as possible and take the tarmac runoff whenever he messed up the corner. It levels out the competition and is unfair to more skilled drivers in my opinion. Thankfully nobody at CPZ (Circuit Park Zandvoort) have ever been stupid enough to lay down a piece of tarmac in the Tarzancorner or Scheivlak at Zandvoort. I hope it will stay that way
. Bahrain is a laugh.
Tommie.