Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit Review: A New Southwest Home of Speed and Passion

Track Overview

Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit is located in the Jianzhou New Town area of Chengdu East New District. It is one of the dual key construction projects of Sichuan Province and Chengdu City, and is also the only international secondary standard track in southwest China at this stage. The first phase of the project is 3.26 kilometers long, with a total of 19 bends, including 12 left bends and 7 right bends; the maximum bend radius is 1,000 meters and the minimum is 14 meters; there are 4 uphill sections and 3 downhill sections, the maximum straight section is 589 meters long, the height difference reaches 20 meters, the maximum design speed of the track is 280 kilometers per hour, and the design life of the road surface is 15 years.

Track Design and Terrain

The track design makes full use of the ups and downs of the terrain, forming a continuous corner with a height difference of nearly 20 meters, which maximizes the challenge and fun of the track. This undulating terrain places extremely high demands on the driver's control skills and vehicle performance, especially when driving through downhill bends at high speed, the vehicle needs to have good stability and braking performance to ensure safe and fast passing.

Curve Characteristics

• High-speed curve: Turn 1 is the first high-speed curve on the track. It is a downhill curve after the long straight road with an inward angle of 90°, which is the same as the inner edge of the Polestar logo and is named "Polestar Curve". This curve has extremely high requirements for the vehicle's lateral control and longitudinal control balance. It is one of the key curves that test vehicle performance and driver control skills. In the actual test of Polestar 4, the G value of the cornering is as high as 1.51G, exceeding the official calibration of 1.49G, showing the high difficulty of this corner.
• Combination curve: There are many medium and low-speed combination curves on the track. As evaluated by TGR China Team Phantom Pro, these combination curves require drivers to make continuous steering, braking and acceleration operations in a short period of time, which requires extremely high driving skills and reaction speed of drivers, and also tests the accuracy of the vehicle's suspension system and steering system.

Driver Evaluation

• 2023 CEC China Endurance Championship Driver Evaluation:
• FAW Audi Racing Team: The new track surface lacks grip, and special adjustments and driving methods need to be found to adapt. It is difficult to overtake during the race, and the qualifying results are very important.
• TGR China Team Phantom Pro: The overall performance is good. The track is challenging, the pace is fast, the line selection is diverse, there are many combination bends, and the driver's driving skills in the combination bends are high. The tolerance rate of high-speed bends is low.
• 326 Racing Team: At the beginning, the track felt very slippery and the road grip was poor, but the lap time gradually improved, and the track conditions were constantly improving. The 3.2-kilometer track is a bit small for GT3 racing cars.
• Lynk & Co Performance Car Club Team: The track is slippery, with a red flag every 10 minutes on average. The section before entering the straight is difficult, and it is difficult to handle the rhythm of the last few bends.
• Dongfeng Fengshen Mach Team: The track is narrower than it looks, and the surface conditions are complicated, but it is gradually improving. The braking point needs to be advanced by about 20 meters. The track design is complex, the rhythm is tight, the corners are continuous, and there are many ups and downs.
• Beijing Wings Racing Team: The track is difficult, there are many combination bends at medium and low speeds, and there are many opportunities for exciting battles for small-displacement cars. The track also has ups and downs.
• Hanting Saifei DRT Team: The hardware facilities, environment and design of the track are very perfect. The challenge is great, there are many combination bends, and the bends are confusing. It is necessary to explore new settings and running methods.

Supporting facilities

• Maintenance area: The maintenance area is spacious and can accommodate more cars and maintenance teams, providing convenient conditions for vehicle maintenance and maintenance during the race. The maintenance area is fully equipped with professional maintenance tools and equipment to meet the maintenance needs of various cars.
• Audience area: The audience area has a wide field of view, allowing the audience to clearly see the race on the track. The seats in the spectator area are comfortable and equipped with sunshade facilities and catering services, providing a good viewing experience for the audience.

Summary

As an important track in southwest China, Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit has international secondary standard track facilities and unique terrain design, providing drivers and cars with a very challenging and interesting competition venue. Although in the early competitions, the grip of the track surface and other issues need to be further improved, as the competition continues and the track is further run-in, its potential and advantages will gradually emerge. I believe that in the future, Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit will host more high-level racing competitions, attract more drivers and spectators to participate and watch, and become a shining pearl in the field of racing in China and even the world.