Floating tracks – the future of Formula 1?

      Given the complex political situation and the recent cancellation of two April stages, the old idea that the track could move from place to place is being discussed again by the management. Building new racetracks is an extremely expensive and troublesome endeavor, and not everywhere is there an opportunity to construct a permanent track, partly due to the high cost of land, so compromises are inevitable. This includes any street circuit – from the classic Monaco to the modern Jeddah.

      Why not go further? – pondered a group of British engineers, who are clearly restless about the laurels of Hermann Tilke, the chief architect of Formula 1. If land is expensive, then water is immeasurably cheaper, as successfully demonstrated by the Red Bull Racing team, which places its multi-story motorhome Energy Station, famous for its gigantic size, on pontoons moored in the harbor of Monte Carlo among the luxurious yachts of local and visiting millionaires during the Monaco Grand Prix.

      What if a whole track could be placed on pontoons? Yes, such a project would also require serious investments, but these costs would mainly be one-time: it is enough to build pontoons of the necessary size and load capacity once, after which they can be assembled in different parts of the planet.

      Just think of the possibilities! For example, considering the interest in the American market, one could think about holding the Hawaiian Islands Grand Prix: just tow all this pontoon equipment there, moor it at any point convenient for spectators, a significant portion of whom can be accommodated on the shore, securely anchor it – and the venue is ready.

      Certainly, when designing, everything must be carefully calculated and the configuration of the possible track thought through, but at the current level of engineering development, this does not seem to be an insurmountable problem. Among the possible drawbacks is the lack of elevation changes, but from the history of motorsport, we know that races were often held on airfield grounds, and this did not affect the level of interest or spectacle.

      A floating track could be towed to the most popular tourist destinations on the planet – to the Canary Islands, to Bali, to the Maldives, and other exotic locations, which would contribute to the development of the hotel business and service infrastructure. Thus, the expansion of the geography of Formula 1 is achieved without mind-boggling costs.

      The only factor that is always difficult to deal with is the weather. But if everything is well thought out and the race calendar is tied to the most favorable season, taking into account the wind rose and other meteorological nuances, its impact can be minimized as much as possible.

      In developing the engineering part of this bold project, it is proposed to use global experience in the construction of drilling platforms. The opinions of drivers and teams regarding the construction of a track on pontoons are still unknown.