An article by Tim Trant.
Last updated October 5, 1995
Each track has been graded by letter (A+ through E) according to how "interesting" it is. The first letter grade is a "stand-alone" rating, while the second also takes into account peculiar/unique features; Monaco, for instance, is the slowest and most twisty track and should definitely be included if you're considering running a series of races, but it isn't a great track to race on repeatedly.
The "Total Corners" (TC) is just the sum of all the corner ratings, and gives a good idea of how many game turns are required for each lap. The "Bump Percentage" is based on the modified collision rule (check only in corners, and a d20 roll <= the corner rating results in a collision), and is the total of the collision chance percentages times the number of turns spent in the each corner. This is a relative measure only, and not meant to indicate the precise collision chance per lap or anything, but it does give a measure of how "tight" (because of multi-turn corners) each track is compared with others with a similar TC rating. For example, Spain and Canada both have TC ratings of 11, but the BP for Spain is just 2 x 10% (two moves in the single "2" corner) + 9 x 5% (nine "1" corners) = 65%, while for Canada it is 4 x 2 x 10% (four "2" corners, each requiring two moves) + 3 x 5% (three single-move "1" corners) = 95%. Whether a track is "fast" or not, though, is usually limited mostly by the length of the straights and the types of the preceeding corners, and such limitations are included in the track descriptions.
"Doubled straights" means counting each space on a straight (whether moving ahead or changing lanes on a diagonal) as costing 2 movement points instead of the normal 1. If this is done, players may chose to either discard a leftover single movement point or use it to move a final space. This change can greatly improve the feel of those tracks, such as Hockenheim, which are overly compressed in order to fit onto the standard size of mounting board. If you try this, bits of Post-it notes work well for changing the trackside numbers, and also emphasize that those track sections are different.
Use of 6th gear is rare (possible only in a multi-lap race). Overall slow, both in terms of gears used and time (turns) required to complete a lap, but also entertaining. This is the baseline track, as it included in the original boxed game.
=> C / B
Very long (due to "folded-back" design of the actual course) and varied, with both good long fast straights and slower sections. No silly cartoon.
=> A+ / A
Short and boring, only one move in 6th, for "completists" only. Might improve if the four main straights listed above are doubled, increasing length to 210 spaces, but my group didn't think this improved the feel much, and preferred playing additional laps instead.
=> E (D doubled) / D (D doubled)
Suffers greatly from compacted straights, which make using 6th gear all but impossible, but doubling the main straights (which increases the total length to 218) makes a big improvement.
=> D (C doubled) / D (C doubled)
Good mix of fast sections followed by slow corners. Difficult pit exit leaves no room to get to outside of next hairpin curve, so cars sometimes loses several of their just-replaced Tire Points.
=> A / A
Very fast, with very long main (pit) straight, and otherwise mostly 5th gear. Getting into 6th for the back straight (and then making it into the following corner) is critical; other gear selection decisions are straightforward.
=> B / B
Included in the English-language version of Formule De. Suffers from the same compression problem as Hockenheim (i.e. not quite as bad as Monza). Using 6th gear is barely possible if one of the (long) multi-turn corners can be exited in 5th (at a considerable cost in Tire Points). Longest straight runs from the "2" to one of the "3" corners, which limits possible speeds. Doubling ALL the straights (total length becomes 253 spaces) completely transforms it into a long & nasty track where risks are plentiful and Transmission points are at a premium. Two "3" corners can be hard on Bodywork.
=> C- (B+ doubled) / C- (B+ doubled)
Similar to Portugal, except with additional straightforward "1" corners instead of the long secondary back straight (advantage Portugal) and with difficult "2" corner at end of main straight (advantage Spain). Use of 6th gear practically guaranteed at least once per lap.
=> B / B
Use of 6th gear for one move theoretically possible but very improbable. Too compressed and straights too short in comparision with excellent ASPIFD version (see below). Short connecting straights mean that the four "2" corners in a row aren't as nasty as they could be.
=> C / C
Multiple 6th gear moves per lap, use of 3rd and lower gear rare. Pits are alongside the longest straight, so stopping cars lose several moves. Very fast, but unforgiving if car comes up just short or goes too deep at that straight-splitting "2" corner.
=> B / A-
. The following ten black & white tracks were part of my Championship Kit, which also included a variety of record sheets and a page of championship & optional rules. I received my copy in the spring of 1994 at a cost of 400 francs (postage included). The tracks included are subject to change as additional full colour mounted ones are released by Ludodelire; for instance, Silverstone was listed on the flyer they sent me, but as the Ludodelire version had just appeared the Phoenix track was substituted. I don't know what the current status of ASPIFD is now that Ludodelire has released its own official Championship Kit. The address for ASPIFD is:
Association Des Pilotes de Formule DeThe tracks are big black & white photocopies, on either 35" x 40" or 51" x 23.5" paper sheets, folded down to 8.5" X 12" (to fit in a mailing envelope). There is no scenery, but all the information needed for the game (including weather ranges) is included. These tracks all have a 12 car starting grid and six pit areas. Many of the sheets have large blank areas, but the tracks are generally larger and more varied in shape than the Ludodelire colour ones.
175, rue du temple
75003 PARISTel: 48 87 19 47 / 47 91 44 61
Medium-short, non-trivial only because of several straights with "between-gears" lengths. Transmission used only to slow for a just-missed corner. The one chance for a 6th gear move is between the two corners at both ends of the pit straight.
=> D / D
Long track but very fast, as a normal lap includes 4 moves in 6th gear and 3rd gear is rarely used. The pit is towards the end of the longest straight. Soft Tires and/or excellent grid position needed to get into the first corner with the leader(s) at the start.
=> B / B
Mostly 4th gear; winning depends on other cars making mistakes or bad rolls as all cars will very likely use the same gear shift points and there is no place on the track to "make up a turn". The field stays close together, causing lots of collision checks, and corner blocking is very significant. Starting grid position and Soft Tires are VERY important to get into the first corner quickly (possible for first four grid places only).
=> D / C (only because the real track is like this too)
Similar to Portugal, but more corners replace the back straight, removing a "catch-up" chance. Fairly long, as 6th gear is likely used only on the main straight. Gear selection straightforward except around the straight-splitting "2" corner. Nice long run from the start to the first corner makes grid position relatively unimportant.
=> B / B
Short total length, but the odd lengths of the shorter straights make it difficult to get into all the corners (particularly for those without Soft Tires) and cause the field to spread out.
=> C / C
Fairly straightforward, but with reasonable variety and varied gear selection. At least 2 moves, and as many as 4, should be done in 6th gear. Two straights (the main one and the start/pit) are of "inconvenient" length.
=> B / B
Looks too short; "doubled straights" around the hairpin may make it more "realistic". When played "stock", VERY hard on Engine, as all those "2" (3rd gear) corners are separated by ~11 space straights which are often just missed in 4th. One move normally done in 6th, and one other dangerous possible 6th gear move at the end of the lap for cars which don't pit. Overall unique brutal feel because of those repeated "2" corners. Soft Tires make these corners much easier, and can allow a car to stay in 4th for both the short straights and the following "2" corners.
=> A / A
Medium-short with reasonable variety, good long main straight ends in two short closely-spaced "1" corners. Two or three moves in 6th per lap, and non-pitting cars should get a further chance for another 6th gear move.
=> C / C
On an ideal lap there are three places where 6th is used (although the pits lie along one of these). All the rest of the course is taken in 5th, except for the "2" corner (in 4th). No section where risking a higher gear can make up a game turn, but long straights and high gears makes missing a corner due to a low roll quite likely.
=> C / B-
Normally two chances per lap for 6th, but pit/start accounts for one of these. 2+ places where higher gear can be risked early to gain a turn. Murderous starting carnage with the revised collision rule, as first corner is a "3" which the entire field piles into at once.
=> A / A
-alternate tracks: "1" "2" "1", 4 x "1" (boot-shaped), "1" "1" "2" "1", and "1" "3" "1"
The Game Cabinet - editor@gamecabinet.com - Ken Tidwell