Some dullard simulations completed by the Sauber Formula One team have rubbished any suggestions that the new-for-2010 'Arena' layout at the Silverstone circuit would end up being a faster track than Monza in Italy.
The Arena circuit will be used for Formula One for the first time this weekend, with the new complex running between the Abbey Chicane and Brooklands providing a fast series of straights.
Even though the corners that have been added are all slower than those replaced, the extra half-mile of straights will actually serve to increase the average speed of a normal Silverstone lap.
But despite some speculating that Monza may lose its crown as F1's fastest track, the Sauber simulations seem to indicate that Silverstone will still be slower than Monza.
The Sauber study, completed on behalf of the German Auto Motor und Sport publication using their big Swiss supercomputer, puts the new Silverstone F1 lap time around 1:31.0, with an average speed of 233.4kph.
This compares to an average speed at Monza of around 248kph.
The simulation did show that Silverstone would take one record, though. The new right-left sweep at Abbey will be taken at around 280kph, making it the 'fastest chicane' on the F1 calendar. Which is something, at least.
Meanwhile, the increased speeds for 2010 have led to some concerns over tyre degradation, but Bridgestone are confident that their compound choices for this weekend will guard against any potential issues.
"We know Silverstone very well from so many races here in the past, however now we have the challenge of a new layout," Bridgestone's motorsport tyre development boss Hirohide Hamashima said in the company's official Silverstone preview.
"The track was previously one of the most severe for the tyres in terms of layout and circuit roughness on the calendar. The new layout, if anything, makes it more punishing, and certainly too severe to bring our super soft compound.
"The additional straight means that the average speed should be higher than before. Entering the new section, the right hand turn at Abbey should create high lateral forces.
"With Bridgestone's unique position of supplying both Formula 1 and MotoGP we were able to validate a lot of our predictions of this new layout at the recent British MotoGP round so we are quite confident looking to this race.
"We are hopeful of a good spectacle with the soft and hard compound tyres and certainly will learn a lot from the new configuration."
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