What better way to inaugurate a new track than by setting the very first timed lap record, and likely one of the fastest it will ever see from a production car. And who better to do it than the man behind the CoASTT track, Narain Karthikeyan. Having had a hand in designing it with Clive Bowen of Apex Circuit Design, UK (the firm behind Dubai Autodrome and the Miami F1 circuit), Narain knows every corner inside out. And what better car than the 911 GT3 RS, hot off its production car lap record at the BIC. Here’s a rundown of the lap from the man himself:
CoASTT track design
“The start/finish straight is a slight slope downhill, so you pick up a lot of speed. The GT3 RS does around 205kph and then it’s hard on the brakes. Turn 1 is one of the few corners where you could attempt to overtake; possibly in third gear or even second, because then, with a longer braking distance, the opportunity is that much greater. Turn 2 is a very open corner and its exit is very important as it leads to a flat-out section of about 650 metres. You pull a lot of G through Turns 3 and 4; it’s very wide. Then you approach an uphill gradient towards Turn 5, but it’s quite fast. Turn 6 is pretty blind, so you have to anticipate the apex. It’s a double-apex corner that gets tighter and then you let the car run wide.
Then, downhill again – a huge gradient change – and into a very fast section. Turns 7 and 8 are a left and a right – 7 is very fast and just needs a small dab on the brake, while 8 is a proper corner you need to brake for. You have to keep it tight or you won’t be able to line up for Turn 9. There’s a lot of understeer here because it’s a negative-camber corner, and then you have an uphill section that again is quite blind, but it’s important to get a good exit because the next corners are so open. 10, 11 and approaching 12; it’s quite challenging. Then Turn 13 is a second-gear, stop-and-go corner; another opportunity to overtake I suppose, and then on to the back straight. It’s about 400 metres, again a slight climb followed by the final corner. Turn 14 is slightly cambered on the inside and very long. There are multiple possible lines and even I haven’t figured out which is the fastest one yet, but you can carry a lot of speed onto the main straight.”
Narain Karthikeyan's CoASTT lap record
One sighting lap and then a hot one, the result is a time of 1m 43.16s; one we think will stand for a while. But there’s a lot more to CoASTT than just supercars and blistering lap times. It will be home to various forms of motorsport further down the line too; it is after all an FIA Grade 3 circuit, but long before then, it will open its doors to automotive OEMs for testing. This includes not only the main circuit but also the smaller 1km-long EV test track housed in the centre. It’s also the new home of the NK Racing Academy, and will incorporate multi-level training programmes. Moreover, it’s located bang on NH544, just 20 minutes from the airport and while not complete yet, it will house FIA-standard garages, scrutineering bays and a medical centre. But all this would not matter if it wasn’t a great circuit to drive.
“We wanted a layout which is really challenging to drive yet pretty safe. On paper it looks quite tight, but when you drive it, it’s quite flowing, which is satisfying. A lot of corners are open and there’s a lot of elevation changes. We wanted really fast, high-loading g-force corners so you can really experience the performance of a supercar.”
