The next section has been redesigned by German engineer Hermann Tilke to lower speeds onto the 1,047 m (1,145 yd) pit straight – which in turn increases overtaking opportunities and safety. The long back straight leads into turn 10 (La Caixa), a second-gear, left-hand hairpin, then turns 11 and 12, a left kink before a long, slow, third-gear right. It is initially quite steep uphill but the exit is then downhill, so it is quite easy to run wide onto the astroturf. Turn 9, Campsa Corner, is a very fast, sixth-gear right-hander which is made incredibly difficult by being completely blind (drivers cannot see the apex on approach). Drivers brake and shift down to gear three, and must not run too wide as turn eight has a large kerb on its apex which could potentially damage cars’ suspensions. Turns 7 and 8 make up a medium-speed, uphill, left-right chicane. Turn 5 (Seat) comes immediately after and is a slow left-hander taken in second gear which drops rapidly downhill towards the left kink of turn 6 which is ignored by F1cars. Another right-hander, turn four is similar to Monza´s last turn – drivers brake and take an early apex (in third gear), carrying great speed out of the exit. Turn 3 (Renault) is a long, flat-out (in most cars) right-hander that has a g-force of about four, and it leads to a short straight before turn 4, the Repsol curve. The corners themselves make up a medium-speed chicane – drivers brake rather late for turn one (Elf) and shift down to gear two, and turn two is almost full throttle as they try to gain as much exit speed as possible. The inside and outside are equally difficult for overtaking drivers who can hold the line around the outside of turn one, can get the inside line for turn two. Turn 1 is the main overtaking point at Catalunya, as it is a braking zone at the end of a long straight.
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