Ecclestone in talks with Donington Park

[ArrowsFA1]

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has upped the pressure on Silverstone to come up with a deal to secure the future of British Grand Prix, by revealing he is also in talks with Donington Park about moving the race there.

"We are discussing the possibility of reaching an agreement with Donington to host the British Grand Prix," Ecclestone was quoted as saying.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68425

[Valve Bounce]

Yeah, Mike. I read that - sounds like another Bernie red herring just to stick the needle into the BRDC.

Let's face it: if Bernie was really serious about wanting a British GP, he'd spend his pocket money to upgrade Donnington. This is all hot air.

[ArrowsFA1]

Yeah, Mike. I read that - sounds like another Bernie red herring just to stick the needle into the BRDC.

Let's face it: if Bernie was really serious about wanting a British GP, he'd spend his pocket money to upgrade Donnington. This is all hot air.
I agree, it's all part of the "squeeze Silverstone" annual fun and games Bernie plays. Donington would need massive upgrades to cope with the demands of F1, but it is a great venue.

[ioan]

Yet Brits are all in love with BE and his way of helping the sport! :rolleyes:

[maxu05]

If Polar Bears and Penguins had some cash, Bernie would be trying to get a GP at the South Pole. Unfortunately, they are a bit short this year :)

[Valve Bounce]

Yet Brits are all in love with BE and his way of helping the sport! :rolleyes:

I doubt you'd find anyone here that would elevate greedy Bernie above a piece of human waste biproduct.

[Powered by Cosworth]

I would love F1 to return to Donington Park, however like Arrows said, it would need to be entirely re-done, for a start the pitlane is on a slope and last time I was there, each pit box had a 'step' to the next one.

However, Donington is under new ownership who may put their hands in their pockets if they could secure an F1 deal.

[SGWilko]

Yet Brits are all in love with BE and his way of helping the sport! :rolleyes:

In fact, I hear we 'Brits' are all so in love with him he has a 'clowns pocket' :laugh:

[SGWilko]

I doubt you'd find anyone here that would elevate greedy Bernie above a piece of human waste biproduct.

Diseased rhinicerous pithle, to quote Arsenio Hall. ;)

[Iain]

I would love F1 to return to Donington Park, however like Arrows said, it would need to be entirely re-done, for a start the pitlane is on a slope and last time I was there, each pit box had a 'step' to the next one.

However, Donington is under new ownership who may put their hands in their pockets if they could secure an F1 deal.

And that's the new 2006 pitlane as well....

Forget the pitlane though, it just doesn't have the road network to cope. At least Silverstone has dual carriageway roads all the way from the motorway to the entrance. Donington is bad enough on a BTCC weekend.

Bernie's just scaremongering surely.

[Robinho]

Donington would be great, its a spectacular circuit, but would need widening and much larger run off - i understood that there were plans for a hugely upgraded circuit, involving moving the pits and extending the circuit into the paddock area. what with an Airport next door, the M1 on the door step and links to the M6 via dual carriageway, not to mention the new east midlands parkway railway station being built about a 10-15 min bus ride away its got a great location - i don't think it would be beyonds the realms of possibility to upgrade the last few miles of road to the circuit - but still, i think its all unlikely

[THE_LIBERATOR]

Lets not forget the state of the other "facilities" at Donington, & the grandstands, & the lack of a decent sound system & enough video screens...Oh god I'm going there on Sunday!!

[SteveA]

Also don't forget the power of the NIMBY, they wouldn't let these plans get off the ground.

[Knock-on]

Load of hot air. Much more likely to see a street race. Donny is great but it just wont happen..... unfortunatly.

[JSH]

Much more likely to see a street race.

If they had a street race in London.... Would the drivers need to pay the congestion charge? :p :

[Knock-on]

If they had a street race in London.... Would the drivers need to pay the congestion charge? :p :

It's OK, we've got rid of that Dick Head now.

Boris Johnson is the new Mayor and we are all waiting to see what happens. Personally, I think he has started well and will be a superb Mayor

[Mark]

Donington would be great, its a spectacular circuit, but would need widening and much larger run off - i understood that there were plans for a hugely upgraded circuit, involving moving the pits and extending the circuit into the paddock area. what with an Airport next door, the M1 on the door step and links to the M6 via dual carriageway, not to mention the new east midlands parkway railway station being built about a 10-15 min bus ride away its got a great location - i don't think it would be beyonds the realms of possibility to upgrade the last few miles of road to the circuit - but still, i think its all unlikely

On paper it is a great location with an airport next door and a motorway quite close. But the quite close is the problem, it's not close enough, between the M1 and Donington Park you have a single carriageway road with at grade junctions and all the traffic has to feed out and in via this single lane, it absolutely cannot cope with the traffic volumes.

IMO if they wanted to run the GP at Dongington Park then the A453 would need to be upgraded to dual carriageway. Such things take a minimum of 5 years even if they are rushed through, 15 years is more usual.

[Easy Drifter]

I agree with the penguins being short but the polar bears are tall plus they are in the Artic not the Antartic.

[aryan]

Drove in Donington Park in a Caterham back in 2005. Absolutely gorgeous place. Those were the days... (It's really tough trying to find a good track here Down Under)

I have to agree with the general sentiment here with its inaccessibility and quality of equipment.

[clavius85]

So the BRDC/Silverstone don't have the money? Or are they calling Bernie's bluff to get him to lower the sanctioning fee? Sorry, I haven't been keeping up with this. If it's the latter then I'm glad to see the BRDC standing up to Bernie like Tony George with the USGP at Indy.

[BDunnell]

Utter gamesmanship by Bernie, just like the stupid idea of the London street race, or any new street race. I know he's supposed to be a Machiavellian genius when it comes to these things, but the idea that he really thinks that anybody, including Silverstone, will do anything other than see through this is beyond me.

[Valve Bounce]

I cannot imagine anything more stupid than running a race through London's streets. I love London, always have, and I have the ESSO map of inner London which is no longer printed. But just a quick glance of the map will reveal the difficulties of closing down all those little side streets, put up those massive safety fences in order have a race on roads which would require, among other things, a complete resurfacing. Quite mad - Max and the FIA would never go for that one.

[ShiftingGears]

Go for the Manx TT course!

I'm sure the residents wouldn't mind...

[Robinho]

Go for the Manx TT course!

I'm sure the residents wouldn't mind...

now that would be a spectacle - but unfortunately they'd be picking bits of drivers out of the sea and down from tress for weeks after