O/t British Gp No Longer At Silverstone

[Gasman#99]

I have just seen that after 2009 the gp will no longer be at silverstone and the deal has been signed for donington, bernie ecclestone has supposidly confirmed.

[Alfa Fan]

Why not join the discussion in the F1 section!?

[LessThanSte]

Because maybe he wants to talk to stock car fans about it. And i would rather stay here and talk about it myself!

Anyway, HOORAY. Get that god awful spectator track off the schedule and move to one of the countries best. It needs some work, fair enough, but i cant wait.

And il be the first to by general admission weekend camping passes when they go on sale!

Hooray for Donington!

Good Riddance Silverstone, tbh. Just dont go stealing the motoGP!

[Gasman#99]

Why not join the discussion in the F1 section!?
Uuuummm because i dont want too

[jeffmr2]

shame it didnt go the rockingham

[racing59]

On the oval of course!

However, thinking about it with your logical head on.

What are the chances of Donington getting (a) the permission planning permission for the circuit upgrades, (b) backing from the local authority for the infrastructure upgrades - like turning the little lane that leads to the circuit into a proper dual carriageway - if not a Motorway Spur Road?

Without (a) AND (b) it will be impossible to hold the GP at Donington.

The smart money is that while that mess is sorted, and Donington is raped by Herman Tilke (the most hated person on the planet when it comes to racing circuits), they will run the British GP on contract at Silverstone.

Or Mallory Park ;)

[Yung]

How about doing it like a 100 lap race of Pembrey?? :D Spectators get to see the cars 100 times! lol Its sort of like a mini-Hockenhiem if you think like I do. :P

[Tractorboy.]

Why not join the discussion in the F1 section!?

Because he put O/T and if you don't wanna read anything with O/T on it your not forced to open it.

Any way i enjoyed Donington gp a few years ago when i was little, it pissed it down most of the weekend but was a good race. i'll be going. shame it aint at Snetterton its only a few miles from me!!

[LessThanSte]

Well you see;

1) planning permission isnt likely to be an issue. The airport wont care (they would be supportive cuz they are going to have a LOT of business coming their way!), Donington House or whatever its called takes a large chunk of the other side of the circuit and as far as i know have a big stake in the track itself and the surrounding area is mostly fields.

2) theres not a great deal that needs to be done. UK event organisers seem to have no clue how to do proper traffic systems but all they need do is make it a complete one way system from the motorway to the track and the same on another route to get out. That way you wont have people who need to get to the track being held up by those that arnt.

Anyway according to an interview i heard earlier, the guy in charge knows that he simply cannot touch anything between redgate and mcleans, perhaps even coppice. They will be adding an infield loop, presumably on the hill up to coppice and rejoining just before coppice, that will have another craner style corner. The melbourne loop will HAVE to be changed (maybe just shortened) to fit the new paddock unless they get radical!

How about this. How about making Foggy's the last corner with the run down to the melbourne hairpin as the start finish straight. They could then add a small section of track between melbourne and goddards where the current paddock is. But best of all, that would allow a COMPLETELY new paddock area to be built in the current car park that wouldnt be restricted in size like the current paddock is. They could even retain the existing paddock as some kind of support paddock.

That would, in theory, allow the existing layout to be retained for the bikes and things and its pretty good for that, but allow them to take much larger series (i.e. F1).

Exciting times for Donington indeed.

Oh and they were saying something about a part fan-funded scheme to pay for it all. Interesting!

[LessThanSte]

Oh, http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=43261

[fastbob]

And il be the first to by general admission weekend camping passes when they go on sale!

Hooray for Donington!

Good Riddance Silverstone, tbh. Just dont go stealing the motoGP!


Did you go to the MotoGP.... and buy a weekend camping pass this year?

[LessThanSte]

no, managed to miss that one, sadly!

Is there some point to this question, as i suspect?

[fastbob]

no, managed to miss that one, sadly!

Is there some point to this question, as i suspect?

Oh yes of course.......

I went and it was so badly organised...... was not at all happy with camping conditions, access to circuit and camp site. Just wondered if you went and your opinion on it.

They say they're gonna spend money and change everything so that would make it kinda irrelevant!!!

Racing was good though!

[LessThanSte]

Oh!

Well, no i must say i havnt been camping at Donington. I do know that the campsite is quite big and, more importantly, very close to the circuit.

With F1 though a campsite is basically a neccesity (sp?) so hopefully they'll sort that all out!

[racing59]

Well you see;

1) planning permission isnt likely to be an issue. The airport wont care (they would be supportive cuz they are going to have a LOT of business coming their way!), Donington House or whatever its called takes a large chunk of the other side of the circuit and as far as i know have a big stake in the track itself and the surrounding area is mostly fields.



Well sadly, you're misguided here my young apprentice. The airport WILL care because the GP will completely screw up the entry/exit road for their customers, and that includes the vast amount of freight that goes in/out of the place.
The locals in the villages surrounding will whip up a "No GP Protest", and that will lead to a long drawn out process which could take many years to resolve before a turf can be turned.




2) theres not a great deal that needs to be done. UK event organisers seem to have no clue how to do proper traffic systems but all they need do is make it a complete one way system from the motorway to the track and the same on another route to get out. That way you wont have people who need to get to the track being held up by those that arnt.



Have you forgotten the airport and the traffic that goes in/out of there. The increase in traffic to the GP is phenomenal. They run the A43 one way (TO or FROM) Silverstone in an effort to make it work, giving them four lanes north, or south, in or out depending on the time of day.

The road would need to be upgraded to dual carriageway, with motorway standard junctions and/or a new access for the airport, as well as the circuit.




Anyway according to an interview i heard earlier, the guy in charge knows that he simply cannot touch anything between redgate and mcleans, perhaps even coppice. They will be adding an infield loop, presumably on the hill up to coppice and rejoining just before coppice, that will have another craner style corner. The melbourne loop will HAVE to be changed (maybe just shortened) to fit the new paddock unless they get radical!

How about this. How about making Foggy's the last corner with the run down to the melbourne hairpin as the start finish straight. They could then add a small section of track between melbourne and goddards where the current paddock is. But best of all, that would allow a COMPLETELY new paddock area to be built in the current car park that wouldnt be restricted in size like the current paddock is. They could even retain the existing paddock as some kind of support paddock.

That would, in theory, allow the existing layout to be retained for the bikes and things and its pretty good for that, but allow them to take much larger series (i.e. F1).

Exciting times for Donington indeed.

Oh and they were saying something about a part fan-funded scheme to pay for it all. Interesting!

Part Fan Funded? That means they haven't got the money to back up their claims then!

The biggest problem with Donington for anything other than bikes, is the downhill sloping pitlane. That would need to be fixed for F1. The existing paddock/pitlane would need a bulldozer from start to finish.

The easier solution, as you say, is to leave that as is - as horrid as the stepped lane is - and work out where the extension is going to be, though I'd wager that the existing pits gets flattened, and the new bit of circuit goes behind/through the existing paddock/outer paddock, as well as something infield. Any pitlane has to work in with that somehow.

The task of turning Donington into a FIA Class 1 circuit is daunting, with run-off areas requiring a large amount of work, some corners may need re-profiling to meet FIA/GPDA demands.

The task of turning the access to/from the circuit into something up to the level of what is already at Silverstone is also going to be a struggle, when you factor the international airport and it's 24/7 operation into the equation. There's no way they're going to shut down for the GP, just so some race fans can go watch cars go roundy roundy.

The betting man is throwing a flutter on the GP staying at Silverstone beyond 2009 for a few years out of the Donington contract.

On another forum, we offered Olivers Mount as a possible venue. Someone said it was too narrow & twisty. I say "pah! F1 fairies!"

[fastbob]

Has it occurred to anyone that Silverstone no longer has a contract from 2009, If Donnington does not get it's act sorted then they will get there agreement torn up and Bernie is then free to do what he really wants to do and go take money from the super rich oil/steel men who are fighting for a GP in their country.

I generally don't join in on the conspiracy theory threads except to rubbish them, but that seems the only realistic outcome in this case!!

I hope i'm wrong...... it has happened once before!!

[The Pits!]

Any way i enjoyed Donington gp a few years ago when i was little, it pissed it down most of the weekend but was a good race.
A "few years ago"????


more like 15 as it was in 1993 :)


I know, it feels like yesterday - that's what happens as you get older ;)

[The Pits!]

Has it occurred to anyone that Silverstone no longer has a contract from 2009, If Donington does not get it's act sorted then they will get there agreement torn up and Bernie is then free to do what he really wants to do and go take money from the super rich oil/steel men who are fighting for a GP in their country.
OK - here we go..........

BE/FIA have a contract with the Lease-holders of Donington to hold the GP from 2010 - they "claim" to have a 'secret-backer' willing to put (upto)£100M into upgrading the infra/extra-structure of the circuit.

The owner of the Free-hold of Donington is Tom Wheatcroft, it is rumoured that he has sold out to BE :(

If this is true then BE is probably the 'secret-backer' - and when the GP is at Donington, he will then pay himself to run it.

What happens if Donington is not ready by 2010?

GP fans cast your mind back to when Brands Hatch had the contract to run the BGP but couldn't.

What did they (she) do? They (she) sold it to the BRDC.

Where was it held? Silverstone!!!!!

Watch this space. The whole issue is very, very complicated .......

[Reynard]

Ah, don't you love the politics of motorsport...

More u-turns than a governement minister, more twists and turns than a slalom ski race, more skulking in the background than the secret service, more rumours than a low-end tabloid newspaper... :rolleyes:

[LessThanSte]

Donington pit, track plans revealed

Details of the future plans for Donington Park have started to emerge.

The circuit will host the British Grand Prix from 2010 and track officials intend to build a completely new pit and paddock area, as well as modify the current circuit layout.

It is hoped that work can begin at the end of the current racing season with as little disruption to its 2009 calendar as possible.

"Life at Donington can continue during the whole re-fit because the track will stay in tact and the existing pit and paddock complex - which was only built three years ago - will also stay in tact. All the works can go on around the action," track spokesman David Fern told the BBC.

"There shouldn't be a lot of disruption. Certainly next year the plan to run race meetings here from April to September. Preparation works can start at the end of this season so there is plenty of time - once the button is pushed - to get on with the job.

"A totally new complex will be built around the Coppice area, which will have all the pit garages all fitted out to the latest FIA specifications.

"They will be housed there together with a new race control complex, television compound, all the necessary offices and the big media work room."

Track modifications include a new straight between McLeans corner down to the Melbourne hairpin - which will see Formula 1 cars and MotoGP bikes hit speeds of up to 200mph - as well as a new 'sweeping curve' on the approach to the start-finish straight.

However, Fern is satisfied that the circuit's 'essential elements' have been retained, including the famed Redgate and Craner curves.

[racing59]

The 'famed' Redgate which is a righthander now, but was a left hander once.

[LessThanSte]

so something like;

http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Europe/United_Kingdom/doningtonpark35-36_map.gif

[The Pits!]

so something like;http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Europe/United_Kingdom/doningtonpark35-36_map.gif

Err, no - that way you'd have two lots of cars converging :)

more like.........

""Off the Melbourne loop, instead of going around Goddards corner and 180 degrees onto the [current] start-finish straight, you'll go straight on and do a half-mile loop before going back onto the [current] start-finish straight,""

[LessThanSte]

Yeh yeh i know :P

Thats gonna be an interesting straight though for sure. One would hope that it isnt actually a straight and has a nice kink mid way along, a bit like Turkey. That might, just, keep a bit of the character of the old layout.

We shall see!

[The Pits!]

That might, just, keep a bit of the character of the old layout.

They are intending to keep the old circuit exactly as it is, with exception of this extra loop, and a new pit complex.

(And hopefully better internal and external roadways) :)

[LessThanSte]

I mean, i like the shape of the circuit as it is currently. Certainly it seems like there will be no more coppice and, one would assume, no foggy's too. Shame. But if it gets F1 there i dont care!

Whoop Whoop!