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4 Jul 2008, 13:24 (Ref:2243880) | #51 | ||
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When I heard the news on the car radio my first thought was Interpublic and how much money they lost while Bernie coined in tens of millions.
Car parking and traffic at Donington is a nightmare at a national event, let alone for the F1 circus and I hate to think what changes the FIA will demand to the circuit I'm glad the BRDC called Bernie's bluff and refused to bankrupt the circuit and club just to add to the billions that the spiteful old man has taken from F1. |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:27 (Ref:2243885) | #52 | ||
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Tilke has already been there. This is going ahead and it will work. Another plus is that the Leicestershire County Council stance has swung recently to a pro Donington stance. Download and the Moto GP bring a lot of people into the area (mostly smelly ) and the F1 circus will have a very positive effect on local business so I would expect to see it supported to the hilt. Change is good
Last edited by PaulSands; 4 Jul 2008 at 13:29. |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:32 (Ref:2243889) | #53 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 13:32 (Ref:2243890) | #54 | ||
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As far as i was aware the Moto GP has been moved to Silverstone.
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4 Jul 2008, 13:34 (Ref:2243891) | #55 | ||
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This really is both sad and exciting at the same time.
Sad because of the loss of Silverstone as a GP venue and also because it will mean that the redesign and development of donington has to happen in 2 years dead when it is seen time and time again that anything below 7 years is too short to build even a footlball stadium. But also exciting in that we will then have ( if it is pulled off ) 2 grand prix circuits capable of hosting F1 in the UK. It would also be a very welcome refurbishment of Donington which even though this has already started this year ( the broken spitfire has gone and been replaced is a start) will make it a far more receptable circuit for spectators. If they can make it happen in the short space of time between now and 2010 then you can't knock them for pulling the rights from under BRDC noses and making a go of it. Hats off to them if they managed to provide a better business venture with the state of the circuit now as it has to be said after visiting both circuits you couldn't match donington to silverstone atm silverstone is far better equipped. |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:39 (Ref:2243892) | #56 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 13:41 (Ref:2243893) | #57 | ||
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it must be said that a visit to Silverstone on anything other than race day is a totally underwhelming experience. The track looks very tatty. Go to Brands Hatch on a corporate and Palmer's men have the place looking stunning.
Donington has awful facilities, access and it's very unimpressive for spectators, but Silverstone has had ample time to sort itself out and hasn't. It'll be interesting to see what the govenment do now, as the money that was thrown away for the A43 is difficult to justify now... Bernie hasn't helped the smaller circuits and the BRDC haven't helped themselves, but it is true that the UK doesn't have a truly world-class motorsport facility...it'll be interesting to see how this develops... |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:47 (Ref:2243898) | #58 | |
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Right.
for me the move could be a good one, providing the track is left mainly alone, and the move doesnt bankrupt anyone the demise of Sillystone as a GP venue will not really be missed. You say no infastructure around donington, but it is close to Birmingham, and surely Silverstone is hardly a circuit blessed with a bustling town around it? I will look forward to GP racing at Donington, not as much as if it were going to Brands tho....... Tell you what tho....bet Damon is FUMING! Simon |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:47 (Ref:2243900) | #59 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 13:49 (Ref:2243901) | #60 | |||
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I have been to lots of circuits around Britain, Europe and America and non of them look much on a wet Wednesday. They don't look much at most other race meetings either as no one turns up. |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:51 (Ref:2243904) | #61 | ||
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I run the risk of being wrong (again) but I'd still put a modest punt on this not happening - at least not in the way advertised
(Of course, this may be wishful thinking since I am fearful of what doing any of this would do to one of my favourite circuits.) First the plus points:
Given the glacial speed of an application which would go outside the current circuit boundaries and hence allow noise and traffic issues to be re-opened you could reckon on perhaps one year for the process? Or longer. That assumes there are going to be no (substantial) changes to the roads. So could the work be done between July 2009 and July 2010? Seems a tough call to me. Regards Jim |
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4 Jul 2008, 13:53 (Ref:2243907) | #62 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 14:01 (Ref:2243909) | #63 | ||
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I would be very surprised if it doesn't emerge that the 'Large private investor who is one of the shareholders' turns out to be directly or indirectly Bernie himself.
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4 Jul 2008, 14:07 (Ref:2243914) | #64 | ||
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The other thing is, it's funny how it's been announced today at the start of the British GP weekend. No coincidence there then.
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4 Jul 2008, 14:12 (Ref:2243920) | #65 | ||
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Mal, good theory...
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4 Jul 2008, 14:15 (Ref:2243921) | #66 | |
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I'm from Kent i have to admit......but i have relatives in Tamworth and we often visit Doningtons GP collection when we see them, and my parents grew up in Kingstanding and used to go, so its not a million miles away.
Anyhow in reply to an earlier post, it would be great, i think, if Jonathon Palmers Motorsport Vision did take over all UK circuits, his running of Brands and Snetterton i cant fault! Simon |
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4 Jul 2008, 14:19 (Ref:2243925) | #67 | ||
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I used to drive the Towcester -Brackley run daily throughout much of the 90s and it was hell. The silverstone bypass was required for general traffic congestion and I doubt the requirements of the race circuit really played much part in the decision for funding.
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4 Jul 2008, 14:29 (Ref:2243927) | #68 | |
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Knowing nothing of Donnington or Silverstone, except what everyone claims on here I can't really comment on the condition of either but does seem like this way done in a kinda underhanded way. Especially to announce it at Silverstone and using the wording that good old Bernie used. Sorry but to say
"We wanted a world class venue for Formula One in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of. The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that. A venue that will put British motor sport back on the map. “I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run Formula One. I believe that the government should have supported them which would have cost probably less than .002% of the government’s commitment for the Olympic Games." That just screams 'I hate the BRDC and now I've taken their money and their toy and now I'm leaving.' If he tried this over here in the US, I think it would be REALLY hard to get any funding or gov't cooperation without a guaranteed pay-out for each year of the race regardless of the attendance. That and I REALLY doubt he would get the necessary clearances to run the GP, be it noise during or the construction permits before. |
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4 Jul 2008, 14:29 (Ref:2243928) | #69 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 14:36 (Ref:2243933) | #70 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 14:41 (Ref:2243936) | #71 | |||
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4 Jul 2008, 14:50 (Ref:2243945) | #72 | ||
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I think Bernie has been angling for this for many years and it doesnt surprise me at all, he can now retrieve far more money from teh British GP.
For fasn though it is a nightmare. It took hundreds of fans more than two and a half hours to get out of teh bike GP the other week, and that attracts as big a crowd nw as F1 at Silverstone. The road in and out is only single carriageway and th1 M1 junction near there is really prone to congestion. For the teams its superb, they can ship everything into East Midlands and they will prpbably create an access route for them. Track itself is superb, real test of aero and braking, track of halves etc, but Craners will be superb to watch. But agreeing with other posters, the facilituies are way behind Silverstone and Palmer tracks and teh acces to teh road will take hours unkless they do a Silverstone and dula the access route. Can you imagien how much those services are going to make that weekend!! Jeez! |
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4 Jul 2008, 14:51 (Ref:2243946) | #73 | |
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Let's put emotion to one side for a moment and look at this from an economic perspective. The new owners of Donnington Park are planning to invest GBP100M [that's USD200M] in facility improvements at the circuit. How will they be able to recover this ? The BRDC struggle to run the GP at a minimal loss, Interpublic before them ran it at a significant loss. In most of the newer events on the calendar - Malaysia, Bahrain, Shanghai... the events have been underwritten by the local governments in order to generate national PR and attract trade to their countries. Add to this we're about to encounter a global recession and the whole thing sounds even dafter.
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4 Jul 2008, 14:57 (Ref:2243951) | #74 | |
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Does anyone think that Bernie could finally have his dream of a Grand Prix with NO spectators - just TV coverage ??
Please remember its DoniNgton = 1 N |
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4 Jul 2008, 14:58 (Ref:2243953) | #75 | |||
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