Silverstone redevelopment 2010

[Speedworx]

Nice photos. Theres a bit in Autosport that reports drivers don't like the new Club.

[Tim the Grey]

I'm not surprised. It looked to have no challenge, it's now brake, turn, squirt... Acres of tarmac and a non bumpy kerb in the middle of the tarmac.

[Matt Hunter]

I wonder why they removed the second bridge on the National Straight?
I'm off there for the FIA GT's in a couple of weeks. Will be interesting to see what sort of access we will get. Need to find some new photo points by the looks of it.
Always wanted to try and find my way into the Farm grandstand area, never quite managed it though

[Speedworx]

I heard they removed the 2nd bridge for better spectator viewing.

[Tim the Grey]

Safety, too, I betcha...
The only better view down there will be from Brooklands suites and BRDC grandstand, and they are restricted by the new fencing!

Punter side of the fence is currently much worse. Hopefully some new earth banks will be raised, to improve things, but the odd spots left will be very very busy!

[neil_davidson2]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Safety, too, I betcha...

Yep - if you remember the parapets for the original vehicle bridge ran right out the edge of the circuit leaving no room for error especially in the wet.

[Gerryc]

Originally Posted by Matt Hunter

I wonder why they removed the second bridge on the National Straight?(

From a marshalling perspective, having 2 bridges was a nightmare:
The old bridge went so close to the track that you had a very poor view of the national straight and it came so close to the track that marshals from Priory (immediately after the bridge, at the assembly area entrance) couldn't attend any incidents before the bridge - they had to be handled from Runway Crossing (halfway down the national straight). All of this was OK until the new bridge was built, this resulted in a "dead area" between the 2 bridges that was not properly visible from either post and therefore couldn't be safely marshalled. Removing the old bridge has opened up the national straight for better / safer marshalling.

[Gerryc]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Thanks Brands. Some interesting photos, although there's more beaches than Normandy!
Still think it would be better if they moved the Pedestrian Bridge flag point to the end of the pit lane. Just can't see drivers looking at the flag point where it is now.

Spot on WFM - I was flagging the Ped. Bridge point at the HSCC meeting in March. It was hard enough for drivers to see us at the old position. If they are EVER looking at the new Ped. Bridge point then they are on their way to an accident already! It is way too far away from the natural eyeline - looking towards the Copse turn-in - to be noticed.

I accept that a flag point on the pit wall would be impossible, but perhaps a point on the starting gantry hanging underneath what's left of the bridge? This seems to me to be the only sensible place to have a flag point on the straight that the drivers could reasonably be expected to see.

[pauln]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Safety, too, I betcha...
The only better view down there will be from Brooklands suites and BRDC grandstand, and they are restricted by the new fencing!

I'd think you've now got a much better view from in front of Luffield B/C, the SRC stand and Woodcote A - and the fencing hasn't changed there so far as I can see.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Gerryc

Spot on WFM - I was flagging the Ped. Bridge point at the HSCC meeting in March. It was hard enough for drivers to see us at the old position. If they are EVER looking at the new Ped. Bridge point then they are on their way to an accident already! It is way too far away from the natural eyeline - looking towards the Copse turn-in - to be noticed.

I accept that a flag point on the pit wall would be impossible, but perhaps a point on the starting gantry hanging underneath what's left of the bridge? This seems to me to be the only sensible place to have a flag point on the straight that the drivers could reasonably be expected to see.

Gerry,
a few years ago at, I think, a VSCC meeting, I flagged at a post on the pit wall that, I was was told, was a repeater post for Copse in. Despite having flagged at the old Ped Bridge post since, I have not seen this post used again.
As I agree with everything that you say, I wondered if there is any chance of this post being used again. As it stands, if there was an incident at Copse, the first post they would see is Copse In. Now I know this would be the norm for FIA meetings, but not sure it would be OK the, dare I say, less experienced drivers at club meetings.

[Piglet]

In my view the circuit needs to be reviewed as a whole for marshals posts. There seem to be posts that are now in the wrong places, some areas with too many posts and some areas without enough posts.

It would be ideal if someone sat down with a clean sheet and started afresh with the location of posts

We've got loads of photos from last weekend, I'll try to get them hosted somewhere and post a link.

[TwoSheds]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Gerry,
a few years ago at, I think, a VSCC meeting, I flagged at a post on the pit wall that, I was was told, was a repeater post for Copse in. Despite having flagged at the old Ped Bridge post since, I have not seen this post used again.
As I agree with everything that you say, I wondered if there is any chance of this post being used again. As it stands, if there was an incident at Copse, the first post they would see is Copse In. Now I know this would be the norm for FIA meetings, but not sure it would be OK the, dare I say, less experienced drivers at club meetings.

You are talking about Post 2A. It is still used. I flagged there two years ago for the GP and I know it was used for the F2 meeting last weekend.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by TwoSheds

You are talking about Post 2A. It is still used. I flagged there two years ago for the GP and I know it was used for the F2 meeting last weekend.

Thanks TwoSheds,
Could it not then replace Ped Bridge post, or is it too far down the pit wall?

[TwoSheds]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Thanks TwoSheds,
Could it not then replace Ped Bridge post, or is it too far down the pit wall?

It's right at the far end of the pit wall, so I think that's too far along to replace Ped Bridge. I haven't yet worked the start/finish straight since all the changes (was at Stowe Out for the F2s) so can't really say what I think would be a good solution yet.

[The STIG]

Without trying to turn this into a marshalling thread. does anyone know how much Woodcote Gap has changed in terms of flagging? If I only do one event at Silverstone in a year, it's usual that Woodcote Gap is involved!

[Andrew Busby]

Silverstone always was a depressing soulless place.....these (excellent) pics just serve to confirm that (if it were possible) its got worse. Big shame

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Andrew Busby

Silverstone always was a depressing soulless place.....these (excellent) pics just serve to confirm that (if it were possible) its got worse. Big shame

It looks dreadful at the moment , it's worth watching the Lotus TV to get a bit of an idea (see the National Racing section). There are lots of piles of earth but I think it will look better once everything is finished and grassed over.

I like the look of the new pit straight, with the vast beach of gravel it reminds me of Dunlop at Le Mans and that makes me feel happy

[Happy Snapper]

Originally Posted by Piglet

It looks dreadful at the moment , it's worth watching the Lotus TV to get a bit of an idea (see the National Racing section). There are lots of piles of earth but I think it will look better once everything is finished and grassed over.

I like the look of the new pit straight, with the vast beach of gravel it reminds me of Dunlop at Le Mans and that makes me feel happy

Piglet asked me to post these images via my website

http://www.gtphotosport.com/silverstone2010/

[White flag man]

Thanks HS.
That beach along the Pit Straight really is as big as I feared.
Presumably, for consistency, they will be putting a beach opposite the pit wall on the Club straight.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by TwoSheds

It's right at the far end of the pit wall, so I think that's too far along to replace Ped Bridge.

But probably could (and should) replace Copse In which is a long way from the track and a huge distance from Copse Out. You sometimes need binoculars to see if they're showing a yellow because you can only see it edge on from 300+ yards away.

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Thanks HS.
That beach along the Pit Straight really is as big as I feared.
Presumably, for consistency, they will be putting a beach opposite the pit wall on the Club straight.

I don't think they will as Club is a much slower corner than Woodcote. Plus, if they did, the grandstands would be in the carpark!!

[TwoSheds]

Originally Posted by Woolley

But probably could (and should) replace Copse In which is a long way from the track and a huge distance from Copse Out. You sometimes need binoculars to see if they're showing a yellow because you can only see it edge on from 300+ yards away.

Unfortunately you can't see Copse Out from Post 2A on the pit wall so something is needed on the outside on the approach to Copse.

[Happy Snapper]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Thanks HS.
That beach along the Pit Straight really is as big as I feared.
Presumably, for consistency, they will be putting a beach opposite the pit wall on the Club straight.

I don't think they will the new beach is only to satisfy the bikes nothing to do with F1, there is also a new beach on the very outside of Copse

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by westfieldbend

From what's been said at brands hatch I gather the 'superfencing' as we call it is the new MSA and ACU standard as well as FIA (why we now see it at non FIA places like Mallory)

Silverstone does not look good, all that shiny new fencing will be hard to focus out with a camera as well...

If luffield hasn't been touching that may be the one photography spot left...

Mallory? A few years since I`ve been there, so gulp, does Mallory have debris fencing? Is so where. Is it the new tall stuff?

Mallory was such a scenic circuit

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by Stephen H

Mallory? A few years since I`ve been there, so gulp, does Mallory have debris fencing? Is so where. Is it the new tall stuff?

Mallory was such a scenic circuit

Can't recall seeing any on Sunday-definately none along start/finish straight.