What does the future hold for Donington Park

[eigger]

Given todays 'news' about a lack of funding I was pondering the future of the circuit. The last time i was there was for the See Red meeting and the infield was already undergoing serious earthmoving. Has the track already been dug up ? If the F1 idea fails who ends up as the operator of the circuit and what are their likely plans for the future ? Anyone know ?

[terence]

As stated elsewhere,the circuit is still owned by the Wheatcroft family,no doubt they would like to see it returned to it's former condition!

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by terence bower

As stated elsewhere,the circuit is still owned by the Wheatcroft family,no doubt they would like to see it returned to it's former condition!

Yes, but who's going to pay to put it back. Is there even a full track left?

[rogerwills]

No, there is not. It has been dug up in many areas. I will see if I can find the photos of it a few weeks ago. It would take quite a bit of work to put it back to usable condition unfortunately.

[rogerwills]

Here they are:

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/gallery.php?catID=4280

[Al Weyman]

Sheer vandalism of the highest order, it will become a housing estate and factory complex as no doubt decided many many months ago when this fiasco started. Who was it that said you can fool some of the people all the time etc. I have to say when I see them attacking the outer buildings last year the thought entered my head that I was witnessing the end of motor racing at the circuit and nothing has happened to dissuade me since, a crying shame.

[JimW]

Guys; just take a look at those photos. The circuit is barely touched. Three one meter wide trenches?

Nothing that could not be mended in a few weeks.

A new leaseholder and a bit of money and Donington will be back running as a fine track.

Sure, they have messed up the infield but that's not essential to running some racing there in Spring.

The real problem is who will replace DVLL when that folds?

BARC perhaps?

Regards

Jim

[terence]

Bernies Auto Racing Club ?

[bdwoody]

i agree with jimw the track looks like it could be up and running in no time . a bit of tarmac here and there and some barriers the jobs a good un , as long as some greedy git does not see it as a cash cow and charges £100,000,000 to do the repair work .i'm sure the infield works could be turned into some thing in time when the money is there to do it .

[Al Weyman]

I do hope you guys are right. I would be happy if the BARC took it on.

[99hjhm]

What a mess!

I hope it can be put back to some kind of useable state.

[eigger]

If those pics are recent the track doesn't look too bad - just a few isolated areas. Have they attacked the pit buildings yet ?
I guess the key to this depends on who ends up in control of DP ? I'm not clear about the relationships; as i recall it the Wheatcrofts own the circuit and Donington Ventures have a 'licence' to operate it for 100+ years. If the F1 plan fails DVLL still presumably retain their lease/licence to operate ? However I recall that DVLL were also in dispute with Wheatcrofts over unpaid rent/fees so if DVLL run short of money does control revert to the owners ?
My view, for what its worth, is that the best solution would be for the owners to take back control ASAP before any more damage is done and negotiate a new lease with someone who can make repair the damage and still make a viable business out of DP without F1. However having lost MotoGP I don't know how easy this will be - that must have been good earner.

[Peter Mallett]

Step in Dr Jon?

Agreed, to return the track surface to its former self won't be to difficult but I do think the loss of the grass surfaces in the infield will increase the water problem on rainy days. That said with it stripped like that its a good opportunity to install decent land drainage.

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Sheer vandalism of the highest order, it will become a housing estate and factory complex as no doubt decided many many months ago when this fiasco started. Who was it that said you can fool some of the people all the time etc. I have to say when I see them attacking the outer buildings last year the thought entered my head that I was witnessing the end of motor racing at the circuit and nothing has happened to dissuade me since, a crying shame.

Same feller as 'Only blood sweat n' tears', your blood n' sweat my tears; You may well be most un-fortunately right Al me old fruit, could always be that runway extension other airports are hankering after; or the way it looks more like a tank testing ground for young Kevin to play with his toys over.

[Tim Falce]

Well we are going to be left with two scenarios here, one is that there'll be no more racing a Donington and the other is that racing at Donington will be even more prohibitively expensive than it was, either way the people who lose are the racers.

[haggispeed]

So is it this Gillet bloke has dug it all up and then realised he didn't have the backing to do it. If he's done the damage then he's the one who should pay to put it right, you bend it you mend it... If he's involved with this sort of business he can't be short of a few bob ?
Or is that approach too close to common sense and "simples"...

[Alpha Charlie 6]

JimW is a wise old sage who normally tells it how it is and can be trusted to get his facts right before he puts anything in writing.

Jim has been around Donnington ever since it reopened and has been part of the circuit's history in many ways...including a heroic rescue of the crew of an aircraft which crashed just outside the circuit on a Rescue Crew training day. God bless you Jim.. and keep on sending in these useful snippets.

[Al Weyman]

Haggispeed who ever is responsible will not be held to account because we have the Company Limited Liabilty nonscense in this country you should know that, its cost me many thousands over the last few years.

[midgetman]

Article on Pitpass.com says Gillet's company "technically insolvent", with bills to Wheatcrofts unpaid, Bernie due a huge slice annually for non-performance et al. Still, at least Mr Gillett is allegedly earning £0.25m a year so he'll be OK. Glad about that, would hate to see anyone losing out due to the destruction of a brilliant circuit thnaks to one man's misplaced ambition.

I just get so CROSS!

[Al Weyman]

Maybe not misplaced ambition at all, maybe he has actually achieved what he set out to do.

[terence]

Originally Posted by haggispeed

So is it this Gillet bloke has dug it all up and then realised he didn't have the backing to do it. If he's done the damage then he's the one who should pay to put it right, you bend it you mend it... If he's involved with this sort of business he can't be short of a few bob ?
Or is that approach too close to common sense and "simples"...

Apparently that might prove a little difficult with the company allegedly in debt to the tune of £83 million!

[Al Weyman]

As I said sounds like mission accomplished to me, who was it who said a wise man dies owing a million not leaving one?

[VIVA GT]

This whole project appears to have been a totally misguided cock up from start to finish. Frankly I am surprised that so many intelligent and experienced people have been sucked in by these plans from the beginning...
Anyway, it is now finally and officially dead in the water, what happens next?
Firstly I can't see it becoming a housing development. For one thing, Tom Wheatcroft (who made his fortune turning parts of Leicestershire into housing estates) invested serious amounts of his own time and money in getting the circuit up and running again in the first place. Despite his (now) advancing years, I don't think he'd want that to all go to waste. I also think planning permission would prove to be a problem with it being slap bang next to a big (and wanting to be even bigger) airport.
Obviously, the circuit needs quite a significant financial investment to first of all put right the vandalism caused recently by Mr Gillett's recent activities, plus, the circuit's facilities (toilets etc.) also need to be brought up to present standards (although these were the best in the country when the circuiit re-opened over 30 years ago).
Although the Wheatcroft Family could probably afford to finance all of this themselves, I think that's unlikely, and with the 'current economic situation' (I hate that phrase, but it does say what it is), I think it's unlikely that anyone else (individual or group) would want to invest in the circuit alone either.
The only way forward that I can foresee for the future of Donington Park Race Circuit is for some kind of joint development, where maybe an industrial or retail park is also created on the site, to help fund the work required to make the race circuit a viable proposition again.

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm,

Of course with the proximity of an airport capable of landing reasonably sized cargo transport you'd think it an ideal place for a racing team hq and testing location.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Hmm,

Of course with the proximity of an airport capable of landing reasonably sized cargo transport you'd think it an ideal place for a racing team hq and testing location.

So Peter, are you suggesting Donington as a suitable base for the much mooted Prodrive Formula One operation? (Remember wher you heard this first etc.)