The 'new' Silverstone - your likes and dislikes

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Steven Humphrey

As a marshal, the new layout has created some great new/improved posts (Vale, Farm, Village, The Loop) and killed some others (Woodcote, National Pit Straight (was Ped Bridge), Luffield Centre) plus we've lost Abbey, Priory & Bridge. It can be very confusing when both pits are used-we never know which pit lane the cars will go into during & after the races.

The Wing is a fantastic building and really needed to be built to keep the circuit moving forward. There are a few teething problems, which I won't go into here, but I'm sure they will be ironed out soon. The circuit does take on board what we suggest & things are changed for the better. We're getting shelters put on all the posts soon (hopefully in time for the 24hr!) and flag posts have been moved.

It's still work in progress, so let's give it time.

Still don't understand why they chose the name "The Wing".
If I got on a plane with a wing shaped like that, I'd soon get off!!

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Thanks for the correction, Stephen, you're right. Were you one of those considering sailing on Abbey Lake that weekend?

No, I was one of the team pushing/dragging GT3 cars out of 12" deep mud at Luffield centre!!

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by White flag man

Still don't understand why they chose the name "The Wing".

Silverstone asked fans to come up with a name & that won!

[Tim the Grey]

It's supposed to look like a bird's wing in flight.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Steven Humphrey

Silverstone asked fans to come up with a name & that won!

Well that was the problem, never ask the fans!

Anyway, I haven't been in the wing so I don't see why he should have built it!

Actually I like it.

[Aysedasi]

I like it too. But I accept its all a matter of personal taste.

[Adam43]

When the Starship Enterprise was built at Le Mans it was a matter of taste too, but now it is the norm.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

It's supposed to look like a bird's wing in flight.

Looks more like a train crash, although in a nice to look at sort of way!

The new Abbey is an awesome corner and from post 3 I had an amazing view head on down the straight. Unfortunately it's rubbish for flagging from and the line of the fence means you can't see the loop, which is a pity. It was also amusing to see many seasoned marshals - including me - unable to find it on Saturday morning! It was my first time on any of the new bits and I have to say it looked impressive, and it seemed to be condusive to good racing.

Astroturf is an abomination and should be ripped up and burned. If you want green stuff, put down grass. Preferably bumpy grass so they'll want to keep off it.

[isynge]

I'm not 100% convinced by the building of "the Wing" - and in terms of naming it's very Ju-87. Design wise it's almost there in terms of being a challenging shape that serves a purpose inside and out - but it doesn't quite do it for me - having seen it under construction last year I'd hoped for better.

That said I'd defend every attempt to put some architectural imagination into circuit design. Given their scale and the devotion they can instill tracks could be seen as 'cathedrals' of their time and I'd much rather have them used as monumental canvasses for the way design is at a particular time than bland functional structures.

[outnumbered]

Some definite improvements compared to the FIA GT meeting, e.g. the additional pedestrian access, and more grandstands being open. Unlike a previous poster, I'm not even vaguely concerned by a lack of stewards in grandstands....

The biggest negative for me is the new pits/paddock area. I used to like seeing all the cars in parc ferme/scrutineering after the race at the old paddock, but I couldn't work out where the parc ferme was in the new one. Are there any public toilets at the Wing, because I couldn't find any ? I'd have expected a few rows of Portaloos at least, given the number of people over there !

[Aysedasi]

There are public loos, situated at the closer end of the paddock entry - outside, on the left - pretty well opposite where the R18 and R8C were parked all weekend. And for race circuit loos, they were very good!

[littleman]

You've got to be a pretty miserable, petty minded person to complain about the new Silverstone - its got just about everything you can possibly think of! Even the buses are fun! You get to sit with drivers and team personnel all talking shop - very interesting.

I still prefer the original circuit layout from the 60's and 70's because it was just stupidly fast although I accept it probably wouldn't be safe today.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Steven Humphrey

From the current grandstands, you can only see about half of the pit garages (due to the track rising on the straight & the pit lane being level). We have been told that the new stands will be higher so all of the garages will be visible.

At post No.62/littleman ..... I think its pretty miserable and narrowminded to have a situation like that . Is it not supposed to be about the fans too ?

I dont go to a race to sit with the drivers , woo-pee-do & gee wizz , bet they think its great , all them folk bothering them ..... I go to see racin to be quite frank .

Most people fork out for a grandstand seat so they can relax and get a decent view of the racin and pit action , which in this case was not the case . Did you land out for a grand stand pit straight , I guess not , otherwise we would most likely be hearing you sing a differant tune .

I have aleady spoken personally to a mate of mine who was there , he was not impressed at all ..... I would love to hear what other people who had a seat have to say about that ?

[Aysedasi]

I had a seat (Club) I didn't pay for it - didn't need to. It was absolutely brilliant.

I then had another seat (Becketts) - ditto

I sat in other seats too during the weekend.

I went there to enjoy myself and I did exactly that. Great race, great circuit, great company, crap astroturf. (I only put that in for a sense of balance...... )

[littleman]

Badger - I don't understand your point.

The General Public had viewing access to everywhere and anywhere.If you weren't happy with the view from one grandstand seat you just moved to another one.Over 6 hours I watched from every vantage point available and every angle possible - how can you complain about that?

You could watch the cars fly into the pit lane (almost touching them), watch them actually in the pit lane and watch them fly out of the pit lane.All you needed to do was move around and pick your spot.

I went to watch the racing too and have no complaints.From certain grandstands you can see at least 50% of the circuit.

[The Badger]

Fair comment littleman . I wasnt actually there myself , was chatting to my mate on the phone while he was there and he was cribbing .

So , it seems that my post regarding the vision from the grandstands was false , based on false information . Appologies for my view if im wrong .

I stand adjusted .

[Aysedasi]

To be honest Ger, I've been going to Silverstone now for 25 years, and last weekend was the best viewing experience I've ever had.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Fair comment littleman . I wasnt actually there myself , was chatting to my mate on the phone while he was there and he was cribbing .

So , it seems that my post regarding the vision from the grandstands was false , based on false information . Appologies for my view if im wrong .

I stand adjusted .

At the door it said there was a £5 charge for a reserved grandstand seat, which was a little confusing. It turned out that this was for one or two 'elite' grandstands and most were free even the best one on the start straight.

I think that was a rip off and a confused message as at that point it wasnt clear whether it was for one or all stands. Maybe your mate got caught by that. I chose not to pay as I know previously stands were free so I went in and found that most were free as normal.

[Thumper]

It's nearly all been said, so I won't reiterate the many excellent points in this thread, but hopefully add a few new ones.

I'm lucky enough to work in the paddock - I appreciate that - but my initial impressions were very negative - the bus journey (40 minutes on my first trip!) and lack of convenient parking. However, I accept that this is early days, and there are plans for a tunnel (or bridge?) linking The Wing with the outside world and a new car park behind the International Pit Straight grandstand, so I'll reserve judgement.

The AstroTurf was a disaster. It caused several teams serious problems, cost RML a possible P2 podium, and looked a mess even before the race started. Rip it up and add some Paul Ricard-style abrasive run-off in green ... if you must.

The pitlane looks great, but the important bit - the bit the cars drive on - is far too narrow. All that grass and block paving looks very Chelsea, but there's too much of it. What's left is dangerously inadequate, and not helped by the way the Wing overhangs the garages. Visibility is diminished and there were problems locating the fuelling rigs.

The Media centre is, truly, the pits. No windows, inadequate ventilation, and so sound-proofed you could be anywhere. Great for F1 journos, with wall-to-wall TV coverage and banks of monitors, but how many races are televised from every corner? Some here have taken pot-shots at Radio Le Mans and Hindy for missing some of the action - but he couldn't see any of it! It's also impossible for anyone in the building to see the pitlane because of that overhang. That helps nobody - and certainly not race control.

Comments on the upper floors being empty is simply answered - they're not finished and were closed off last weekend.

The electrics throughout the building are a joke. The ACO, who paid through the nose to use The Wing instead of the old pits, had to pay extra to have additional resources installed. Rumour has it they won't be going back, and if Silverstone is on the calendar next year, the teams will probably be using the old paddoock.

The track itself is excellent. Yes, sad to lose Bridge and Priory, but the new Abbey and Farm Curve, followed by the Arena complex, is hugely challenging for the drivers, and offers great spectator opportunities.

Grandstands are well sited too, although all that scaffolding looks totally half-baked. The proposed new grandstand opposite the Wing will help - but why were so many others locked last weekend?

The paddock itself is physically too small to accommodate the kind of grid we had for the ILMC/LMS event. Reminded me too much of all the shortcomings at Spa, but without the extra space below.

Overall, the track itself is much improved, but The Wing is a one-event venue. It’s a bit like Aintree – great for the Grand National, but useless for any other horse race. Populous, the company responsible for the design (and also the 2012 Olympic Stadium), evidently know very little about motor racing and were probably advised by a committee with far too many members. As an F1 paddock, it's probably great, but for any other race it's simply not fit for purpose.

[Samoan Attorney]

Originally Posted by Thumper

It's nearly all been said, so I won't reiterate the many excellent points in this thread, but hopefully add a few new ones.

I'm lucky enough to work in the paddock - I appreciate that - but my initial impressions were very negative - the bus journey (40 minutes on my first trip!) and lack of convenient parking. However, I accept that this is early days, and there are plans for a tunnel (or bridge?) linking The Wing with the outside world and a new car park behind the International Pit Straight grandstand, so I'll reserve judgement.

The AstroTurf was a disaster. It caused several teams serious problems, cost RML a possible P2 podium, and looked a mess even before the race started. Rip it up and add some Paul Ricard-style abrasive run-off in green ... if you must.

The pitlane looks great, but the important bit - the bit the cars drive on - is far too narrow. All that grass and block paving looks very Chelsea, but there's too much of it. What's left is dangerously inadequate, and not helped by the way the Wing overhangs the garages. Visibility is diminished and there were problems locating the fuelling rigs.

The Media centre is, truly, the pits. No windows, inadequate ventilation, and so sound-proofed you could be anywhere. Great for F1 journos, with wall-to-wall TV coverage and banks of monitors, but how many races are televised from every corner? Some here have taken pot-shots at Radio Le Mans and Hindy for missing some of the action - but he couldn't see any of it! It's also impossible for anyone in the building to see the pitlane because of that overhang. That helps nobody - and certainly not race control.

Comments on the upper floors being empty is simply answered - they're not finished and were closed off last weekend.

The electrics throughout the building are a joke. The ACO, who paid through the nose to use The Wing instead of the old pits, had to pay extra to have additional resources installed. Rumour has it they won't be going back, and if Silverstone is on the calendar next year, the teams will probably be using the old paddoock.

The track itself is excellent. Yes, sad to lose Bridge and Priory, but the new Abbey and Farm Curve, followed by the Arena complex, is hugely challenging for the drivers, and offers great spectator opportunities.

Grandstands are well sited too, although all that scaffolding looks totally half-baked. The proposed new grandstand opposite the Wing will help - but why were so many others locked last weekend?

The paddock itself is physically too small to accommodate the kind of grid we had for the ILMC/LMS event. Reminded me too much of all the shortcomings at Spa, but without the extra space below.

Overall, the track itself is much improved, but The Wing is a one-event venue. It’s a bit like Aintree – great for the Grand National, but useless for any other horse race. Populous, the company responsible for the design (and also the 2012 Olympic Stadium), evidently know very little about motor racing and were probably advised by a committee with far too many members. As an F1 paddock, it's probably great, but for any other race it's simply not fit for purpose.

I would completely endorse the above. I have rarely heard a paddock full of those who toil at the races so united in their condemnation of the new paddock, the parking/buses arrangements were just the icing on the cake.

After the final session was completed on Friday, those of us shooting around the track got back to the bus stop to find the drivers on their tea/ciggie break........another 10 or 15 minutes wasted, another long day made even longer.

Leaving around 8.00pm on Sunday I was told that there would a 30 minute gap between buses, a change over, a driver break, I have no idea. Having arrived at the track at around 0715 and facing the M40/M25 evening nightmare this news was not well received. I did scuttle along and get a bus but the general impression amongst the teams and the ACO was very negative, I can easily foresee the second European FIA WEC round going elsewhere in 2012. A pity as the track, bogus grass aside, is great.

The frustration felt by the Paddock workers was increased by the empty acres of tarmac just behind the Wing, perhaps some of the huge numbers of G4S folks guarding the paddock from unknown threats could have been better utilised in organising parking for those putting on the show.

Even the Marshals were being messed around, one of the posters on this forum was forced to travel in his wheelchair by bus from the Old Paddock instead of being given a parking pass for his car. There will be no sport if we do not look after the folks in orange.

The BRDC members that I spoke to were also less than impressed with their treatment, the AGM could be a re-run of the Ali-Frazier Thrilla in Manila

I will be looking forward to using the old facilities for the Britcar 24 and the Blancpain Endurance Series. I am sure that in time a tunnel will be dug and all this will be forgotten but the track did itself no favours last weekend. A pity as there was a proper motor race at a proper race track.