The future for Silverstone as a F1 venue

[Sodemo]

This whole circuit grades thing amuses me. What grade is Monaco? What grade is Singapore or Baku? Not many 10 acre tarmac run off zones on any of those tracks... Why do the street circuits get a free pass, but the road courses have to be butchered to "fit F1"?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

This whole circuit grades thing amuses me. What grade is Monaco? What grade is Singapore or Baku? Not many 10 acre tarmac run off zones on any of those tracks... Why do the street circuits get a free pass, but the road courses have to be butchered to "fit F1"?

That's a good question and one I've asked my self many a time. A US GP at Laguna Seca or Road America would be amazing but it will never happen because the tracks don't meet F1's 'criteria', so what's so special about F1?

[BSchneiderFan]

A US GP West at Laguna would be fantastic. Imagine an F1 car through the corkscrew.

[S griffin]

Well Charlie Whiting did visit the circuit recently and did mention that it might be able to host a GP, IIRC

[chunterer]

Laguna isn't big enough and is too dangerous in the current format.

That Virgina int'l raceway looks modern and interesting but isnt it in the middle of nowhere?

Whatever happened to Heartland Park or Road Atlanta?

Jerez must be another grade 1 or 2 circuit?

[wolfhound]

The latest list of FIA circuit grading is to be found at http://www.fia.com/circuit-safety

Jerez currently is grade 1 while, Road Atlanta is grade 2, as is Road America. Laguna does not feature.

[BSchneiderFan]

Marc Gené took a Ferrari round Laguna; why is it too dangerous?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Laguna isn't big enough and is too dangerous in the current format.

That Virgina int'l raceway looks modern and interesting but isnt it in the middle of nowhere?

Whatever happened to Heartland Park or Road Atlanta?

Jerez must be another grade 1 or 2 circuit?

Is Laguna Seca too dangerous? IMSA race there. The paddock looks big enough.

[S griffin]

Personally the tracks long enough and the run off is enough too, but it's up to the FIA what they deem fit

[ScotsBrutesFan]

i like Laguna but just can't see F1 racing on it. Being honest I'm not sure it would give that good a race.

[chunder]

Laguna is a great track to watch on telly but not a great track for a GP saying that A1 Ring is there and we all know why it is.

It is a track that is hard to pass at aswell.

The paddock is not very big, there are no garages, and when MotoGP went there they could not take the Moto2 and 3 teams as there was nowhere to put them as AMA raced there that weekend for some pathetic reason.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chunder

Laguna is a great track to watch on telly but not a great track for a GP saying that A1 Ring is there and we all know why it is.

It is a track that is hard to pass at aswell.

The paddock is not very big, there are no garages, and when MotoGP went there they could not take the Moto2 and 3 teams as there was nowhere to put them as AMA raced there that weekend for some pathetic reason.

The paddock is maybe a little smaller, than the old paddock at Silverstone and bigger than the current F1 paddock. In the late '90s CART would show up with a field of 25+ cars. Either way it was just an example. Road America would be great, too but it will never happen.

[Sodemo]

Has there been any news on the future of Silverstone as an F1 venue? At the present moment there is no deal for a race beyond 2018?

[S griffin]

I hope they have found something, we can’t afford to lose the British GP

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I hope they have found something, we can’t afford to lose the British GP

Not now both the French and German GPs are back on the calendar. F1 needs that nucleus of European races and the British GP is very much part of it.

[chillibowl]

i seem to recall last year something along the lines of Liberty taking a bit of a hard stance against Silverstone by refusing to renegotiate their contract early.

or maybe it was that Silverstone didnt want to sign an extension and accept the escalating fees the BE era extension option required?

i cant remember exactly but is there talk (again) of Silverstone being dropped?

[Mike Harte]

Silverstone had a get out clause in their contract with FOM that had to be exercised prior to the commencement of the 2017 weekend in July. They, at best, can only just break even, but most years they lose money.

Silverstone duly exercised the clause last year because they obviously cannot afford the escalator clause, but you are right in saying that, publicly at least, Liberty said that they would not re-negotiate the contract before the get-out clause had been executed.

And since then, it would appear, both sides have been silent. I am sure that now the season is under way that the matter will rise to the surface once more, certainly as we near what could possibly be the final ever British GP. However, I expect sensible heads to come together before then.

[E.B]

At the time I thought that taking the exit clause was just having an option to renegotiate a sweeter deal with Liberty rather than take the Bernie escalator factor lying down. I still see it as that and believe as Mike says that common sense will prevail and Silverstone will remain on the calendar. Liberty are well aware of the importance of a British GP to the future of F1 and the industry that surrounds it.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

And since then, it would appear, both sides have been silent. I am sure that now the season is under way that the matter will rise to the surface once more, certainly as we near what could possibly be the final ever British GP. However, I expect sensible heads to come together before then.

in my little deluded mind, i like to think this is because they're getting together like adults and negotiating a new contract. there's no need to speak to the press to establish starting positions and so on - real businessmen do that in the meeting room.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bella

in my little deluded mind, i like to think this is because they're getting together like adults and negotiating a new contract. there's no need to speak to the press to establish starting positions and so on - real businessmen do that in the meeting room.

I expect so - well, I really hope so.

Hopefully the days of a Mr E navigating his way through negotiations using a loud hailer and the media, and by playing one party against another, have now gone.

Hopefully cool heads will prevail.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Joe Saward

Elsewhere, I am hearing from Silverstone that this year's British GP is going to be a three-day meeting in terms of on-track action, rather than the planned four. This is interesting as it suggests to me that Liberty Media is happy to try to help the race promoter to save money, as three days is considerably cheaper than four. This suggests that there is movement of the two parties to find a solution for post 2019… when the current deal finishes. By extension, that suggests that Silverstone remains the only viable alternative, so none of the other projects is very likely - in the short term at least…

From https://www.motorsportweek.com/joesaward/id/00190 a couple of weeks ago.

[littleman]

It's common knowledge that BE was no fan of the BRDC and vice versa. Perpetual conflict and brinkmanship was standard practice between both parties.

With BE gone, I'm of the view that Silverstone and the British GP are probably more secure now than for decades.

[peebee2]

Hopefully they can find a deal to have a proper London street race, which would be so much better than the prisoner of war feeling one gets at Silverstone. And maybe some better planning organisation too, such as evidenced by the disastrous new pits.

[littleman]

That's a bit harsh. The new pits were only built to keep BE happy!

That despicable little man bled Silverstone dry, to such an extent that they couldn't afford to build a tunnel or a bridge.

BE couldn't care less as he was delighted the dirty, smelly public couldn't access his ultra exclusive paddock.

Scum like us should only be allowed to watch F1 on TV and pay handsomely for the privilege. Silverstone Circuit cares about the paying public, BE just saw them as mugs to exploit anyway he could.

[S griffin]

Exactly, Bernie didn't care that it constantly got big crowds, unlike the new circuits he was so keen on, nor the fact it has so much history and still tests the drivers. That said the new section has increased overtaking opportunities, while keeping the flow of the circuit