Traffic problems @ British GP threaten 2002 race

[SJ Spode]

Have a look at the article below from today's Autosport.com.

" Exclusive: British GP faces new threat

FIA demands answers over traffic jams


According to an exclusive report in this week's Autosport magazine, the British Grand Prix will be dropped from next year's Formula 1 World Championship unless Silverstone bosses can supply satisfactory answers on the running of this year's event.

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has demanded an official response as to why promised improvements to traffic did not eradicate raceday jams. A letter has been sent from the FIA to Britain's motorsport governing body, the MSA, demanding answers.

Unless race organisers Octagon Motorsport can explain their actions, the event will be absent from the provisional 2002 calendar published in early October.

This could threaten the planned £40million facelift that has been drawn up to change the face of Silverstone for 2003 in a bid to guarantee the race's ong-term future "

[bella]

can't remember what time we left, but it was quite late, and the traffic wasn't bad at all. better than it was when i was at monza 3 years ago.

the trouble starts when everyone decides to leave early.

and as for that %&£& facelieft, i bloody well hope it stops it. the track is fine. now let's have some nice spectator and paddock facilities, and it'll be sorted.

[Stephen Green]

I left Silverstone at 18.10 and got home to Kent around 22.00, not bad considering previous years. What the article fails to mention is the construction of the dual carriageway along the A42 or A43 whichever it is, and that was partially the cause of traffic jams. Unless any track in the world had access to motorways and purpose built on and off ramps, this situation will continue.

It was interesting to look at the original plans for the improvements to Brands Hatch which showed direct access to the M20 as part of the circuit restructuring! Had the small minded minister John Prescott not announced a public enquiry into the improvements planned for Brands, then the GP would have been there from next year.

Once the dual carriageway has been comleted at Silverstone, the traffic will flow much easier, believe me!

Stephen.

[Claire]

Last year I went to the British GP for the first time and getting in and out was a complete nightmare, I had to be removed from the car park by a tractor!! but it didn't stop me from going this year. I arrived at the circuit at 6.30am and the traffic was constantly moving, I left at around 4pm and although the traffic was heavy it wasn't at a standstill for more than a couple of minutes. In my opinion things were a whole lot better and I have already booked to go back next year for the whole weekend. I don't think the FIA has any reason to drop the Grand Prix and if they do I think there will be quite a few upset fans.

[Bononi]

... And I thought it only happens here.

[Stephen Green]

Claire,

A good tip is to arrive on Thursday evening and go home on the Monday morning. That's assuming you can take the time off work. Litchlake Farm is quite good if you can get into the back field. But next year the whole place could be different looking at the dual carriageway works which were going on this year.

I was camped in the offials campsite (west 6) which was just past the main entrance on the left. It made a huge difference that the public campsite opposite that was turned over to car park this year. It meant we got a bit more sleep on the Saturday night than normal!

Stephen

[Claire]

Thanks for the tip Stephen, haven't really decided what to do about accomadation yet. I only live an hour away from Silverstone so I might drive everyday. Me and camping don't go well together something to do with a rather nasty girl guide camp!! Away from this subject how do I find out about becoming a marshall? I love motorsport and follow Powertour round the country but I would like to get more involved.

[Stephen Green]

As you live so close, contact Pam Dearns at Silverstone (BRDC Marshals Club) on 10327 857271 or write to:
BRDC Marshals Club
Silverstone Circuit
Towcester
Northants NN12 8TN

Or, you can go to my Yahoo club and follow the links there;

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/themarshalsclub

If you need any more help please drop me a line at s.c.green@btinternet.com

Stephen.

[Claire]

Thanks, I will check out your website and drop Pam a line. Claire

[bella]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
Litchlake Farm is quite good if you can get into the back field. But next year the whole place could be different looking at the dual carriageway works which were going on this year.

litchlake was absolute class this year. saturday night was continuous fireworks until about midnight. it should be the same next year in terms of available area.

cost wasn't so bad - £20 a night per tent, but the facilities were very useful. little shop, noodle tent (?!), hot drinks (boy, was it cold on saturday night..), little f1 shop type things, nasty bogs (it is a campsite after all. memo to self - go at circuit before leaving..), etc.

for the convenience of only getting up at 4.30am, and being straight at the track, and being able to get absolutely trolleyed in the evenings, it's well worth taking the time off work and getting there around 5 in the evening on thursday. that way you can really enjoy the cars for 3 days, catch whatever practices you want, and you don't have to worry about the traffic cause you've got to pack up your tent anyway, and that'll take until 6....

[Stephen Green]

Hey Bella,

I reckon the Saturday night must have been the coldest July night on records! It was almost cold enough for frost on Sunday morning.

Even in a snuggly sleeping bag with jim-jams I was frozen!

Stephen

[bella]

it was the saturday morning that got me. about 11am, was it, and the air temp was 7 or 8 degrees. i thought i was going to die there and then at stowe.

sunday morning was horrible. we'd slept in the car as a result of soggy tent, and even in a car with the window only slightly open, a cozy footwell, and a snuggly warm cozy sleeping bag and full clothes (2 jumpers, 2 tshirts and jeans) i woke up frozen. it was just silly.

getting up was a major challenge.

frost? bilzzard, more like!

(ps it was still tons of fun and one of the best weekends of my existance.. )

[Claire]

Bella, You are braver than me as much as I love motorsport and the grand prix I think I will stick with the drive from Cambridge to Silverstone rather than soggy tents and cold nights!!

[Stephen Green]

Yep,

I was at Vale and had all my fireproof undies on, overalls, body warmer, three pairs of socks and my wet's and was also frozen. Why do we do it I wonder?

Stephen.

[bella]

not another cambridge person! i live just outside, near royston....

that was just the bad bit. the good bits were so many i can't count. best bits were the fireworks, the company, and just about all the racing.

as i say, it's worth camping just for the smugness of being able to get up, and 10 minutes later you're watching f1. class...

[Stephen Green]

Claire,

I agree with Bella, there is a real party atmosphere if you stay for the whole weekend at the circuit.

[Claire]

Perhaps I should give it a try, I will be by myself but I am sure it will be easy to make some new friends, at least we will all have something in common. This is of course if it all goes ahead

[bella]

fireproof undies : the marshalling equivalent of big pants

we do it cause we're mad. going to a ten tenths mob get together and that becomes plainly obvious....

it's a new village. wasn't as good as monza (they really did party all night. no dead silent campsites there...), but still incredible fun.

[Stephen Green]

Thanks for the description Bella.

They are fireproof long johns and the equivalent of fireproof roll neck sweater as well. Great in the cold weather but absolute madness in the summer. I sat at home last weekend and gave thanks that the weather for the GP wasn't 30 degrees C, I would have melted in all that gear!

[bella]

true. there's nothing worse than not being able to see straigh cause your teeth are chattering so much, though.
thank god it warmed up during sunday...

[Minardi fan]

What on earth are they moaning about?!?! I was VERY impressed with how quickly we managed to leave the circuit. It seems the FIA are trying ANYTHING to take away the British GP, or at least take it away from Silverstone. I'm still suspicious as to why Brands is at the top of the list on all the Octagon tickets...

You MUST camp at Silverstone!!! I'm definitely going again next year!!! (If the idiots at the FIA allow it.) The atmosphere is simply out of this world. WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[bella]

if they do anything ti brands, it'll be pistols at dawn. that's a great track as it is. dangerous for anything faster than f3, but a great track.

[Suzy]

Hi folks

I am fed up with the FIA pitching into Silverstone. What is wrong with it? You should see the traffic trying to get in/out of the Nurburgring!!!! That's far worse. Silverstone is a good circuit (so why change it) and there were mitigating circumstances causing some of the delays (e.g. 2 serious road accidents blocking both sides of the carriageway!). What does Bernie expect when 90,000 people are trying to leave the circuit at the same time?

Claire: I only live half an hour from Silverstone (other direction to you) but I stay in the village with friends. Don't worry about being on your own - the 10-10ths bunch are fine.

MF: what's happened to the pictures from Silverstone that I emailed to you?

Suzy

[Stephen Green]

What we are all forgetting is that one B Ecclestone has a financial interest in the British GP via his investments and is very much part of the revamp of Silverstone. For that reason alone, forget the media hype, there will be a British Grand Prix for at least the next 15 years at Silverstone.

The reason why Brands Hatch appears at the top of Octagons tickets is that they own outright all the Brands Hatch Leisure circuits and it is also the headquarters for Octagon Motorsports. If you look on the Silverstone vehicles you will notice Silverstone appears at the top there! Don't forget, Octagon have only leased Silverstone for the next 15 years or however long it is.

[ozywoodwards]

While I have to admit I haven't been to Silverstone since the '98 GP, I have never had any serious problems since the infamous Mansell years of 91 and 92. In fact, in '98 I arrived friday night with no traffic jams at all, and then left after the slowing down lap at the end of the GP, and packed up the tent and still managed to get out with no trafiic jams whatsoever. My advice, if the traffic is roughly the same as 3 yrs ago is to park in the southern campsites/car parks, as thats what i did in '98.