IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: ref British GP - Oh ****!

[Craig]

Just spoken to Carrie at Silverstone - she reports that there has been a rather strange development (to say the least!)

An announcement has just been made on the circuits PA that there will be no vehicular access to ANY of the circuits car parks tommorrow (ie GP qualifying/F3000 race) due to the inclement weather. Anyone posessing a pre-booked ticket for Saturday will be able to return it to the booking office after the event for a full refund.

Qualifying is still going ahead, and you will be able to gain access to the circuit to watch it, as long as you don't intend to arrive by car. Quite how the hell they expect people to get there without a car is anyones guess.

This is plain crazy - i've never heard anything so bloody stupid in all my life - what the hell happens if it continues to rain through til raceday ? Do they intend to turn away 70,000 cars ?!

This one is set to run and run...

[Invader]

OOh er....Carrie's concern is probably because she will be underwater 30 minutes before anyone else!

[Gerard]

SILVERSTONE CAR PARKS CLOSED FOR SATURDAY.
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Following a detailed assessment of ground conditions in car parks at Silverstone, venue for this weekend's British Grand Prix, the advice from a variety of sources including Northamptonshire Police, all public car parking at the circuit will be closed on Saturday 22 April to all vehicle traffic with the exception of coaches. Heavy rain during the build up to the event has caused damage and flooding to the car parks. The action taken will enable work to be undertaken on Saturday so theya are ready to cope with vehicles arriving for the main event, the Grand Prix Race, on Sunday 23 April. Silverstone offers its sincere apologies to all the F1 fans with Saturday tickets who will be disappointed. They are asked to retain their Saturday tickets and wait to be contacted by Silverstone over the days following the event when refunds will be arranged. Sunday ticket holders are strongly advised to leave plenty of additional time for their journey and parking.
source:Autosport OnLine.

[This message has been edited by Gerard (edited 21 April 2000).]

[Craig]

I sincerley hope that the Highways Agency are not undertaking any major roadworks in the are tommorrow, as there will likely be a major shortage of tarmac, to fill in the holes, as truck loads of paddies roll into Silverstone asking if the guvnor 'wants any macking done?!'

Crazy, crazy, crazy! And, as we're gonna take Gerards advice into account, means i'm now gonna have to get out of bed at 4am! grrr... it's bad enough being up at that time when i'm getting paid for it!

[Minardi fan]

To be quite honest I'm disgusted by this FARCE which, despite Bernie's predicatable pleas IS HIS FAULT.

LOOK MR YOU DIDNT HAVE TO STAGE THE RACE IN APRIL.

Anyhoo, a huuuuuge thankyou to Vicky's dad who is going to drop us off at the circuit, sacrificing his ticket.

I am indebted.

[jvilleneuve2000]

I have just got back from silvestone (friday), and i am disgusted at the por organisation of the circuit. How can you turn away 50,000 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The organisers should have made the car parks sutible weeks ago not on the saturday of the gp weekend. I am still going tommorow, my kind mum is getting up at 4:00am to take me. I am looking forward to 2002 when the gp will be held at a proper circuit(hopefully donnington).
Other than that FARCE it was a good day out.
Oh there is one more thing, why did silvestone announce on thursday afternoon that you wouldnt be able to by tickets for friday or saturday, but when i got there this morning the ticket offices were open???

[Tony Harman]

Well we've got tickets for tomorrow for the first time ever and then they pull this stunt - well they're probably going to make a huge loss on this event so the MSA will be looking to recoup money from somewhere - and guess where that will be... spectators at other major British events and the club competitors - again.
We will just try to get as close as possible to the circuit, find somewhere to park and walk the rest - average walking speed about 3mph so that could be a couple of hours !!!
See you there - hopefully

[Lee Purnell]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Craig Antill:
And, as we're gonna take Gerards advice into account, means i'm now gonna have to get out of bed at 4am! ![/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Your lucky! My coach leaves Bristol at 2:30 am!!
Still, musn't grumble

[Craig]

Yeah, but you can sleep on a coach! I'm going up with Invader and his 'friend' - either i'll be driving (and therefore i'm not legally permitted to sleep) or he will be (i'll be too bloody terrified to!)

In any case, it's your own fault for choosing to so far out in the bloody sticks...! (remember I said you'd find Silverstone different to Castle Combe...?!)

[Lee Purnell]

Believe me, if you ever meet the kid I am going to the GP with, you would not want to sleep

[Invader]

They don't allow that sort of thing on coaches anyway

[Minardi fan]

Mud mud mud mud mud mud mud.

The state of Silverstone today was AWFUL and downright SHAMEFUL.

Btw, they were NOT doing anything to the car parks. From what we could tell they were simply leaving them and praying they would dry out.... HA HA HA.

Adn yes, there were still, I believe, tickets available - they were certainly selling them at the north entrance to the circuit.

Sort it out Silverstone or else expect to see the race at...

Donington.

NO BRANDS HATCH.

[Carrie]

I don't think they did much to the car parks, from what I saw they seemed to be trying to scrape the mud off with JCBs, but then how much could they really do to alter the state of a muddy field! At least we managed to get there, I felt sorry for people who weren't able to get there on the Saturday, especially those who'd travelled from abroad.
Okay, we've tried a GP in April at Silverstone and it hasn't worked - back to July next year please

[DAVID PATERSON]

Carrie, were they really using Jean Christophe Bouillion to scrape up the mud in the car park? Geez, isn't it sad what happens to some drivers when their F1 days are over.

[Sparky]

[Andy H]

Just a wuick post while I'm passing through a net cafe.....

Having been at all 3 days of the GP I would second most of what has been said.

Silverstone are a disgrace in my view, perhaps instead of moaning about the date being bougt forward to April they could have spent some time trying to sort the problem both in advance and during the weekend.

Thoughts that spring to mind are:

1) did they really not forsee it until Friday when cars began sinking?

2) why did they not try to put on extra buses from N'Hampton or Milton Keynes to help people get there?

3) why leave a useless message on the phone switchboard telling you bugger all of use?
(incidentally N'Hampton police and BR proved most informative)

4) why announce on the radio how much they were doing to improve the car parks on Saturday I saw bugger all evidence of anything been done?

I got in fairly free of trouble by bus from Northampton on Sat and Sun, although it costs £8 each day.

Have to say though all the aggro took most of the enjoyment away from the weekend.

Only bonus was I hear some people got in on Saturday without having the counterfoil of the ticket ripped off and will claim a refund . (Obviously I wasn't amongst them )

[Andy H]

It's a few weeks since the fun of the GP, question for those who went:

Do you think Silverstone cocked up big-time or where they unlucky victims of the weather?