British GP to be held at Donington - Page 59

davyboy · 23 Oct 2009, 12:59 (Ref:2567915)

Its just sad, very sad. Any sane person could see that this was a ridiculous farce from the very beginning - yet it went ahead and as a result a perfectly functional great national circuit has been lost. Bernie ought to ashamed of himself and Gillet can go take his circus act some place.

Marbot · 23 Oct 2009, 13:20 (Ref:2567953)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davyboy

and Gillet can go take his circus act some place.

My local Kart track could do with a make-over.........on second thoughts it's best left as it is thanks.

old man · 23 Oct 2009, 15:34 (Ref:2568060)

As I asked in #1433, what is the actual condition of the track as opposed to the infield? This will be the key to anyone wanting to take it on

Ubique · 23 Oct 2009, 15:58 (Ref:2568074)

Quote:

Originally Posted by old man

As I asked in #1433, what is the actual condition of the track as opposed to the infield? This will be the key to anyone wanting to take it on

It shouldn't really be that much of a problem running meetings as the Track and current Pits / Paddock areas are all pretty much untouched, lets hope that if Gillett does lose the lease that some one like MSV take over the circuit after all they will need a good international circuit if the plans by the Brands Hatch local councillors to limit the circuit on its number of race meetings a year come to fruition.

**Peter Mallett** · 23 Oct 2009, 16:06 (Ref:2568080)

True, but the track has got some fairly large holes both in and under it!

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Oct 2009, 16:39 (Ref:2568098)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

i think we need to remember, while gillet rents the track, he doesnt own it...so cant sell it. anything done with/on the track has to have permission from tom wheatcroft....so theres no way houses will be built on it.

I bet Tom Wheatcroft wasn't banking on this fiasco and his track being dug up, when he gave Gillet permission, or did he just turn a blind eye and let Gillet get on with it?

ascarracinguk · 23 Oct 2009, 16:44 (Ref:2568100)

il give you that..it is a complete balls up.....id be very suprised if tehre isnt a line somewhere in the contract that says you must leave the track in 1 piece!!!...just like a normal tennancy agreement....having said that like a normal tenancy agreement, the scroat cud begger off and get lost on an island somewhere

Dave 455 · 23 Oct 2009, 17:04 (Ref:2568114)

Bernie in talks with silverstone to hold the 2010 British Grand Prix, but they are not happy with the deal being offered to them :-

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79704

foreversideways · 23 Oct 2009, 17:23 (Ref:2568128)

I think Silverstone should stand firm against Ecclestone.

Marbot · 23 Oct 2009, 17:39 (Ref:2568139)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

I think Silverstone should stand firm against Ecclestone.

That'll be another weekend I'll have freed up next year then.

Greem · 23 Oct 2009, 18:13 (Ref:2568178)

Quote:

Originally Posted by old man

As I asked in #1433, what is the actual condition of the track as opposed to the infield? This will be the key to anyone wanting to take it on

I posted this on the Autosport forums earlier:

According to photos from the Sutton website, it looks like:

The exit of McLeans has had the surface stripped
All the grass has been removed down both sides of the straight from Coppice to Goddards
The fencing and armco have gone from the Exhibition Centre side of that straight
Two or three marshals posts have been removed along there too
Goddards/Foggy's is covered in piles of something and may well have been trenched across in at least one place

The entire infield area from McLeans/Coppice down to just above the Starkey's Suites has been stripped of topsoil, levelled in places and seriously dug up in others (essentially in preparation for the new buildings, and the new infield "loop". I don't know if the track's been cut open on the start/finish straight to accommodate the new track section.

As a track - a ribbon of tarmac - it could be reinstated quite quickly IMO, it's just some fairly basic civil engineering. It's the support stuff around it that's the problem. I've no idea, for example, if trashing the trackside along by the Exhibition centre will have removed all the circuit camera and marshal telephone cables. There's no barrier or fencing there either so far as I could see.

Even if the track could be restored to race on, the infield work will need massive changes to get it back to a surface people would want to walk on (let alone sit). Which reminds me - that puts the kybosh on Download and any other large music events, too.

Time to wheel out the coffin, I think...

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Oct 2009, 18:31 (Ref:2568192)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

I posted this on the Autosport forums earlier:

According to photos from the Sutton website, it looks like:

The exit of McLeans has had the surface stripped
All the grass has been removed down both sides of the straight from Coppice to Goddards
The fencing and armco have gone from the Exhibition Centre side of that straight
Two or three marshals posts have been removed along there too
Goddards/Foggy's is covered in piles of something and may well have been trenched across in at least one place

The entire infield area from McLeans/Coppice down to just above the Starkey's Suites has been stripped of topsoil, levelled in places and seriously dug up in others (essentially in preparation for the new buildings, and the new infield "loop". I don't know if the track's been cut open on the start/finish straight to accommodate the new track section.

As a track - a ribbon of tarmac - it could be reinstated quite quickly IMO, it's just some fairly basic civil engineering. It's the support stuff around it that's the problem. I've no idea, for example, if trashing the trackside along by the Exhibition centre will have removed all the circuit camera and marshal telephone cables. There's no barrier or fencing there either so far as I could see.

Even if the track could be restored to race on, the infield work will need massive changes to get it back to a surface people would want to walk on (let alone sit). Which reminds me - that puts the kybosh on Download and any other large music events, too.

Time to wheel out the coffin, I think...

As long as Slayer aren't playing at Download next year I'm not bothered. As for the racing that's another matter.

Steven Humphrey · 23 Oct 2009, 19:48 (Ref:2568240)

[QUOTE=Greem;2568178] Which reminds me - that puts the kybosh on Download and any other large music events, too.
QUOTE]

I'm pretty certain this years Download was staged on the surrounding car park/market areas.

There weasn't much in the way of infield access all season, for race meetings, so I should think it wouldn't take too long to get the circuit up to the standards we saw this year.

Frailloop · 23 Oct 2009, 21:58 (Ref:2568319)

This years Download was totally outside the track and seemed to be well recieved by the paying guests. The track works would have no effect on that.

Infield ready for new track - carved out from Godards over Starkeys and back to startline. Huge flat area now from Coppice to esses - ready for new pits.

The track has a number of holes and trenches where access is required for cables etc. Currently they have a temp filling.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Oct 2009, 22:04 (Ref:2568326)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frailloop

This years Download was totally outside the track and seemed to be well recieved by the paying guests. The track works would have no effect on that.

Infield ready for new track - carved out from Godards over Starkeys and back to startline. Huge flat area now from Coppice to esses - ready for new pits.

The track has a number of holes and trenches where access is required for cables etc. Currently they have a temp filling.

Has anyone got any photos of Donnington in its current state?

Steven Humphrey · 23 Oct 2009, 22:28 (Ref:2568336)

http://www.******************/

Look in 'news archive' (can't get a direct link) for Donington circuit update, about half way down.

seems to be auto censoring 'sutton images'!

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Oct 2009, 22:40 (Ref:2568345)

That link doesn't work.

Greem · 23 Oct 2009, 23:23 (Ref:2568356)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That link doesn't work.

Google "Sutton Images", then search their site for "Donington Park". It was a news item the week following October 7th.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 23 Oct 2009, 23:43 (Ref:2568365)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

Google "Sutton Images", then search their site for "Donington Park". It was a news item the week following October 7th.

I did and got Sutton images . com, put in the search and it comes up with 9000+ photos of race cars. Have you got the actual URL?

JeremySmith · 24 Oct 2009, 00:52 (Ref:2568397)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

I think Silverstone should stand firm against Ecclestone.

That would not be hard would it?

How old is Bernie?

**bjohnsonsmith** · 24 Oct 2009, 01:03 (Ref:2568403)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

That would not be hard would it?

How old is Bernie?

79 on the 28th of this month.

JeremySmith · 24 Oct 2009, 01:14 (Ref:2568408)

Then I expect a rather flaccid response...

Dave 455 · 24 Oct 2009, 08:16 (Ref:2568491)

Bernie is now prepared to scrap the 2010 British Grand Prix altogether : -

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...24093032.shtml

JimW · 24 Oct 2009, 09:41 (Ref:2568535)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

What chance, the Wheatcroft family back into the house building business !!

Not at Donington - its just not going to happen.

Think of the effort Tom W put into getting a piece of derelict land built into a great circuit (with, it has to be said, some pretty poor quality infrastructure).

I hated the idea of it turning into the home of the GP because I don't like the current F1 circus and what it demands of circuits like this. So I'm happy that the bid seems to have failed. Whatever happens to DP now I would bet on racing continuing there, even if 2010 is a bit of a shambles. Good luck to Silverstone in getting what they want (and denying BE what he wants.

)

The work needed to get back to trackday fitness is very modest - perhaps a month?

To get some remedial work on spectator areas - perhaps another couple of months building up to full rehab by the next season?

So their principal source of income - trackdays - returns swiftly.

That's about £20-25k per day.

And club racing can restart for March or April.

I doubt that it will be the present leaseholders but you never know.

So no problem then.

Regards

Jim

garcon · 24 Oct 2009, 10:16 (Ref:2568558)

I hope you're right Jim. My hopes for the circuit are that it can forget about the F1 circus and return to perhaps a newer and shinier version of what it was - the country's best national circuit.

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