So Silverstone Keeps the GP

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Okay well watch the race, look at the huge crowds, feel the excitement ..
The track has a beautiful flow, some very fast corners, iconic race track ..produces some super racing ..

That’s enough isn’t it to keep you happy ?

I never said I wasn't happy :-)

Silverstone puts on a great event every year. The crowd is amazing, it's really well organised, a terrific occasion.

I was at the track on Friday and watched one of the practice sessions from Becketts - it's awesome, the speed is just astonishing, it's a world-class section of track.

It was also a good race, with some decent action.

All in all it's absolutely right that Silverstone keeps its place on the calendar. Any other decision would have been a disgrace to the sport.

My specific challenge was to the claim that Silverstone is "a special place". I don't agree with that. I think it puts on a special event each year. I think it has some special sections. But the place is ugly, it's an undustrial estate. Spa is a special place. Monza is a special place. Laguna Saca is a special place. Silverstone is not, but it does put on a special event each year and I'm delighted it has stayed on the calendar.

[S griffin]

It hosted the first ever WC race. That's got to be special

[chillibowl]

My understanding is that Suzuka is also nestled in an industrialised area but said industry is related to auto manufacturing. Like Silverstone, the track is adjacent to industries which compliment the sports that take place at the nearby track...the motorsports equivalent of farm to table if you will.

I find this a very special relationship, special place.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

My understanding is that Suzuka is also nestled in an industrialised area but said industry is related to auto manufacturing. Like Silverstone, the track is adjacent to industries which compliment the sports that take place at the nearby track...the motorsports equivalent of farm to table if you will.

I find this a very special relationship, special place.

The similarity between Silverstone and Suzuka is that they are actually surrounded by mainly farmland. However, Silverstone is now becoming an industrial estate which happens to have a racing circuit inside it, whilst Suzuka is, in the main, a motor racing themed entertainment attraction.

It is true to say that not far from both there is car manufacturing (at the time of writing) with BMW's Mini production to the south west and Toyota to the north of Silverstone, whilst if memory serves me well, Toyota city is not far north of Suzuka.

The main difference between the two tracks is that Silverstone is flat (and always seems to be windy) whilst Suzuka has an undulating track. In addition, from a personal perspective, I would far rather spectate at Suzuka where, at least when I visited, you could get far nearer the action on the whole and where the viewing was far better for those that didn't want to pay a fortune for the privilege of sitting in a grandstand.

[Anyopenroad]

I plan to go to Suzuka in 2020 for the 10 Hours so I’ll get to make the comparison now.

My perception is heavily influenced by how photogenic circuits are (see my signature below!). Nürburgring, Spa, Laguna Seca etc thus stand out. So does Brands Hatch. The USA seems to have an awesome collection of distinctive and pretty tracks. UK circuits less so and Silverstone least of all. But I recognise that this is a particular bias of mine, unrelated to the pure quality of the racing produced.

Silverstone is in this sense the inverse of Paul Ricard, which is a highly photogenic track in a beautiful setting which produces largely dull racing. I am not so fixated on my photos that I don’t recognise the primary importance of the track action.

My final point here is that my grumpiness with Silverstone is how smaller events are treated - none of the good grandstands open, circuit closed on Fridays etc. None of this applies to the GP.

[VIVA GT]

Silverstone is, like a number of other UK circuits built on an old airfield and as a side-effect of that it's bound to be flat, plus as it's not surrounded by hills, it is also bound to be windy with there being no natural shelter. I only saw the race on TV but was impressed (as always) with the trouble they appeared to have taken neatly 'stripe mowing' the grass areas surrounding the circuit.
Admittedly it's never going to be a scenic as somewhere set in natural park land (like Oulton or Donington for example), or in an area like Brands Hatch, but I think they do a great job to make what they do out of what they've got.

[Mike Harte]

Silverstone/BRDC has seemingly sold it's sole to the Hilton chain who, according to this press report, https://www.businesstraveller.com/bu...sh-grand-prix/ , are going to build a hotel directly opposite the Wing. This would seem to necessitate the removal of at least one grandstand.

One just gets the feeling that fans/followers/spectators, and even TV viewers around the globe, are no longer of any importance.

[SWCRacing]

Not really. The hotel has been part of the greater business plan for Silverstone for quite a while as it gives them greater flexibility for using the wing for conferences / exhibitions etc. It started construction earlier this year

[Greem]

The build itself has been public knowledge for about 18 months, and has been noted in the site masterplan for several years before that.

Photo

I *think* it has reduced the overall length of the International Pit Straight grandstand.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by SWCRacing

Not really. The hotel has been part of the greater business plan for Silverstone for quite a while as it gives them greater flexibility for using the wing for conferences / exhibitions etc. It started construction earlier this year

Yes, but why build it where it required the demolition of grandstand/s? And how many grandstand seats are now gone for sake of the few elite who will be able to afford the cost to stay there during the Grand Prix?

And it wouldn't surprise me if the majority of the rooms available during the GP weekend are actually taken by the teams and/or their guests.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Yes, but why build it where it required the demolition of grandstand/s? And how many grandstand seats are now gone for sake of the few elite who will be able to afford the cost to stay there during the Grand Prix?

And it wouldn't surprise me if the majority of the rooms available during the GP weekend are actually taken by the teams and/or their guests.

You're standing far too close to the issue. Step away and consider the 50 weeks of the year that events run - not weekends, weekdays - where people book the hotels around the area. Having the hotel will in theory bring in a revenue stream for corporate and private events that just doesn't exist at the moment.

On the one hand, we've all criticised Silverstone in the past for concentrating too hard on the GP; now we (collective 'we') are criticising them for doing the exact opposite. I think we need to give them a break.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Greem

The build itself has been public knowledge for about 18 months, and has been noted in the site masterplan for several years before that.

Photo

I *think* it has reduced the overall length of the International Pit Straight grandstand.

And I think that your picture only shows the first half of the construction. Going by the illustration from Business Traveller, the hotel will extend a further amount to the right, at least equal to what is portrayed in the photo.

By the way, I have no objection in principle to a hotel being built at Silverstone, but it surely shouldn't be at the expense of the spectators; their is more than ample land within the complex without having to either block spectators view of the track or having to demolish grandstands.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Greem

You're standing far too close to the issue. Step away and consider the 50 weeks of the year that events run - not weekends, weekdays - where people book the hotels around the area. Having the hotel will in theory bring in a revenue stream for corporate and private events that just doesn't exist at the moment.

On the one hand, we've all criticised Silverstone in the past for concentrating too hard on the GP; now we (collective 'we') are criticising them for doing the exact opposite. I think we need to give them a break.

If we are not careful, Grahame, folks will be telling us to get a room!

But the revenue stream in the hotel will benefit Hilton (or whoever owns the brand) and the loss will be felt by all the local hostelries. Yes, it might make a smallish difference to corporate events held in the Wing throughout the year, but that shouldn't be relied on by the BRDC to keep them afloat. There are few conference/corporate (excluding dual purpose venues such as hotels, etc) event venues in the UK that are actually profitable.

And the original idea of a hotel was that it would be built within the complex, not abutting the track.

[Adam43]

Reminds me of similar things I’ve seen at football grounds and even a cricket ground.

I wonder if you can watch from your bed? I can’t rmemebr which cricket ground it was, but I think you could there!

Even better for the Grand Prix, because as we all know they send you to sleep!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

If we are not careful, Grahame, folks will be telling us to get a room!

But the revenue stream in the hotel will benefit Hilton (or whoever owns the brand) and the loss will be felt by all the local hostelries. Yes, it might make a smallish difference to corporate events held in the Wing throughout the year, but that shouldn't be relied on by the BRDC to keep them afloat. There are few conference/corporate (excluding dual purpose venues such as hotels, etc) event venues in the UK that are actually profitable.

And the original idea of a hotel was that it would be built within the complex, not abutting the track.

I would imagine the business case stacks up for Silverstone and Hilton. Obviously Hilton get some income from this, but Silverstone get something from Hilton. The BRDC don’t do this themselves because well they specialise in running motorsport events and wearing blazers rather than running hotels.

Will it impact other local conference centres and hotels. Probably, but good. I’ve used a few of these in Milton Keynes and nearby, some of them need to raise their game. Besides it’s an area of the country where businesses are going to, despite everything, so I suspect the market there can take it.

[chillibowl]

from looking at the rendering, it looks to be rather small and fairly modest in design no? certainly far more more modest in scale than that of the Yas Hotel at Abu Dhabi.

to me it does look like a practical addition with affordable rooms (outside of the GP weekend of course) and a couple of conference/banquet rooms. a nice inn to have a race car themed wedding in.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Reminds me of similar things I’ve seen at football grounds and even a cricket ground.

I wonder if you can watch from your bed? I can’t rmemebr which cricket ground it was, but I think you could there!

Even better for the Grand Prix, because as we all know they send you to sleep!

Bolton Wanderers stadium

Old Trafford Cricket Ground

I quite like the idea of staying in a hotel overlooking a track. I wonder if they'd let me flag from the balcony?

[chillibowl]

so in 1989, Skydome, a retractable roof baseball stadium in Toronto was built. in addition to many of the amenities was a hotel with 70 rooms facing onto the playing surface.

naturally there have been several incidents of couples having a bit too much fun (wink wink) during a game and a few of which were caught on camera/broadcast.

thats how we wave the flag in Canada!

[Alfaholic]

If you take the Google Maps view (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.06.../data=!3m1!1e3) and compare it with the two links posted above, it seems that the hotel replaces roughly the last 1/2 of the International Pit Straight Grandstand - roughly the length of Armco between the two cut-outs.

There will also be a bridge from the hotel to the Wing area, but I don't know if it will only be for the use of the hotel guests or gor the great unwashed as well.

[E.B]

They have built a large hotel overlooking the track at Bathurst, Mt Panorama, with rooms overlooking the track. Not sure how it manages in non race weekends, but I have noticed large discounts avaiable there off peak.

[S griffin]

Of course you watch from plenty good vantage places at Monaco

[crmalcolm]

Hotel near an F1 circuit you say....

[E.B]

Forgot about that one!

[Adam43]

Oh yeah!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Greem

Bolton Wanderers stadium

Old Trafford Cricket Ground

I quite like the idea of staying in a hotel overlooking a track. I wonder if they'd let me flag from the balcony?

Thank you, Old Trafford, that’s the one. I think there are quite a few football ones. I was thinking of the MK Dons stadium.