Bernie whingeing about Silverstone again

[ScotsBrutesFan]

I think that BE is just stirring the pot and doing so knowing that the British Media will jump all over it.

The fact is that plans have been approved for the new complex but only on the keeping the F1 race.
Surely all he's doing is giving the BRDC a very public hurry up to get things moving.

[Novice]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

No, it really is to do with the fact that the seats at Silverstone don't have gold lined cushions. And the pits are tiny (literally microscopic), seriously it is like the old days at Monaco.

This has absolutely nothing to do with commercial value and the will to have a race in the middle of an all new, vast and featureless desert during the night.

This has nothing to do with facilities, if it did Monaco would not be on the calender but hell he adds 2 more street circuits to the calender. It is all to do with money, the more the better as far as BE is concerned. Indy lost its race this year because they would not be blackmailed into the rates BE wanted, facilities exceed everywhere elsethough. Dare I say that as far as BE is concerned it has nothing to do with racing either. If it did we would not be getting these clinical faceless circuits where overtaking is impossible.

R.I.P. F1

[dsg]

I think Bernie realises that the loss of silverstone does not mean the loss of british fans. He could also guarantee the return of F1 once the new facilities have been completed.

Comparing any other circuit to Monaco is pointless as we all know if the racetrack was in the middle of a paddock it would have been dropped years ago. However the truth is it is the premiere event of the season, because of its history and location in the city which portrays an image which represents everything F1 wants to be.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Mystery

I agree it's high time the BRDC did something, but paying the Ecclestone family trust (indirectly) many millions of pounds for the privilege of hosting a F1 parade.... errr... sorry "race" isn't what they should be doing.

Well, they do say (the BRDC) that the GP is the jewel in the crown. And you can't blame them because like many of us, Formula 1 was the pinnacle of the sport. But its been homogenised and sterilised and even circum...................spectly we can't think that it retains that position, other than in a marketing sense. ITV doesn't want it and they're a commercial enterprise. That should tell us something. So personally, let it go.

Originally Posted by Mystery

Improving the facilities certainly yes, but I don't see why the BRDC should pay the prices being paid by nepotistic governments with dubious human rights records who simply want to have a shiny profile without changing anything.

I do keep wondering if F1 has moved to a different place on the motorsports spectrum and I have no interest in moving with it......

Its certainly moved to a different geographical location. Most fans (not TV viewers) are insterested in the racing. Sadly the money that goes with this outweighs the racing so it really doesn't matter where a race is held.

As far as Silverstone is concerned it needs very few changes other than the usual facilities. It has space, a great track (I've been fortunate enough to race on it) and just because it isn't Brands Hatch, it still has the necessary atmosphere. Just like an autodrome should have.

[fomoco]

[quote=dsg]I think Bernie realises that the loss of silverstone does not mean the loss of british fans. He could also guarantee the return of F1 once the new facilities have been completed.

Bernie would be dead or on life support before a Gp was back in England. Like a lot of countries that have a proud history and heritage in relation to F1, unless you can match the millions being thrown at some old geezer, (what in h###, is he going to do with it), the future of F1, until this buzzard goes, and the FIA get serious, people will drop watching F1 just to prop up some ones personal hobby. It happened before and will happen again.
Bring on the World Racing Championship. Not controlled by one man.

[Sodemo]

Never actually "raced" at Silverstone, but have been around it many times in a road car. Its a good track, not as good as it used to be, as I think the best layout was the briefly existing 1991 layout which had the old Abbey Curve (rather than Abbey Chicane). After they took out Abbey, for me the track lost much of its appeal. They may as well bulldoze the rest, as there is only really Copse (which is now a non-corner thanks to the massive run off) and Stowe which offer any challenge.

I don't personally like the Maggots - Becketts - Chapel complex, sure its spectacular, but the off camber nature of the final part of Chapel means its almost impossible to follow another car onto Hangar Straight. If the final part of the complex was modified slightly it would lead to a better run down to Stowe.

[duke_toaster]

How much upgrading would Donington need?

[Clive]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

How much upgrading would Donington need?

total!

track. run off areas. pits. paddock. access roads. viewing areas (not that the PD is concerned about that!). thats just to start with

[garcon]

I'd LOVE to see the F1 circus turn up at Knockhill...

Seriously, Silverstone is the only UK circuit even close to being capable (unless they improved the infield section and competitors' facilities at Rockingham). Oh, and moved it further away from Corby....

[wolfhound]

Bernie says that the British GP at Silverstone is at risk. I suspect he is trying to stir something up to take peoples mind of what is going on in Germany. Silverstone has made a loss for the last few years and I am sure Bernie would say it has nothing to do with the fee he charges. How many other GP's are able to take place without Government finacial assistance? USA might be the only one.
Oh and the source of the story Pitpass...............

http://www.pitpass.com/51573/British...ays-Ecclestone

I will say no more.

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

How many other GP's are able to take place without Government finacial assistance?

Monaco?

[Derwent Motorsp]

For how much longer will his opinion matter? Either age or jail will deal with him.

[Knowlesy]

I fear he will continue to haunt us all, even in death.

[henners88]

It would be a great shame to lose the British GP, I've been many times myself, but I can't see it being viable for too many more years. The extortionate fee's Bernie demands from GP venues is downright greedy and the British government don't foot any of the bill and neither should they IMO.

Considering Bernie has done is level best to slash the TV audience in Britain and across Europe, why would a venue attracting 120,000 in a good year be worth anything to F1? Sadly this is the way F1 is going. With any luck Bernie will fall off his perch before long and his opinion will be yesterdays news, finger crossed.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I thought after the Donington fiasco and Silverstone securing that 17 year deal, everything was hunky dory? I'm obviously wrong as it's only a matter of time before Bernie starts to stir things up.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I thought after the Donington fiasco and Silverstone securing that 17 year deal, everything was hunky dory? I'm obviously wrong as it's only a matter of time before Bernie starts to stir things up.

Not Bernie directly stirring things up, simply noting that Silverstone is having problems financing his fee....

I sometimes wonder if Bernie has some long held grievance against the BRDC, or if he simply resents giving them a race at a discounted fee because it is England....

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Not Bernie directly stirring things up, simply noting that Silverstone is having problems financing his fee....

I sometimes wonder if Bernie has some long held grievance against the BRDC, or if he simply resents giving them a race at a discounted fee because it is England....

I think Bernie whingeing about the British GP may have been to divert attention away from the German courts.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113940

[S griffin]

Maybe the owners said something negative about his trial

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Maybe the owners said something negative about his trial

Is he not one of them?


I assume he is a member of the BRDC.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

Is he not one of them?


I assume he is a member of the BRDC.

He is a member.

http://www.brdc.co.uk/members_list.cfm

[Mystery]

Non-story. It's only a slightly more developed technique than saying "ooh look at the shiny shiny thing here. Not at the court room. Shiny shiny"