Brit F1 to move to Donington from 2010

[Fisherman]

Or.....
Donington fails to completely rebuild the track, pits, paddock, grandstands, car parks and access roads in 2 years and Bernie pulls the plug and accepts an offer to stage a GP from somewhere that gives him a few million quids.
I couldn't give a monkey's about F1, my worry is that Dony gets ruined for nothing, and the bike GP ends up at Silverstone, which is nowhere near as good for watching bikes. Silverstone are after the Moto GP contract, if it does leave Donington then Brands would surely be the next best, but they don't seem interested in bidding, I don't understand why not.

[mgmark]

Oh I do hope not, and trust that this is aimed at spurring Silverstone into some form of action.  Donington is such a grand track and venue, and this will just bugger it up completely, in the name of corporate F1 bollox.

MG Mark

[Barry]

Can't see it happening by 2010, and I hope it's the Dwarf playing silly buggers, because everything I love about Donnington will be f*cked.


If it did happen it will give those overpaid prima donnas a new excuse why they didn't perform well:

'There was jet fuel on the track'   

[BryanC]

Just put down this weeks MCN reporting on the MotoGP last weekend.

Loads of letters about bad traffic management, really poor facilities, overflowing bogs etc. - one guy suggests saving your money and doing a continental GP instead and somebody suggested it might move back to Silverstone.

Even the local paper is talking about a the great opportunity for a new rail station, dual carriageway upto the Motorway junction ( which has been talked about for years ) etc.

Sadly, that is the state of British national events, and of course we always risk the weather.

I do think Bernie is playing politics because he has a downer on Silverstone - there is no justification in making the move if he is using better access and facilities as an excuse. Can't help thinking that Leftie has a point.

I'm local to Donington, but I'll give it a miss and take le Mans everytime.

BryanC

[Rusty]

I was at Donington only the other week for the MotoGP and I was only wondering at the time how they used to run F1 there in the past as the track is so narrow, in fact I believe the last one they ran there was the European GP round when it absolutely pissed down. I might be completely wrong here, but I also believe that they added the Melbourne loop / hairpin in to bring it up to GP length so they were able to run it.
I would also love to see what plans they will have for getting spectators in and out as it was a laughable the last couple of years, particularly for the bikes trying to get out of muddy fields after a rain soaked race. The traffic control was farcical at best, I would suggest going by helicopter if you don't fancy a 2-3 hour wait to get out onto the main access roads.

Rusty

[Robbo SPS]

I was at Donington only the other week for the MotoGP and I was only wondering at the time how they used to run F1 there in the past as the track is so narrow, in fact I believe the last one they ran there was the European GP round when it absolutely pissed down. I might be completely wrong here, but I also believe that they added the Melbourne loop / hairpin in to bring it up to GP length so they were able to run it.
I would also love to see what plans they will have for getting spectators in and out as it was a laughable the last couple of years, particularly for the bikes trying to get out of muddy fields after a rain soaked race. The traffic control was farcical at best, I would suggest going by helicopter if you don't fancy a 2-3 hour wait to get out onto the main access roads.

Rusty

I havent yet been to any motorsport events with circa 95'000 visitors and got out quickly. its just not possible with any form of traffic management.

[Piglet]

Well I've just got back from the GP.  I can't see how Donington can produce a GP circuit in sub 2 years, I also can't see how they could possibly deal with the helicopter traffic alongside the commercial airport - apparently last time they closed the airport for three days, I'm not sure quite how much DHL and the Royal Mail etc. would want for that to happen now?

It is very amusingly a repeat of the Foulson situation, the rights holders will end up with a contract to run a GP and no circuit to run it on!

The deal for Donington appears to be for 10 years, which is the contract length that allegedly the BRDC were refused...apparently they were offered a 5 year deal but as a not for profit company couldn't justify the expenditure with only a short term contract on the table. 

Ahh well, as ever we'll just have to wait and see.   Suffice it to say I won't be booking a hotel room for Donny for 2010!

[Kev_mk3]

hhhmmm  Donington is going to need;-

New access roads
New Pits
New Paddock (over the top of the Melbourne Loop)
Longer Track
New Spectator Facilities
New Grandstands (that will block the viewing...)
Track upgrade to F1 safety standards

I wonder if this will just end up like the Brands Hatch deal....  Especially when the owners realise that they have to spend huge amounts of money and get 1p revenue from it all after Bernie and his buddies have taken everything else...

Still good luck to them,  at least Silverstone/BRDC don't have to worry about raising a load of money hacking about with the circuit!

i was thinking this aswell.

They are going to spoil a great track just for formula 1 which is like watching paint dry IMO!  You think they would of learnt with the super bikes and the Renault cup you cant get in or out of that bloody place at all.

Im looking to book a track day there before they start work and spoil it 

[Lord Pig-Pen]

hhhmmm  Donington is going to need;-

New access roads
New Pits
New Paddock (over the top of the Melbourne Loop)
Longer Track
New Spectator Facilities
New Grandstands (that will block the viewing...)
Track upgrade to F1 safety standards

I wonder if this will just end up like the Brands Hatch deal....  Especially when the owners realise that they have to spend huge amounts of money and get 1p revenue from it all after Bernie and his buddies have taken everything else...

Still good luck to them,  at least Silverstone/BRDC don't have to worry about raising a load of money hacking about with the circuit!

i was thinking this aswell.

They are going to spoil a great track just for formula 1 which is like watching paint dry IMO!  You think they would of learnt with the super bikes and the Renault cup you cant get in or out of that bloody place at all.

Im looking to book a track day there before they start work and spoil it 

Kev... check this out! Its funny and sort of related to the thread!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBgQcYxTGM

[Kev_mk3]

bloody bonkers 

[Snoring Rhino]

I was knocked for six yesterday, I used to work with Simon Gillett, the Director of Donnington that was interviewed on ITV about the the contract, not very confidence inspiring. He says there is no get out clause for Bernie - apart from the one that says if they are not ready they could loose it!
Simons old man used to be heavily involved with F1 in the 70's, with a fuel company I think, so there could be an old connection with the old school club and Bernie and Donnington backers.
However, I still think it's been setup to fail and give Bernie his opportunity to sell the race slot to Asia. This would kill off the UK F1 Industry, perhaps we should start a "Keep the British GP" movement.

[mal]

I havent yet been to any motorsport events with circa 95'000 visitors and got out quickly. its just not possible with any form of traffic management.

I went to the first Bahrain GP in '04 and there is a highway leading to the track which is 4 lanes each way. At the end of the race they closed the road to all local and incoming traffic and allowed all 8 lanes to be used - there was no exit or entry to the highway until they split in different directions about 10 miles north. Dozens of police were there to shepherd you into their desired lane and off you went.  Admittedly there was probably not as many people there but traffic just flowed straight out. It can be done with the right infrastructure and management. Unfortunately all British circuits and the surrounding areas were not designed with this sort of traffic management in mind because the need did not exist 50 years ago.

[Buddha]

We could ask the French to organise it for us - that way we are guaranteed for the thing to run like clockwork!

[Leftie]

I think the poisened dwarf and Tom Wheatcroft have a deal and the PD is part funding the work.

Planning application and all the highway works have been known for months by the authorities but could not be publicised untill the 'official FIA announcement'.

The PD (sorry - pd) hates Silverstone.

I still stand by my comments in earlier postings.

[Robspot]

To save Donnington, British immigration should blacklist german race circuit designer Hermann Tilke immidiately

Oopsy 

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08072008/58/tilke-hired-donington-upgrade.html