British GP at Donington from 2010! CANCELLED!

Honestly 2 years should be enough to have the paddock revised and the track up to FIA standards. Upgrading the access roads will take more time as it's public property.

However it was clearly stated that they will do the upgrades over 5 years time.

What bothers me with this thread is that people are crying about how this will take time and so on, and forget that the BRDC has been promising upgrades for more than 5 years now. You lot should be happy that Bernie didn't take his toys to Zimbabwe, instead you all whine about the GP being moved from Silverstone to Donington, as if it was your life at stake.

People have no belief in the ability of those running the Donington circuit, why is that?!

I find this attitude pathetic.

i think they'll have done the majority of the important work by 2010 - the contact will have been given subject to this, and the investment on Donington could not happen until they had the contract in place - expect things to move very quickly now.

as for access it has several plus points IMO - its closer to a major motorway, it next door to an airport, there is a new railway station and rail link(for the airport) being built at the moment. the only down point to the access is the road from the motorway to the circuit, and thats, what, 5 miles long - not beyond the wit of man to sort in 2 years.

if the investment is in place (which they are leading us to belive it is) the important things will be ready by 2010.

to me the bigger issue is what are they going to do to the track - i'd hope the majority can be retained, just wider and with run off, with a new loop at he end of the lap. oh, and the pits will move - good luck to them for trying something new, Silverstone has no more claim to being home of the British GP than Brands Hatch or Donington IMO, and i can't help thinking it won't be the last time F1 races there next year

for the record, in the main i agree with Ioan, its not like Silverstone hasn't had the chances to put its house in order and hasn't done enough to satisfy the man who give the contracts. If Donington do then well done to them, and for me the more important thing is retaining the British GP for a further 10 years from next year.

to me this is a good thing

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Originally Posted by ioan

People have no belief in the ability of those running the Donington circuit, why is that?!

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To be fair to Silverstone they've been open to planning developments.

Donington Park sneaks through the back door, a mysterious shareholder with £100million to spare and lack of openness regards to planning except for the Tilke factor - that's some of the reasons for the scepticism.

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Originally Posted by wedge

To be fair to Silverstone they've been open to planning developments.

Donington Park sneaks through the back door, a mysterious shareholder with £100million to spare and lack of openness regards to planning except for the Tilke factor - that's some of the reasons for the scepticism.

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Hummm, another Turkey type deal where Bernie or some close friend gets involved???Read the old threads from last year, about Bernie and how he bought out Turkey and was double dealing about that.

Said it last year, the way the USA gets a GP is to sell the track to bernie. Said the same about the Brit GP...

as there is an airport next door, i can see any planning application going through virtually un challenged. are the council going to worry about a few traffic problems on one (extra?) weekend.... i don't think so or they would have upgraded the roads already. also having seen public money sunk into the expedited road upgrades at silverstone only for them to get the reason for that upgrade taken away will make the council/government wary of spending.

if the moto gp is bad with lots of bikes wanting to get in and out, there will certainly be problems with a more car orientated crowd unless a substancial traffic management scheme is put in place.

i can't see any problems in getting the track and permanent track buildings in place on time and labour cost can be kept low by using our new eastern european friends. i'm sure martin brundle can offer suggestions as to who can do the asphalting of the track and carparks.

i think a renault freebie day would be the closest comparison for crowdsize and on track "action"(with large single seaters) and the associated problems that the track would have seen in recent years.

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Originally Posted by ioan

People have no belief in the ability of those running the Donington circuit, why is that?!

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Because those of us who have attended events at Donington Park have been promised upgraded spectator facilities for years & nothing has been forthcoming. it is indicative of their entire attitude.

As far as the track is concerned I hope they don't touch most of it. They can build something new over the Melbourne loop but they must keep Redgate, Craners, Old Hairpin, McLeans and Coppice.

Maybe they could make Redgate tighter then we would have the classic, slow corner - straight - slow corner sequence that makes for good overtaking(Goddards - Pit Sratight- Tighter Redgate). Then you could see two cars going side by side the Craner Curvers into the Old Hairpin. :cool:

Simon Gillet was on the charm offensive for ITV!

A new infield with Craner-stye curves.

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Originally Posted by ioan

Other countries managed to build circuits from scrap in 1 year, so maybe you super-duper royalists will manage to upgrade one track in 2 years :?:

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I am just now beginning to understand the majority of threads you post, thanks for the insight into your mindset.

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Originally Posted by wedge

Simon Gillet was on the charm offensive for ITV!

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Wasn't he just! He confirmed that they did not yet have the £100 funding in place, nor the planning permission.

That's a tall order then!

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Originally Posted by SGWilko

Wasn't he just! He confirmed that they did not yet have the £100 funding in place, nor the planning permission.

That's a tall order then!

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Not if they just need £100. I could give them that. ;)

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Originally Posted by SGWilko

Wasn't he just! He confirmed that they did not yet have the £100 funding in place, nor the planning permission.

That's a tall order then!

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He said there was no mystery donor but correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he say the local authorities knew the score. The only way Donington would seriously upgrade was when their date was confirmed.

It's raised my hopes a bit.

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Originally Posted by wedge

He said there was no mystery donor but correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he say the local authorities knew the score.

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This is all very well, but he can't expect the permission to just be rubber-stamped in such a case, no matter what the potential economic benefits (always overstated) might be. This is especially the case if improving the road network is a stipulation, which it ought to be.

I'll try and condense some of what Gillett said to Bob McKenzie in the Daily Express on Saturday if you didn't see it.

There will be some temporary structure grandstands but they will put up a main grandstand which will be in their masterplan announced next week. They want to have a 150,000 crowd.

People can come in by air next door, there is a train link coming into the airport in December. They will have one-way systems. Our car parks will be weather independent. I don't want to cover the place in tarmac. We are in open park and the theme will be Donington Park with the accent on park.

We have planning permission already we didn't start yesterday. It will be ready we will all be watching F1 at the best venue in the best placed spot for it in 2010.

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Originally Posted by SGWilko

He confirmed that they did not yet have the £100 funding in place, nor the planning permission.

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Originally Posted by Sarah

I'll try and condense some of what Gillett said to Bob McKenzie in the Daily Express on Saturday if you didn't see it.

We have planning permission already we didn't start yesterday.

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This doesn't quite add up! Is he just messing with our minds, this Gillett chap? :confused:

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Originally Posted by markabilly

Hummm, another Turkey type deal where Bernie or some close friend gets involved???Read the old threads from last year, about Bernie and how he bought out Turkey and was double dealing about that.

Said it last year, the way the USA gets a GP is to sell the track to bernie. Said the same about the Brit GP...

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Well we know for sure that Indy will never be sold to Bernie. To be honest though, it is no big loss to the states, it is a bigger loss to F1. As for the states, they have replaced the USGP with a much bigger event, the Moto GP event.
As for the British GP, the fans here should think themselves lucky, they even have a race. Be honest, after the fiasco of "trafficgate" they should have lost there GP right there and then. For my part, I am delighted that those wallys at the Drivers Club, have lost the event, they thought they were F1 gifted and had a special right to the GP. Silverstone, good riddance to bad rubbish!

If (and that's a big if) it does happen then I wonder what the score will be in where the changes are made?

Redgate and Craner Curves will surely go untouched (there isn't much point in Donnigton if Craner goes). My best guess would be a branch infield around McLeans. It's not wide enough for F1 at the minute though so would imagine that a lot of thee track will be altered and the fans will be put miles from the track. I'm expecting designs to be twisty and tight and we'll end up with a track that nobody likes :(

Simple question.
How can Donnington make a GP financially work with a £100m investment and paying Bernies fees when Silverstone couldn't on a much smaller investment?

Higher ticket prices anyone?

Do Donnington actually ALL the money in place for this? Simon Gillett was less than convincing in his brief ITV interview.

If the investment is over 5 years, then doesn't that mean the facilities are not going to be as they should for the first three years? Not a smart plan. If the first few race are tainted by poor facilities it will take a long time to earn respect and credibility back.

Some more from Gillett in the Express today - we are going to raise much of the money with a debenture launch that is part of the reason for a 10 year deal so that we can offer a 10 year debenture. We will build a superb clubhouse for our debenture holders. There is no mystery backer we have a strong 4 man board but we do have a major bank and an investment company with us. We will have phase 1 finished by the time we host the race and will have a permanent grandstand by 2011.

What's the betting they pay Silverstone to host the race in 2010?

I don't know why everyone is poo pooing Donington so much. If Monaco can host a GP then surely Donington could even in its current state. It isn't as bad as people are saying. Was the pit and paddock not just re-developed a few years ago? Maybe not to F1 standards but Silverstone is still far from perfect.

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Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow

I don't know why everyone is poo pooing Donington so much. If Monaco can host a GP then surely Donington could even in its current state.

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There's no comparison.

Monaco is F1's blue riband event

It's a cosmopolitan area and tax haven for the rich, the race is scheduled around the same time as Cannes film festival so the rich and famous will mingle.

It has history, status and kudos.

Even Steve Parrish and Suzi Perry admit Donington today is medieval for MotoGP standards, lucky to scrape into the MotoGP calender.

In all seriousness, anyone know of a good bookies? I want to go stick £500 on there not being a British Grand Prix at Donnington in 2010. And I'm a student, so £500 is a hell of a lot of money to me.

I just don't see the work being done in time. And that could mean one of two things.... either it stays at Silverstone, or Britain looses its GP.

As Damon Hill said when interviewed on Silverstone TV this weekend, 'the most important thing is that there is a British GP'

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Originally Posted by Oli_M

As Damon Hill said when interviewed on Silverstone TV this weekend, 'the most important thing is that there is a British GP'

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Very true. I think that is what the main talking point should be. As interesting as the Donington discussion is, we must first admit to ourselves that the British GP is in danger. How likely is it to continue? I'm not going to shed my own view as I haven't got full knowledge of the situation yet but it will be something we should follow if the Donington deal does, as predicted by majority, fall apart. Silverstone is better than nothing for the majority of British fans, am I right?

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Originally Posted by ioan

Honestly 2 years should be enough to have the paddock revised and the track up to FIA standards. Upgrading the access roads will take more time as it's public property.

However it was clearly stated that they will do the upgrades over 5 years time.

What bothers me with this thread is that people are crying about how this will take time and so on, and forget that the BRDC has been promising upgrades for more than 5 years now. You lot should be happy that Bernie didn't take his toys to Zimbabwe, instead you all whine about the GP being moved from Silverstone to Donington, as if it was your life at stake.

People have no belief in the ability of those running the Donington circuit, why is that?!

I find this attitude pathetic.

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ioan, the article linked below explains more about the planning system in the UK. Sadly it moves at a snail's pace, and I will be amazed if any remotely significant work has been completed in time for the 2010 GP.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20557.html

Here's Ted Kravitz opining on the difficulties facing Donington, not least of which is the proximity to East Midlands Airport:
http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?T...avitz&id=43306

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Originally Posted by Mark

What's the betting they pay Silverstone to host the race in 2010?

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No Bet - JF from Brands did it :)

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Originally Posted by Oli_M

As Damon Hill said when interviewed on Silverstone TV this weekend, 'the most important thing is that there is a British GP'

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True :up: Can't say I've ever been a big fan of Silverstone anyway. Yes, I've seen some great races (Int. Trophy 1978 springs to mind) and happy memories (attending the GP with Arrows in 1979) but 1) that was a long time ago and 2) it has always been a dull and featureless place in comparison with the likes of Brands Hatch IMHO.

If, and it's a big if, Donington can be readied in time for 2010 then it should prove to be a great venue for the British GP. With Rosemeyer, Nuvolari and Senna being previous GP winners there the 2010 victor will join some illustrious names :s mokin:

Bernie has said that if Donington is not ready for 2010 then theres no Brit GP :\

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Originally Posted by theugsquirrel

Bernie has said that if Donington is not ready for 2010 then theres no Brit GP :\

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He did an interview on Brit telly after the deal was struck, and I recall him saying something like.....

'If they [Donnington] want to do a business deal with Silverstone, that's up to them'

they talked about a new infield section....anyone seen the track map yet???

10 to 1 it'll be at Silverstone in 2010. Bernie might not be in charge by then anyhow.

Ted's comments are very interesting. Surprised to hear of the major problems with the parking and getting out of Silverstone though.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/7499078.stm

Minor details about the redevelopment - admittedly it doesn't say a lot but I'm guessing more details aren't far away.

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Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

True :up: Can't say I've ever been a big fan of Silverstone anyway. Yes, I've seen some great races (Int. Trophy 1978 springs to mind) and happy memories (attending the GP with Arrows in 1979) but 1) that was a long time ago and 2) it has always been a dull and featureless place in comparison with the likes of Brands Hatch IMHO.

If, and it's a big if, Donington can be readied in time for 2010 then it should prove to be a great venue for the British GP. With Rosemeyer, Nuvolari and Senna being previous GP winners there the 2010 victor will join some illustrious names :s mokin:

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Totally agree....except for the Brands Hatch bit.

I remember being there for the 1984 GP, and the tannoy endlessly informing me that I was at "Brands Hatch, home of the British Grand Prix", which was just as well otherwise I'd have had no idea what all those Formula One cars were doing racing around on the asphalt.

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Bosses at Donington Park in Leicestershire are planning to build a new pit complex ahead of the British Grand Prix at the circuit from 2010.
Work will begin in the autumn and the new facility will feature a race control centre and a media centre.
Donington Park spokesman David Fern said that a "totally new complex will be built with all of the pits fitted out to the latest specifications". The track will also be lengthened to three miles (4.8km).

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/7499078.stm

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Cars abandoned amid airport jams

Severe traffic delays caused by fans travelling to a popular motorsport event have affected passengers using East Midlands Airport.

Police in Leicestershire said motorists were delayed by traffic jams around Castle Donington as a result of the Renault World Series.

Tens of thousands of people attended the annual event.

Traffic on the A453 was at a standstill on Sunday morning as some motorists left their cars to walk to the airport.

An eyewitness said some people with flights to catch were leaving their cars and walking at least a mile to the airport.

Nose-to-tail

"The traffic is nose-to-tail along the whole stretch of the A453 that runs alongside the M1 towards Donington and the airport," said BBC correspondent Anthony Bartram.

Lee Gill of Donington Ventures Leisure, which runs the race venue, said they were working with the police to deal with the traffic problems.

"We have opened up more entry sites into the (race) park this year," he said but added the main infrastructure problem was caused by thousands of cars arriving at the site.

He added the airport had tried to advise passengers to allow more time to get to the airport because of the predicted high volume of car traffic.

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Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/6985866.stm

Change the date from 2007 to 2010, and "Renault World Series" to "Formula One", and you'll have a glipse into the future if Donington pull this off.

I do think Mark is right though, it'll end up back at Silverstone. I think all our minds will change once we see the new section of track. AS for problems getting out of the track, does anyone remember Rockingham 2001 CART race. Everyone moaned how long it took to get out of the circuit.

I just sat in the Grandstands and waited till everyone had gone. Had a coffee and wandered around a bit. Next thing you know traffic was gone. Why does everyone leave at the same time? You didn't all get there at the same time!!!

This is Great Britain, we are not sheep but sometimes we act like them.

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Originally Posted by MAX_THRUST

Why does everyone leave at the same time? You didn't all get there at the same time!!!

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:laugh: I'll be thinking about that on my way in and out of Goodwood this weekend.

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Originally Posted by MAX_THRUST

Why does everyone leave at the same time? You didn't all get there at the same time!!! .

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Because humans are like sheep - they all follow each other, clamouring to be the first out.

Take a look at the commuters on a train, the get up out their seats before the train reaches the end of the line. Why not stay seated till the train stops?