british grand prix axed for 2005

[lemarsh]

Originally Posted by gary_580

At the end of the day all the other established circuits pay the same amount and they make a profit. Why cant Silverstone? Its not as if Bernie hasnt helped. He contributed a large sum to the road changes

Most circuits have some financial support from Governments, who are eager to get into the technology that comes with F1.

From a financial basis, it seems strange that there is no support. The local economy is set to loose a shed load of money

The chief executive of South Northamptonshire Council, Rob Tinlin, said: "It is a huge disappointment for the area and it is a huge blow for the BRDC who have worked very hard to improve the circuit and keep the Grand Prix.
"It will have a big impact for the local economy as the race brings in £30m to the area each year."

Surely pure economics should mean that the Government/Local Authority should help fill the £3m gap. The BRDC can not run an event at a loss, that threatens their financial security.

However, I do believe that we will have a GP next year. I think, like France, they will be re-instated. But if not - with most teams British based, can they not put pressure on Bernie?

[sherer]

it's abit worrying that for a country with our motorsport heritage we only have one circuit that is up to f1 standards and even that neesd to have plenty of money spent on upgrading it.

Donington no longer fits the standards even though it's a great circuit and i don't think they have the money to get a GP and all the upgrades done.

Brands Hatch needs to make improvements and the local council won't grant these as the locals don't want more races and trees cut down etc.

None of the other circuits are big enough for F1.

On the subjects of new circuits I don't know why they don't make a new Nurburgring or old Spa etc. With elevations and fast sweeping corners. All the new circuits are just third and fourth gear corners with a long straight and a hairpin thrown in.

It seems strange that in the old days with little money they races on circuits that were over 8 miles long and now the longest is abuot 3 miles except Spa which used to be 10 anyway.

If you could build an old style circuit with modern safety it could be the greatest in the world.

Originally Posted by sherer

Of the new cuircuits they are GPs of nowhere that circuit could have been built by anyone on any bit of land

Off you go and build one then and get the grand prix

Originally Posted by gary_580

Off you go and build one then and get the grand prix

bear in mind it will have to be somewhere that allows tobacco advertising (how did Spa get re-instated this year ? )

/me wonders if this money is partly what its about??? - EC countries have banned it for 2005

[sherer]

was just thinking that if Coulthard, Button, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis chipped in they could easily make up the shortfall of this event. Add in Mansell, Damon Hill, Eddie Jordan, Jackie Stewart and a few others and it's no money at all to them.

if they were only 3 million short and this adds 41 million to the economy in that area then im sure someone could have got some of the companies to chip in

[sherer]

i think the problem is that the 40 million it makes goes to pubs, hotels, coaches, restaurants etc. it's not one large company that can donate 1 million to get the race still on it's just one small business that will make alot more that weekend

Originally Posted by sherer

On the subjects of new circuits I don't know why they don't make a new Nurburgring or old Spa etc. With elevations and fast sweeping corners. All the new circuits are just third and fourth gear corners with a long straight and a hairpin thrown in.

Sorry, but I think circuits like Bahrain and Singapore are a little more sophisticated than that!

The new circuits have good technical challenges, they have multiple points at which it's possible to pass, they are designed to be a lot safer and they make the old circuits look positively tedious by comparison.

It seems strange that in the old days with little money they races on circuits that were over 8 miles long and now the longest is abuot 3 miles except Spa which used to be 10 anyway.

Not strange when you consider how difficult it would be to televise a race on an 8 mile circuit!

[sherer]

Originally Posted by Graham

Not strange when you consider how difficult it would be to televise a race on an 8 mile circuit!

Le Mans is on an 8 mile circuit and that is televised. Also the Nurburgring 24 race on the old circuit also has TV coverage. Road America is also about 5-6 miles long and that has TV coverage as well.

If a nwe circuit was designed like an old one that could take TV cameras into account. With the amount of coverage F1 gets i don't think it would be a problem with cameras and would make for a few better circuit than we get now.

Originally Posted by Graham

Sorry, but I think circuits like Bahrain and Singapore are a little more sophisticated than that!

Apology accepted

Singapore??? What circuit in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Graham

The new circuits have good technical challenges, they have multiple points at which it's possible to pass, they are designed to be a lot safer and they make the old circuits look positively tedious by comparison.

Rubbish!! Multiple points to overtake? so what doesnt it happen too often? The only times it seems to happen is when cars are passing technically nferior cars. Even Schummy has resorted to passing cars via pit stops rather than on the track.

The long and short of it is that the cars rely so much on down force tat its no longer possible to over take CONSISTENTLY going into corners.

Originally Posted by Graham

Not strange when you consider how difficult it would be to televise a race on an 8 mile circuit!

The track at Bathhurst is long and has plenty of over taking. The only difference being that it is primarily used for touring cars and therefore the aero dynamics are not as significant.

[sherer]

the new tracks are ok but they are just third and forth gear corners with a long straight and a hairpin. There is no real variety with any of the circuits apart from Monza, Silverstone and Monaco. I think that is why Ferreri are so dominant as each circuit is basically the same the same team will win all the time.

I've not seen any maps of Turkey but i'm sure that will be similar too. Sure the facilities are great and they look nice and to the drivers they can be abit of a challenfe but for racing they aren't that great.

The only overaking we see is into a hairpin after a long straight.. no one goes round the outside and they are no fast sweeping bends any more.

With 200million they could have built a huge circuit and created real ups and downs or even re-made an old circuit design with modern safety and facilities

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by gary_580

But then again Indianapolis did the same, spent a bit of money, have a good seating capacity and that place is not that easy to get too either.

The trans-atlantic flight would put me off.

Originally Posted by Bifta

The trans-atlantic flight would put me off.

I was suggesting that when the Rockingham circuit was built, they could have done what Indianpolis did to included a GP circuit with the oval circuit complex

Originally Posted by sherer

Le Mans is on an 8 mile circuit and that is televised. Also the Nurburgring 24 race on the old circuit also has TV coverage.

Yes, but these are endurance races, not F1. In those overtaking isn't such an important part.

Road America is also about 5-6 miles long and that has TV coverage as well.

I'm not familiar with that one at all.

Originally Posted by gary_580

Singapore??? What circuit in Singapore?

Duh! I meant Shanghai!!

Rubbish!! Multiple points to overtake? so what doesnt it happen too often?

What do you mean "rubbish"? And "o what if it doesn't happen too often"

People are *complaining* that F1 is a high speed procession even you say...

The only times it seems to happen is when cars are passing technically nferior cars. Even Schummy has resorted to passing cars via pit stops rather than on the track.

... yet you seem to be saying that overtaking is *not* something that you need to worry about in an F1 race!!

The new tracks have places where a faster car with less good handling can get past a slower one that's better in the turns *and* vice versa. Very few of the older tracks have such opportunities which is what can make F1 look tedious.

The long and short of it is that the cars rely so much on down force tat its no longer possible to over take CONSISTENTLY going into corners.

I agree that the downforce rules need to be changed because the disruption that the current wing setups cause make it much more difficult for cars behind, but with the "linked turns" on tracks like Bahrain and Shanghai it's possible to avoid that happening so much as a car can take a slightly different line into the turns, get the outside in the middle section and then get the inside *without* hitting the "dirty air".

This, again, doesn't happen on the older tracks.