99 replies to this topic

[SirRacer]

Finland has a nice F1 heritage with Keke, Mika, Kimi, Kovalainen....
Has ever been discussed to hold a race there? is there even a track that could suit F1?

I think there are a lot of Kimi fans there so maybe a race could be profiteable for Bernie, so then why not?

[R Soul]

Because nobody would be able to spell the name of the track.

And perhaps the Finnish government wouldn't be willing to stump up the millions of Euros that CVC would need to feed their children, and there aren't enough private investors who would be willing to blow that sort of money on an F1 track in country where rallying is more accessible (just assuming).

[Vic Vega]

Pirelli tires don't work in sub-zero temps.

Edited by Vic Vega, 04 April 2012 - 00:47.

[SirRacer]

Pirelli tires don't work in sub-zero temps.

Well, if you don't want to add salt before the race you can hold it in summer too...

[antifozy]

Because nobody would be able to spell the name of the track.

And perhaps the Finnish government wouldn't be willing to stump up the millions of Euros that CVC would need to feed their children, and there aren't enough private investors who would be willing to blow that sort of money on an F1 track in country where rallying is more accessible (just assuming).

Lol... We will probably have to be on the first name basis with the track. As most finns seem to have short first names.

Yes money would be the main stumbling block.

[seltaeb]

Because nobody would be able to spell the name of the track.

Hahaha, that is gold!

[turssi]

Well... Finland is about the 36th richest country in the world, so maybe when the season will have 40 races we will see the Midnight Sun GP!

[FW09]

Because nobody would be able to spell the name of the track.

Nonsense. Why would it be difficult to spell Kouvolanseudun Moottoriurheilukeskus?

Or Hämeenlinnan Ahveniston Moottorirata?

[FW09]

And perhaps the Finnish government wouldn't be willing to stump up the millions of Euros that CVC would need to feed their children, and there aren't enough private investors who would be willing to blow that sort of money on an F1 track in country where rallying is more accessible (just assuming).

Actually there have been some projects and feasibility studies for a Finnish GP. It has been found to be unprofitable because of Bernie's fees and track maintenance costs in Finnish climate. There are no sheiks or dictators in Finland who would just pay for it because it's fun.

[tommyhjortasen]

Sweden!

I want F1 back to Anderstorp raceway.

[MortenF1]

I don't think Finland's main airport is big enough to manage the entire F1circus arriving at once... (??)

[dtc]

There were a couple of DTM races on the streets of Helsinki. Midnight Sun GP sounds great

[klyster]

How predictable is the weather in Finland?

Would Pirelli have to make a snow tyre?

[MortenF1]

No no. Close to the golf stream, so Finland has temps comparable with central europe during the summer.
Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki often takes turns in having the highest recorded max temp in Europe, in July and August. (Believe it or not).

Edited by race addicted, 04 April 2012 - 06:31.

[motorhead]

Actually there have been some projects and feasibility studies for a Finnish GP. It has been found to be unprofitable because of Bernie's fees and track maintenance costs in Finnish climate. There are no sheiks or dictators in Finland who would just pay for it because it's fun.

Yeah, I think the government wouldn´t support it and the private capital isn´t stupid enough to take a risk. Becouse of democracy there would be a huge resistance by environmental activists too. There are GP´s today that aren´t there becouse ticket sales but becouse funding from different places. Wasn´t it Spa which is currently in financial problems? If I remember correctly even DTM races in Helsinki gathered something like 120 000 spectators, so that wouldn´t be an issue...

[Vickyy]

Because you are the most happiest country in the world, even if you there is no GP, you guys will be happy

[MadYarpen]

I would certainly go there for GP!

[Rob]

There were a couple of DTM races on the streets of Helsinki.

F3000 too I think.

[Oho]

How predictable is the weather in Finland?

Would Pirelli have to make a snow tyre?

Not as predictable as in Malaysia this year where rain was, well it seems, almost certainty....

But really I do not want a race in Finland, as a matter of fact I don't want any major sporting events in Finland. Too much of a hassle this day and age with over whelming security concerns and at the end of the day nothing but another burden on tax payers for what, cheapo propaganda effect....

[August]

I don't think Finland's main airport is big enough to manage the entire F1circus arriving at once... (??)

I don't think ariport would be a problem, Helsinki-Vantaa has been voted as one of the best airports in the world, IIRC once as the best.

But to answer to this thread's question, money is the reason. Otherwise I think having a race in Finland would make as much sense as a race in Turkey, in Hungary, or another race in Spain. But as we've seen, European democracies' governments aren't too willing to support F1 races as they think it doesn't help the community. Instead they are willing to help Olympics, etc. because they think they those events help to get people into sports.

So, Finnish F1 race should get its financing mainly from private sector. And there's not too much interest for F1. The track would be hardly half a year in use, so the competition season would be quite short. Besides and there's no Yas Marina-like resorts in Finland that would be willing to invest in an F1 race, and Helsinki would be the only potential city hosting a street race, and I think neither they are willing to invest in F1. Hosting F1 is completely different than hosting e.g. DTM, in F1 you need all those modern (and expensive) paddocks and media centres.

Anyway, if Austrian GP returned, it'd give at least some faith in possibly having a GP also in other smaller European countries like Finland.

Edited by August, 04 April 2012 - 08:25.

[Ali_G]

F3000 too I think.

A round of the FIA GT1 Championship as well. Held as a street race around Helsinki.

[August]

A round of the FIA GT1 Championship as well. Held as a street race around Helsinki.

Here's the circuit.

[Taxi]

No no. Close to the golf stream, so Finland has temps comparable with central europe during the summer.
Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki often takes turns in having the highest recorded max temp in Europe, in July and August.[/b] (Believe it or not).

When did THAT happened? Sevilha, Madrid, Budapest, Rome, Athens, or Paris are way all the time hotter.

Edited by Taxi, 04 April 2012 - 09:02.

[Les]

The proposed breakaway championship a few years ago had a round listed in Finland if I remember? Not that it was ever likely to happen though.

[jrg19]

When i went to Helsinki for new year it was -17 or something crazy but I'm sure it gets just as warm as the UK in summer.

I'd love a race in Finland another excuse to go back!

[Boing Ball]

Where do you guys get these funny preconceptions about weather in Finland? In summer time, the temperature can be anything between +15 C to +35, as it was a couple of years ago, but typically it is between 20 to 25, though.

The race is a completely unrealistic idea, forget about it.

[MrFondue]

Anyway, if Austrian GP returned, it'd give at least some faith in possibly having a GP also in other smaller European countries like Finland.

Won't happen. Austria doesn't even have a circuit that could run F1 these days.

[Fastcake]

Won't happen. Austria doesn't even have a circuit that could run F1 these days.

The Red Bull Ring? Only needs Red Bull to want it to happen.

[g1n]

The Red Bull Ring? Only needs Red Bull to want it to happen.

yes very surprising that it has not happened yet, Red Bull is Austrian and they have a GP track. Why wouldn't they want a home GP?

[redbroccoli]

If Spa with all the history can't even hold the race every year and have to alternate with France, what makes you to think Finland can support one?
Nowadays, any race in Europe save Monaco and possibly Silverstone is in danger of losing its place in favor of Asia/Middle East/Russia.

[SirRacer]

If Spa with all the history can't even hold the race every year and have to alternate with France, what makes you to think Finland can support one?

Kimi Raikkonen, Heikki Kovalainen

[Scotracer]

In the summer Southern Finland is warmer than the UK. Everyone, stop bringing up the weather.

There's no race in Finland probably because Bernie doesn't see it as a market worth exploiting.

[MortenF1]

...Just to give an answer to Taxi, Scotracer, then I'll leave the whether alone

-Can't give you dates, Taxi, but in the last say ten years, one of the three Scandinavian capitols has recorded the highest temp in Europe; (on that given day, obviously the average is far higher in Spain for instance) around 32'C.

[Octavian]

When did THAT happened? Sevilha, Madrid, Budapest, Rome, Athens, or Paris are way all the time hotter.

Every July and August.

Those cities are not "way hotter" all of the time - when it is summer in Europe both northern and souther European cities will take the max temp on different days. A couple of years ago it was 34c in Helsinki in July.

[Grayson]

I was thinking about this while reading F1 Racing on my way to work this morning - Heikki Kovalainen has an interview in this month's issue where readers posed questions to him and one of them was why there was no F1 race in Finland. His answer was that the short summer in Finland (sorry, Scotracer) combined with the lack of a suitable track is part of the reason.

I'd be quite keen to go to Finland if they host an F1 race!

[SirRacer]

I'd be quite keen to go to Finland if they host an F1 race!

Me too, Finland is a country I like and F1 would be a perfect excuse for going more often

[jrg19]

Me too, Finland is a country I like and F1 would be a perfect excuse for going more often

Ive only been the once in winter would love to go for a summer holiday.

[Taxi]

...Just to give an answer to Taxi, Scotracer, then I'll leave the whether alone

-Can't give you dates, Taxi, but in the last say ten years, one of the three Scandinavian capitols has recorded the highest temp in Europe; (on that given day, obviously the average is far higher in Spain for instance) around 32'C.

That happens when there's something wrong at the south, that is rarely. 32'c is kids game in a normal summer day in Madrid, Rome, or Paris. Lisbon is colder because of the Atlantic. Even so, I would say Helsinki is the warmest capital in Europe maybe 1 out of 1000 [summer] days.





That being said, weather is not the problem. Neither the name of the track. It's all about money to invest and national market. Finland is small and has other priorities, I'm sure.

[THE "driverider"]

Finland - 3 World Champions, 4 World Championships
New Zealand - 1 World Champion, 1 World Championship

Only two countries with champions to have never hosted a grand prix, Finland certainly deserve one.

Edit: didn't the F1 breakaway series have Finland on their calendar?

Edited by THE "driverider", 04 April 2012 - 13:15.

[FW09]

I don't think Finland's main airport is big enough to manage the entire F1circus arriving at once... (??)

Not sure if serious...

[FW09]

In the summer Southern Finland is warmer than the UK. Everyone, stop bringing up the weather.

The winter (ground frost) breaks the tracks though. To maintain F1 standards they would probably have to lay new tarmac and new kerbs every year.

[SirRacer]

The winter (ground frost) breaks the tracks though. To maintain F1 standards they would probably have to lay new tarmac and new kerbs every year.

So how did Kimi, Kovalainen etc start karting then? Sure they must have a system to maintain the tracks or something... I don't think they resurface every road in the country every year, do they?

[Gyan]

A street race in Helsinki in June.

[betafan]

Finland is the country that deserves the most to have a GP! In fact more race proper race tracks. It's cold, but I know they can drive on ice pretty well!

[SirRacer]

A street race in Helsinki in June.

June? the season ends in november

But in November there is snow already, so we could have a grand finale in a icy Helsinki street race

[SirRacer]

Now talking seriously, if they managed to get all the snow out of the track, there would still be some grip as the cars went on road doing laps, it would be more or less like a rainy GP in terms of grip no?

Well, the track temperature would be less than 0ºC, so maybe it would be way worse than a rainy GP

Edited by SirRacer, 04 April 2012 - 14:22.

[FW09]

So how did Kimi, Kovalainen etc start karting then? Sure they must have a system to maintain the tracks or something... I don't think they resurface every road in the country every year, do they?

They started in bad tracks. That's why they are so good.

They do resurface every road every few years. Still all the roads look like this:

[Wander]

Yeah, the thing is that Finland has to have a really frequent resurfacing schedule throughout the country to keep all the tarmac roads driveable.

But regarding the question, the facilities aren't there even if there are some decent tracks. It would take a ton of investment and right now there is no initiative to do so. The money is elsewhere.

[Cool Beans]

So to recap this thread:
1. No airport 2. Snow on track even during summer 3. It's impossible to build roads in Finland 4. People in Finland live in caves

Edited by beancounter, 04 April 2012 - 16:17.

[engel]

It's a silly thread ... there's no GP in Finland cause there aren't enough people willing to invest the money it takes to bring a GP to Finland. As simple as. If Nokia went to Bernie with a proposal for the The Nokia Finish GP in Keilaniemi and the $35m/year fee then Bernie would have no problem taking F1 there.