The Nostalgic Grand Prix of Belgium
#1
Posted 18 September 2002 - 06:42
Although this info was mooted a time ago, it appears that things are becoming more fefinite.
A well-informed insider has leaked to me the following desperate news: the tobacco advertising ban in Belgium begins on August 1st 2003; the grand prix should be at the end of that month; moves are afoot to swap Belgium with Austria so that the race at Spa takes place BEFORE August 1st 2003; then, from 2004 onwards......... no Belgian Grand Prix.
Is this depressing, or is it just me ?????
Advertisement
#2
Posted 18 September 2002 - 07:26
Curse Colin Chapman and his gold leaves!
Can't Schumacher take a pay cut instead?
#3
Posted 18 September 2002 - 18:49
Originally posted by Ray Bell
Totally depressing that the future of Grand Prix racing relies on tobacco advertising.
Curse Colin Chapman and his gold leaves!
Can't Schumacher take a pay cut instead?
I don't think we can blame it all on Chunkie, even though we know that's a tongue-in-cheek comment.
This whole thing came home to me in the early 70s when at Silverstone for practice at a British GP. I was peering inside a transporter for Graham Hill's Embassy Team, which was very much a backmarker. Inside were 4 or so DFV engines. I couldn't help but contrast this to the same event in 1958, when the Ferraris arrived under tarpaulins on open, beaten up British lorries and Hawthorn had to borrow ramps from the Vanwall team, who were the envy of the paddock with their custom-designed transporters.
#4
Posted 18 September 2002 - 21:00
At the Australian GP of 1966 (or 1965, 1964, 1967 or 1968 for that matter, even 1969!) there were many Avis rental Ford F100s, all red and roadstained, with flatbed trailers that had spare wheels hanging on the sides around tarpaulin-covered BRMs (or Lotus, or Brabhams, or Ferraris, or Lolas), tool boxes stashed in the back of the style-side (a name that didn't exist then!) bodies of the trucks.
Today, the alloy containers shaped to the form of a 747 fuselage come on forklifts by the dozen, Bernie's camera crew set up all their own TV stuff around the circuit, the very best of everything is laid on for everyone and local catering crews are paid bountifully to keep them fed and otherwise provided for.
I know where I'd rather be... just by the way...
#5
Posted 18 September 2002 - 22:04
#6
Posted 18 September 2002 - 22:29
Caterers running around like mad things getting things sorted... oh, I get it... that's for the corporate guests!
#7
Posted 18 September 2002 - 22:30
#8
Posted 18 September 2002 - 22:33
I understand the concept that there is only a certain number of races with tobbacco ban for rentability of the whole show (F1, that is) to exist, but he better drop another race in that case... Spa will be Spa without F1, but how much F1 will be F1, if Spa is dropped? Not that I delude myself that this is the Spa, but it definitely isn't one of 'em Mickey Mouse* tracks...
* i would ask, if I durst, about the origin of that phrase. Thanks in advance.
#9
Posted 18 September 2002 - 23:35
From the early seventies, as I recall... used often with places like Zolder. Ironically, many of them were Hugenholtz circuits built with too many restrictions, hence too tight to be realistic... and if one looks at Suzuka you'll see that Hugenholtz did the right job when he had the right situation to work with.
Maybe Alan Henry? Maybe one for Doug?
#10
Posted 19 September 2002 - 00:01
#11
Posted 19 September 2002 - 00:45
Yeah, the Bugatti circuit would have brought out that term for sure...
#12
Posted 19 September 2002 - 01:15
#13
Posted 19 September 2002 - 01:44
The shape of the circuit, typically with 'ears' like Mickey Mouse...
#14
Posted 19 September 2002 - 05:48
#15
Posted 19 September 2002 - 06:03
Funny, I never thought of that connection at the time.
#16
Posted 19 September 2002 - 06:23
Incidentally, when Motoring News published the first circuit map of the Las Vegas car park circuit in about 1981 (?), their headline read....
MICKEYIST MOUSE EVER?