38 replies to this topic

[Toyoter]

I'm a bit confused here. If Silverstone is such a dump, so much so that they are considering cancelling the 2002 British GP, why don't they simply move the race to another of England's many circuits? Or am I wrong in thinking that there are plenty of other circuits there? Didn't they used to run at Donington? We're talking about the center of the F1 universe here, is it really true that there is no track in the entire country that is suitable for an F1 race?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yes, the others are worse. Both in facilities and track layout

[Ali_G]

yeah. There is Donington, Brands Hatch, Thruxton and loads more.

All crappy circuits though adn no grand stands or facilities.

Niall

[BMW FW22]

Don not forget Rockinham

Can anyone post the in field layout ?

[Dudley]

Brands Hatch is much better but they couldn't get planning permission.

Donnington would be fine but would need a little bit more time even if the money was found.

[Chrissy Boy]

Lydden Hill!

[Gary C]

How can you possibly say that Brands Hatch is a 'crappy circuit'???? Have you ever been there? It's one of THE best tracks around! And I've been to places like Suzuka, Spa, the (original) Nurburgring, Clermont Ferrand and Interlagos, and would easily include Brands with all of those!!

[Ross Stonefeld]

Brands is a great lap, but it'd be a *terrible* race

[Gary C]

What do you mean? Worse than the proccessions we've at Silverstone for a few years???
At least the track undulates a bit rather than being completely flat & boring!

[Ross Stonefeld]

Its too narrow, twisty, etc. Its like Monaco or Hungary. A fantastic driver challenge, but not prone to good racing

[Vitesse2]

And you can see a third of the circuit from a grandstand seat!! Unlike Silverstone, where you can see ****-all apart from what's right in front of you!

And IMHO, Brands always provided better races than Silverstone.

[Zeus]

yes, but maybe not with today's high downforce, low mechanice grip cars

Regardless, I'd love to see the GP go to Brands. Or they could have let Silverstone alone and that would have been just fine. The only good part of the new Silverstone are the switchbacks before the Hanger Straight (forgive me for forgetting the names - Abbot is it?)

[PDA]

At the WSB meeting at brands this summer, they managed to get 120,000 people is and out, so the relevant facilities seem to be OK vs. Silverstone. Unfortunately, they would have to build a new paddock to accomodate the free spending Paddock Club, and there is no room in the existing pits location. (mind you, it would still be ten times better than Monaco, but we hear nothing about that being scrapped).
Ross. there is no passing at Silverstone, so Brands would be no worse.

[MattFoster]

Donington would be good, it was a great race in 1993. Lets hope they can fix the place up.

[Gary C]

I'm with Vitesse2 on this one!

[dynamite7]

Rockingham is an excellent idea, it's new and state of the art. Brands Hatch is too dangerous isn't it, all new (non-recent) F1 tracks must be micky-mouse tracks don't they?

[MattC]

Here's the official Rockingham layout map:



(n.b. the infield has various different configs. I believe this is the one for "big boys" racing, but I could be wrong. The others are all in the same section of the web-site.)

Having driven this, it seemed a bit slow and twisty to me. Brands (both layouts!) seem far less so. Of course, Rockingham has the long banked section, like the Indy F1 layout - could someone post this as a comparison? (And Donington is a 100 times nicer to drive!)

As a Brit, I'm pretty depressed about the British GP situation. I went to the race this year with a team-freeloader ticket, and still didn't think much of it - Silverstone is a bit pants. So in a way, I think it deserves to go. HOWEVER, all my "home of motorsport" type feelings say that it would be tragic to lose the British GP.

I've been to other race meetings at Donny and Brands, and enjoyed them all more than the GP. But that may be because the whole GP-circus is a bit crap, isn't it?

Ideally, we would throw money at this problem (preferably at a better track, but Silverstone would be OK) so that we keep the race. Then all the Paddock Clubbers and corporates could pay the outrageous prices to fund the thing.
UNFORTUNATELY I know plenty of grass-roots fans who will keep going, and they are already being ripped off (cheapest ticket is £199 for 2002, IIRC).

Maybe we need cheaper tickets for the true fans, and more "luxuries" for those that don't care about the cost?

Anyway, that's my patriotic perspective...

To you folks from foreign lands, please be nice to us! Remember we build many of the cars that you see running at your nearest tracks! Support the British GP

p.s. Ross - you won't get many invites back if you keep slagging our circuits. I don't recall you spending much time ON the last track you drove....

[se7en_24]

Originally posted by MattC
p.s. Ross - you won't get many invites back if you keep slagging our circuits. I don't recall you spending much time ON the last track you drove....

I agree entirely with Ross, although fun to drive compared to Silverstone most of Britain's tracks are only suitable for National racing. I've been to WSB at Brands, and I'm sure the number of bikes in the carparks has a slight bearing on the traffic situation being good :-) Brands is like Ross says, too twisty and tight for modern F1, although the sight of one going thru Dingle Dell would be amazing. (Incidentally they were going to change Dingle Dell completely when there was talk of moving the GP there).

[Lantern]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
And you can see a third of the circuit from a grandstand seat!! Unlike Silverstone, where you can see ****-all apart from what's right in front of you!

Sooo, I guess I should consider myself VERY lucky(in GP viewing terms) to have been seated in the highest region of the NW Vista at the USGP where about 70% of the track is visable? Of course those poor bastards in the tower terrace get what I guess we should call the "Silverstone view";)


I have noticed that placement of the stands at current F1 tracks really sucks. I mean I can understand the circumstances when you have a track that runs through a forest, but Silverstone shouldn't have the same problem.

[jmcgavin]

Sorry but one thing Brands is not and that's 'Mickey Mouse'. Loads of different corners, gradients, overtaking opportunities, and a drivers favorite as I remember when the GP used to be held there.

The layout is great, however they would need to make huge alterations to the surrounding layout to get the gravel traps etc in.

[mikedeering]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Yes, the others are worse. Both in facilities and track layout

C'mon Ross, Snetterton is on a par with Indy, surely???

[FredF1]

Regarding the 'Corporate Types'.

I agree - they're an embarrassment to any sport.

Bumped into a bunch of them at Monza this year.

They wanted to know why we were off to the circuit on a Saturday when the race wasn't until the following day.
An brief explanation from me on qualifying just mystified them.
Even then, they were more interested in watching Inter Milan play than going to the GP.

My brother knows of a guy who can get free general admission tickets to most European GP's - never takes them as he has no interest.

It's not just F1 - A friend of mine scored some international rugby tickets a few years back - He was in the corporate entertainment section - most of those around him spent the entire match talking business, barely looking at the pitch.

[byrkus]

I remember a couple years ago, Brands Hatch was seriously considered as a GP venue for Great Britain. However, less than a week later (as I remember), a long-term contract was signed with Silverstone (for 15 years or so), and now they're saying Silverstone is threatened on calendar?? I understand this as an obvious example of 'disqualification' of a track (in this case Brands Hatch) just because of personal interests ($$$!) of you-know-who...

[Crazy Canuck]

I think Mallory Park would be great for an F1 race!! You can see nearly teh whole track from the hill on the outside of the pit strait.

CC

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by mikedeering


C'mon Ross, Snetterton is on a par with Indy, surely???

Ill tell you if I ever find the medical center

[MattC]

Originally posted by Crazy Canuck
I think Mallory Park would be great for an F1 race!! You can see nearly teh whole track from the hill on the outside of the pit strait.

CC

Fantastic idea! In fact, you could probably see all of it if you chopped out that silly, slow, hairpin/chicane section. I guess the track would then be sort of oval. Hmm...

;)

[Ross Stonefeld]

The hairpin is the best part. If you overshoot the braking you hit the track building, if you over shoot turning in you go out the main gate and into the village

[sennadog93]

Ross - who the hell do you think you are coming over here and slagging off our circuits?;) The trouble nowadays is that it's very difficult and expensive to bring a circuit up to F1 standards and if you don't need to, why bother? Brands is a great circuit to drive on and always used to provide spectacular races but I don't think that it is wide enough although Druids always provides some action.

Anyway, it is a moot point in that Silverstone has been awarded next years race.

[philhitchings]

Whilst not wishing to appear unloyal to the "home" GP (I will anyway ) The cost of tickets to the BGP is prohibitive in the extreme. I travel abroad each year now, having spent many years going to both silverstone and brands (I missed Donnington in 93, to my never ending shame) I get much better value for money in europe than I ever got in UK.

Now in terms of the alternatives I would say that rockingham would look like a good option, can anyone tell me if there are gradient changes in the infield?

[Ali_G]

i have to say one thing though.

Compared to other countries Englands variety and standard of circuits is very poor.

You can't really compare England to the USA but just look at countries like Japan, Italy, and Germany.

Germany - Hockenheim, Nurburgring (Both old and new), Sachsenring, Lauzitz Ring. I'm sure there are more.

Niall

[Dudley]

Ross, it's off topic but I just saw an end of season Formula P-Audi race from Snetterton, was that your red and black car I saw or does someone drive a very similar one?

[Ross Stonefeld]

In the races I had a black car with a red right sidepod, because I lost my black one in qualifying and we didnt have a black spare. If car in question is off the road, its me, if car in question is having a quiet race, its not me

[Ross Stonefeld]

[Crazy Canuck]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
The hairpin is the best part. If you overshoot the braking you hit the track building, if you over shoot turning in you go out the main gate and into the village

Yeah, goin' into the village is cool

CC

[LB]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld

I was dying to grab the old black sidepod and post a pic of it but I never plucked up the courage..

Rockingham is streets ahead of Silverstone in so many ways ( save access) but it is probably too small at the moment as the entire complex is within a mile and a half oval. however from the main grandstand you can see 100% of the track which is a major selling point.

[LB]

Dudley the one heading towards the turnip field was indeed Ross. he never got a namecheck though

[Ross Stonefeld]

[Dudley]

Part driver, part farmer!

Yeah, that was the car I saw, although it got about 3 quarters of a second of coverage, mostly when someone got punted ahead of it.

[MrAerodynamicist]

I'd have thought Mosley would have loved Silverstone with its traffic problems. Well, the guy does like processions without overtaking.