5 replies to this topic

[Witt]

Hi everyone!

Not sure if i really belong on this forum due to my lack of F1 viewing experience, but i am a keen historian none the less, and i was wondering if i could borrow some of your past memories.

I am very interested in the old F1 circuits. It seems pretty straight forward, we lost a great circuit because it was too long, not safe enough or some other country threw more money at Bernie sometime during the late seventies and early eighties.

Something that has really interested me is the massive changes to Silverstone over the years. I was watching a season review from the eighties recently and i noticed that Silverstone was almost flatout the whole lap. Nowadays it seems to be more of a stop start type circuit.

It's a damn shame, methinks, that these changes had to happen. What i need to know is what year the major changes occured. ie; when was Becket's, Stowe, Club etc modefied to it's current status. What i am more interested in, is what caused all these changes and how did the drivers of the day feel about them? And lastly, in your opinion, what did you think of the changes?

Stuff like this i can't find all in the one place, so i thought i'd be lazy and ask you knowledgable people for the answers. If any other changes happened that i'm probaly not aware of, please include those too.

Thanks.

[Don Capps]

Witt,

Fair quetion and we'll try to sort it all out for you. It is pretty interesting to see how Silverstone has evolved over the years. Once I am home this evening I'll see what I can do.

And lack of "viewing experience" is not a problem here. Just bring an open mind and a willingness to participate. Asking questions is the highest level of participation you can imagine.



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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

[FlagMan]

Most of the major changes came in 1994/5, after Senna's death, as part of the sweeping changes to slow down circuits. There had been many smaller changes over the preceeding 10 years or so. Some of more recent changes have been so open the circuit back up a bit as they found that they had over-reacted in '94.

In some ways the changes have improved it as there are now more places to see the drivers in action - although I must admit that its a pity we have lost the sight/sound of someone like Arnoux talking the old Abbey curve 'almost' flat in a Ferrari during qualifying - I think I detected just a slight waver in the engine note - couldn't have been more then a couple of hundred revs. Must have been some time in the early '80s.

I guess the changes had to come eventually as it the speeds where getting a bit over the top - and you cannot keep on moving barriers back without introducing other problems.

In some ways the changes have made it more interesting for us flag marshals - until the drivers/FIA started messing with the rules - but that is another story.

[Fast One]

Don will be able to fill you in more thoroughly than I, buy here's what I can remember. Silverstone was first used, at least for Grand Prix cars, in 1948. The original start-finish line was about a third of the way between Abbey and Woodcote, on what is sometimes called the Farm Straight now, just before the stadium section.

They were always fiddling with it, but the first major change I can remember came when they installed a chicane at Woodcote in about 1975.

The next major revision was in 1991, with the replacement of Woodcote with the stadium section, the complete redesign of the Maggots-Becketts-Chapel section, as well as a total reconfiguration of Stowe to Club section, lengthening both corners adding two unofficial corners, and shortening the straight.

Starting in the mid-1990's, they've monkeyed with it almost annually to the point where I don't keep up.

I do not remember when the start-finish line was moved to between Woodcote and Copse. Don or David?

[Witt]

Thanks guys!

But how did the drivers react to the changes that occurred in 1991? They seem to be the biggest changes that have happened over the years.

And one more question. Is the "old" circuit ever used anymore for club races or have they ripped up the old tarmac never to use it again?

Thanks again.

[Fast One]

Witt--

Most of it is long gone, the sites lost under grandstands and gravel traps.