British F1 Grand Prix?

Question

On the morning of first practice, it has been reported that the British Grand Prix will be leaving Silverstone and moving to Donnington Park.

Considering the amount of bad press that has been handed to Silverstone and it's owners, surely the move to Donnington where the facilities are not up to Silverstone's standards will be a shot in the foot.

What are your thoughts on it?

Answer 1

Isn't donnington a Go Kart track?

Answer 2

Every single year there is talk about threat to the BGP. Bernie the bolt likes to stir it up and the bods at the BRDC are so up their own collective a55es they bite every time.

I think it is all stuff and nonsense brought about by so many egos. Still ... we will see.

xxFJ

PS ... Looks like I was TOTALLY wrong !!! Yet again

Answer 3

The new owners at Donnington are going to spend about £100 million on improvements.  If they do a good job the Donnington GP will be excellent....

Answer 4

donnington have the money to build a venue that bernie ecclestone has asked for, where silverstone just couldn't get the money together. donnington is going to be completely changed with a multi million pound redevelopment.

Answer 5

The difference is that Silverstone is owned by the BRDC and they don't want any outside investment, but they can't afford to do the necessary work themselves. Donnington is privately owned, and would be able to put outside investment in place to upgrade the facilities IF they had signed to hold the GP.

Although I wish they would move the GP to Donnington or Brands (or anywhere but the boredom of Silverstone, please...) I don't think it will happen - it's just Bernie trying to put some pressure on the BRDC.

EDIT

IT'S TRUE!!!!! REJOICE! REJOICE!

"DONINGTON TO HOST 2010 FORMULA ONE BRITISH GRAND PRIX

Fri 4th Jul 08 - 11:43

The future of the British Grand Prix has today been secured in a new 10 year agreement between Donington Ventures Leisure Limited and Formula One Management Limited.

The 2010 F1™ British Grand Prix at Donington Park will see the pinnacle of motor racing return to the iconic East Midlands circuit after a 17-year absence when it last hosted the Grand Prix of Europe in 1993.

Circuit owners and joint CEO’s, Simon Gillett and Lee Gill made the following statement:

“We are naturally delighted and extremely proud to have acquired the rights to bring Formula One back to Donington Park from 2010. At the beginning of last year when we acquired the circuit and its substantial lands, we made clear our commitment towards realising the full potential of the Park by making the necessary investments in current and future events that will see Donington revitalised ensuring its leading position as one of the most iconic racing circuits in the world. To that end, we have now entered a new and exciting chapter in the development of the Park and one that will bring significant investment and regional development while securing the future of one of the most important and significant sporting events in Britain.

Donington Ventures Leisure Limited has worked closely with the local and national authorities in consideration of the planning requirements that are necessary to provide a first class facility for the hosting of F1 in 2010. The details of this and the Donington Park master plan that outlines a 5 year investment programme of some £100m, will be provided at a future date.

The investment will be led by a private investor who is also a large shareholder.

Today’s signing of the contract with Formula One Management Limited brings to an end a period of commercial negotiations, none of which would have been possible without the support of Mr Ecclestone and FOM. However, Donington Ventures are still engaged in negotiations with other important third parties that should be concluded in a matter of days. Only when this is done, will they release further information to the media." http://www.donington-park.co.uk/events/e...

Answer 6

This is the worst thing could happen for Donnington, it's a fantastic circuit that will be ruined by the safety requirements of F1, they are already talking about increasing run off, so by the time they have the concrete run off's in position to cover for driver mistakes, the crowd will be so far back as not to be able to see anything, leave the boring procession at Silverstone and leave one of the best natural spectating circuits in Britain alone.

Answer 7

bernie eccleston has stated that if silverstone is not up to scratch then we will not see a british grand prix for a while because nowhere else is good enough.

Answer 8

they are always saying that. The BRDC has already made plans for improvements. Personally I am a fan of Silverstone. we the public have got good facilities at silverstone, clean toilets, doctors on site etc etc, but having been in the garages I was actually appalled to see the state of the toilet. I say toilet because there is only one in each and it is minging. Silverstone needs to vastly improve the facilities for drivers and pit crews.

Edit: oh well looks like i'm going into mourning. Donnington may be a good track, but I love Silverstone:(

Answer 9

Anything that moves something away from the south east has to be good!

I understand that many in the south east think that the world ends just north of Watford but I can assure them that it doesn't - up here, in the frozen north, we don't all wear flat caps or race pigeons.

Sadly the Motoring world still seem to think that the Motor Show should only be open to those in the overcrowded south east - sure I could get a train (if it arrives on time), a bus (which quoted a seven hour journey!!!) or drive (is it right that you can just park on the M25?). NO chance! I'll wait until someone sees sense (again) and hosts it at the NEC (remember the place; good access, plenty of parking etc, etc)

I wouldn't care if they decided to use a pub car park for the F1 2010 - so long as they move it away from the south east

Answer 10

In my view it's never gonna happen. Donington are already saying they don't yet have  the planning permission in place for the extensive rebuild and also saying there is no mystery investor with the money. Sounds to me like cold feet. Bernie is sounding less than confident as well, when asked if Donington could really be ready by 2010 he said 'who knows? if they put their mind to it then it can be'. (BBC website). Hardly a ringing endorsement of confidence! To pay Herman Tilke his fee for redesigning the track, then to relay the track, to build new grandstands, a new pit and paddock complex, and a road infrastructure able to cope with the traffic is gonna cost a lot more than £100m in my view - more like £300m. Bernie will walk away in 2010 saying 'well, I did what I could to save the British GP but both Silverstone and now Donington let me down'. So then he won't appear as the bad guy,  and he'll go off and flog the GP to India or probably Russia where some oil billionaire like Abramovich will pay him the mega bucks he wants. That's been his plan all along.

Answer 11

F1 at Donnington instead of Silverstone? Good.

It's time the old chaps at the BRDC private club came into the 21st century and ran the circuit as a business, and not as a gin-and-tonic-slurping throw back to the days of empire.

Onwards and upwards at Donnington.