Belgian Grand Prix

[polowonder]

Well, as everybody knows by now, the Belgian Grand Prix will not be run this year (or maybe never again). Although the Spa circuit (Francorchamps) is, according to many a driver, the most beautyful in the world.
So, thanks to those environmentals , with nothing else to do than to try to kill all kinds of motorsports:tdown: , we'll probably never see F1 cars again out here.

 

[sn00pie]

Oh, but it'll be back in at least 2005. I have a source in the Dorinth hotel there!

 

[polowonder]

Let's all hope so, and

 

[Pupik]

I think it was only temporarily removed from the schedule; it should be back for 2004, or at worst, 2006, when every EU nation has to follow the cigarette ban.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by polowonder
Well, as everybody knows by now, the Belgian Grand Prix will not be run this year (or maybe never again). Although the Spa circuit (Francorchamps) is, according to many a driver, the most beautyful in the world.
So, thanks to those environmentals , with nothing else to do than to try to kill all kinds of motorsports:tdown: , we'll probably never see F1 cars again out here.

Two points:
- there is a very good chance the circuit will return next year to replace Imola
- the issue was not to do with environmentalists but rather Belgium's early adoption of anti-cigarette advertising legislation. The grand prix has an exception now, too late for this year's event, but allowing it to go ahead next year

 

[Bollocks#999]

lets all hope so
to lose one of the last great "drivers" tracks would be one of the greatest losses to motorsport ever

 

[km]

Originally posted by vat_man
Two points:
- there is a very good chance the circuit will return next year to replace Imola
- the issue was not to do with environmentalists but rather Belgium's early adoption of anti-cigarette advertising legislation. The grand prix has an exception now, too late for this year's event, but allowing it to go ahead next year

Ummm why would they replace Imola????

 

[Talentless]

I think there are two Grands Prix for Germany and Italy, so reducing them would seem the fairest option if you want to limit the amount of races in a season while giving other nations a chance and keeping some venues.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by km
Ummm why would they replace Imola????

Pretty well what Talentless said - I believe they may have one more chance, there was some talk the organisers were told to make changes to the layout to improve overtaking opportunities.

Don't forget there are going to be fewer GPs in Europe over the coming years, so countries with two GPs will go back to one. Remember when Japan had two?

 

[polowonder]

Originally posted by km
Ummm why would they replace Imola????

Hello, all,
since I live in Belgium, I had the 'chance' to follow it all from close by.
Since years the environmentals are lobbying to even ban all forms of motorsport. (they even have thrown stones and nails on the track of the Ypres rally)
They never opposed to smoking till they learned that they could ban motorsport that way. One other fine racing track, Nivelles (where Emerson Fittipaldi won, the same day the late Senna was there in a go-cart), already dissappeared.
The Walloon Government (French speaking part of Belgium, who have a financial interest in Spa) wanted an exception for Francorchamps. But the 'greens' did not want that at all. Meanwhile the same 'greens' approved a law to legalise soft drugs!!!!!

 

[Pupik]

Well, I think giving Imola the axe isn't very fair. Yes, Spa is nice, but Imola is quite the "driver's circuit" as well.

Why don't the FIA open their eyes and get the Nürburgring off the schedule already; it's given us about one good race since returining to the schedule in '95. Or Hungary...what's the deal with that boring track?

 

[Phil]

Spa will be back for next year. Until a few weeks ago there was an outside chance that the race would be run as a non-championship event but I think that chance has now subsided. I also think we have seen the back of Imola especially with Bahrain being pencilled in for next April instead of at the end of the year.

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by polowonder
Hello, all,
since I live in Belgium, I had the 'chance' to follow it all from close by.
Since years the environmentals are lobbying to even ban all forms of motorsport. (they even have thrown stones and nails on the track of the Ypres rally)
They never opposed to smoking till they learned that they could ban motorsport that way. One other fine racing track, Nivelles (where Emerson Fittipaldi won, the same day the late Senna was there in a go-cart), already dissappeared.
The Walloon Government (French speaking part of Belgium, who have a financial interest in Spa) wanted an exception for Francorchamps. But the 'greens' did not want that at all. Meanwhile the same 'greens' approved a law to legalise soft drugs!!!!!

how exactly does a smoking ban make motorsport bannable too?

and why on EARTH did you elect a green party dood!!!!!

as for cars causing pollution, its very easy to blame them isn't it because you see them all the time and all you can see is smoke coming out. however i heard a statistic that one large factory creates more pollution in a day than all the cars in the UK in a YEAR. cars really don't pollute that much. smokers create a great deal of harmful smoke too, harmful to the environment as well as to humans.

but to ban motorsport, thats outrageous. i too heard that spa is one of the best drivers tracks out there.

@ all envinronmentalists who dislike cars

 

[polowonder]

Originally posted by Nightmage82
how exactly does a smoking ban make motorsport bannable too?

and why on EARTH did you elect a green party dood!!!!!

as for cars causing pollution, its very easy to blame them isn't it because you see them all the time and all you can see is smoke coming out. however i heard a statistic that one large factory creates more pollution in a day than all the cars in the UK in a YEAR. cars really don't pollute that much. smokers create a great deal of harmful smoke too, harmful to the environment as well as to humans.

but to ban motorsport, thats outrageous. i too heard that spa is one of the best drivers tracks out there.

@ all envinronmentalists who dislike cars

Hi, Nightmage82. I don't know exactly, but isn't England the "Mekka" of Motorsports? When I see what you can do there, I envy you. The cars you can get on the road, the way you handle Kit-cars and oldtimers!! Over here, we can only dream about that.
But, if you think I even thought about voting for the 'greenies'??

In the late seventies and eighties, I used to race myself. Even then, a lot of nice races were cancelled by the so called environmentals. They managed to have a law against racing in the neighbourhood of hospitals, houses, etc. If you know Belgium a bit (and especially Flanders where I live), you'll know that it's one of the regions with the most dense population. So, what they really wanted is to ban all form of motorised sports. Meanwhile millions of Euro's (equals about a dollar) are each year being spent to accomodate the soccer players.
I can only say this: the 'so called environmentals' only want to ban motorsports. Since the tobacco-ban, the FIA refused to be in Belgium. Remember, the Formula 1 dives mostly on tobacco sponsoring.

But... all of this does not mean that motorsport fans cannot be nice to the environment.

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by polowonder
Hi, Nightmage82. I don't know exactly, but isn't England the "Mekka" of Motorsports? When I see what you can do there, I envy you. The cars you can get on the road, the way you handle Kit-cars and oldtimers!! Over here, we can only dream about that.

ah polo, i didn't realise you were a new member, welcome to the board hope you have a great time here!

as for ur post, thats really interesting. here in the UK we are constantly envious of the germans and the unrestricted motorways they have there. and im sure they have cheaper insurance there. and more sensible too, our insurance policies here are completely crazy but thats another matter. though yes we are allowed to modify our cars to absolutely any power we want, and old cars can run without requiring strict emissions testing.

i've heard that in france they aren't allowed to even modify their engines at ALL. so thats pretty bad.

shame about that tobacco stuff though... if i see 20 cars do 60 laps of a track with marlboro and rothmans on their sides im not suddenly going to want to go and smoke! maybe next time you can vote a good party in that will see the benefits of keeping F1 there.

i've been to belgium before though and it seems like a fairly rich country. i only passed through really, didn't get a chance to meet any people really but i can say that you guys are good drivers and i dont need to concentrate there as much as i would in france or germany

 

[polowonder]

[ B]i've been
to belgium before though and it seems like a fairly rich country. i only passed through really, didn't get a chance to meet any people really but i can say that you guys are good drivers and i dont need to concentrate there as much as i would in france or germany [/B]
Thank you so much Nightmage for thinking we are good drivers. Maybe some of us are, but the majority....? But I guess that'll be the same everywhere. About the french, I think the same as you. They drive (and manufacture) cars that could never be on the road anywhere else. When I was still racing, the French came over here, and used vehicles for transportation you wouldn't believe. (A Citroen CX cut in two. Behind the cockpit they welded two beams, fitted two rear axles, and they had a car transporter).
But, I like to drive in Germany very much. Not only because of the Motorways, but especially because the way they drive in towns and on country roads. They drive smoother than in most countries and have a lot of discipline.
They have this TUV (Technical control) that is very severe, but those people know what they're talking about. For example, you want to fit 8 inch wheels on a Golf. Over here that's impossible. The Germans say: yes, but you'll have to change this, and adapt that. Same thing with horsepower. You can put more HP in the engine, but then from x HP on you'll have to put in stronger suspension parts, adapt the brakes, and so on. See what I mean? You can change something, but it has to stay within reason.
I'll give you an example. I know a nice Ferrari replica for sale, based on a Fiero. Since it is in Holland, I contacted the "Techical Control" first to make sure. They couldn't say if it was going to be allowed (a wheelbase change never is). I said the wheelbase wasn't changed, and the car has been on the road in Holland. "You'll have to contact the Ministery of Traffic" was all they could reply. See what I mean? They only know a standard car.
And: I NEVER VOTED FOR A CAR-UNFRIENDLY PARTY!!!

 

[polowonder]

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[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by polowonder
But, I like to drive in Germany very much. Not only because of the Motorways, but especially because the way they drive in towns and on country roads. They drive smoother than in most countries and have a lot of discipline.

@ the french
its good that u haven't voted for a car-unfriendly party... those partys should be banned!

as for the germans, what i hate about their driving is that when they see at 100kmh restriction on a motorway they all isntantly brake and slow down to exactly 100. here in the uk no one cares about limits on motorways unless they can see cops or speed cameras. but you wont find me complaining about german motorways, (apart from the traffic jams and roadworks )

 

[liquidyellow]

Why hold a GP in Europe when you can hold one in some s#1thole and make loads of money?

Ehh Bernie?