British grand prix axed

[Carl.]

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=65061

With so many british teams and people involved in F1, I can't imagine a season without an British GP, yet it seems it will be that way for next year. That is unless someone does some miracle$ to please Bernie, like we did here.

 

[kensei]

I will admit I have never been a huge Silverstone fan, though it's history in F1 is interesting, that doesn't mean it should stay on history alone. I always found racing at Brands hatch much more interesting.

Not like it will ever happen but the idea of a street race in London for F1 is one of the most interesting circuit ideas I have heard in a long long time. I'd much prefer to see that happen over any other UK F1 thing, but won't hold my breath.

Then agian now that I think about it, this time last season the british GP @ Silverstone was axed, but they raced there in 04. I think Bernie just likes to use this whole thing to flex his muscle over british motor racing, it is all deeply personal at this point.

 

[daan]

Why have France, Germany & Italy got 2 races each and Britain has difficulty hanging onto 1?

How many F1 teams are based in Britain? McLaren, Williams, Renault, BAR, Jaguar & Jordan are all based here. 6 out of 10 teams. That alone says we should have a GP.

 

[millencolin]

too me, the British grand prix is one of the most presigious races of the year. with the exception of monaco, britian is the second most important race. it is the birthplace of auto racing, big beautiful history of motor racing, many chapions of f1 are british, stewert, hill, surtees, hawthorn just to name a few, as well as most teams being british. how long can the mr. E (and to a lesser extent, the british government) ignore the importnace of a british gp.

 

[Mike Rotch]

A GP season without a British GP? Wat are the odds of that?

Either there will be a last minute re-instatement after much work behind the scenes, or, Bernie is hellbent on following the $ signs to richer countries.

 

[millencolin]

if bernie is following the allmighty $$$ and leaving behind the history and passion of true f1....well that can only spell bad things on formula one. soon, all of the traditions that the sport holds will be swapped for whichever country can fork out the most moolah. there would be more herman tilke tracks popping up in countries where previously people in taht country thought that f1 was only the button on the top of a computer keyboard.

many circuits have been lost due to the fact of money. spa was gone for a year, san marino (dull as it may be now after 1994) its a historic circuit...now looks shakey, France was only millimetres away from getting the flick, Austria...gone, canada was eliminated (then put back in, thankfully), now britain has been given the boot. what has taken its place? Bahrain, China, Malaysia, Turkey? countries with no previous F1 history or background are now filling up the calendar. all over what? money!! Bernie has got enough of it, so why does he have to keep following it....

what just worrys me is which race will be the next to go? Monza, Melbourne, France, Hockemheim & Nurburgring (the unfortuately modified versions of both), Spain, Brazil or the unthinkable, monaco? which country that has a F1 history will be the next to be pushed aside for a rich, naive, history-less newcomer?

 

[Carl.]

I posted this link a while back, when Canada's GP was being removed from the calendar. It's a prank call with Bernie done by a local radio station, they made him believe he was talking to our former prime minister Jean Chretien...

4th audio link on this page

Tells a bit about how it works with Uncle Bernie.

 

[liquidyellow]

Isnt it weird how a group of Montreal businessmen can stump up over $10-20 million and knowone in the country with (aparently???) one of the strongest economys in the world (Britian) can scrape £3 million together

Surely Mercedes who part own McLaren or Williams could put something into it? But really this was going to happen for a while anyway after all it is the WORLD championship and why should Italy and Germany have 2 races each with no tobaco sponsorship either I used to be scepticle about the new races but I think its great F1 is spreading everywhere.

Stop press BBC London news have reported that the London street race may take 'the stones' place .

 

[Eagle]

There's no room for a London GP, it'd be a logistical nightmare. No stands, no pits, it'd cripple the city for a week - won't happen.

I'm not sure of the authenticity of this, I think I read it in AutoAction (largest Australian motorsport newspaper): Apparently, some consortium bought the British GP back in around 1999, and paid Bernie in advance until 2010, only to go bust or something and hand over the reigns to Jackie Stewart's crew. Now, Bernie wants them to pay twice for the race essentially, and Stewart thinks that's a load of crap, as well he might.

Frankly, I think Bernie needs to be done away with. He's just greedy. I'm all for expanding the sport and I think he's played a large part in that, but there's no legitimate reason to drop the British GP except for greed based fiscal reasons. I think the calendar should only be expanded, not shortened, and drivers like Rubens seem to agree - I know I'd much prefer actually racing to just testing monotonously for months a year.

I can't honestly see the British GP being done away with. History alone does not ensure it's survival, but racing there has been as interesting as at most venues, occasionally moreso, and I think combined with the heritage and the importance of Britain as a country for Formula 1, it should stay.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I seem to hear stories of the British GP being axed every year ...

Last year it had something to do with the group that owns the track, Octagon Motorsport, not having the funding ... the year before was another insane story ... I don't think the British GP is going to go, it's too popular.

And Eagle, there was once a proposal for a London GP ... the circuit wasn't all the bad. Maybe KY could put it in GT4 or 5. The again, they wanted to run an equally challenging race through the streets of Beiruit. www.racingcircuits.net for more info.

 

[kensei]

I seem to hear stories of the British GP being axed every year ...

Last year it had something to do with the group that owns the track, Octagon Motorsport, not having the funding ... the year before was another insane story ... I don't think the British GP is going to go, it's too popular.

And Eagle, there was once a proposal for a London GP ... the circuit wasn't all the bad. Maybe KY could put it in GT4 or 5. The again, they wanted to run an equally challenging race through the streets of Beiruit. www.racingcircuits.net for more info.

There are also rumors of a GP in New York City (where I live) in Manhattan. Again not that it will ever happen but I'd love to see it.

As I remember reading the London street GP circuit would be a sorta purpose built semi temporary circuit much like the Austrailian GP circuit is. Same with the NYC circuit which would spend alot of time going around central park as I remember. Both I remember reading about in Autosport last winter.

 

[Eagle]

There are a number of temporary circuits erected on public streets mixed with purpose built track sections (Melbourne, Montreal on the F1 calendar, plenty in other formulas). I recall seeing a track proposal for a London GP earlier in the year in these forums, but it remains a logistical nightmare, closing down the core of London for a week or so, erecting pits, stands, resurfacing sections of street, potentially closing shopfronts, a number of considerations would make it an incredible chore to pull off. The interest if obviously there, underlined by the 500000 people who attended the F1 through the streets of London event earlier in the year, but that alone won't make it any more viable.

The US is apparently looking to host 2 GPs like a few European countries do, a return to Long Beach was rumoured but whether anything happens remains to be seen. I doubt an NYC track would be any easier than a London one, but they're cool ideas and fun to see in games like GT4.