F1 goes Chinese in '04

[GilesGuthrie]

Bernie Ecclestone has signed a contract to take F1 to China for at least six years, starting in 2004.

The circus will go to a specially-built track near Shanghai. Designed by the same person who designed the track at Sepang, and also the updates to the Hockenheimring, the 5.66km track is said to be costing in excess of US$240m to build, and should be complete by March 2004.

Max Mosely announced that it had always been one of his primary intentions since becoming president of the FIA to take F1 to the world's most populous country, and now he has achieved this.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Just need it in Toronto canada and id be happy.

I guess i have to settle for the molson indy

 

[f1king]

china that sounds good.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by Rumple Foreskin
Just need it in Toronto canada and id be happy.

I guess i have to settle for the molson indy

You should go to Montreal, it's not far!

 

[Pupik]

So which venue will get the axe...Nurburgring or Budapest?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by pupik
So which venue will get the axe...Nurburgring or Budapest?

That's the interesting question. It won't be Nurburgring, as F1 and Germany are simply too close for that. Bear in mind that you have the two major manufacturers in Germany, plus 4 drivers.

Might be Hungaroring, but I'm not too sure. Something tells me that Bernie likes that event too much to dump it, even though the races are usually fairly dull. Of course, all the talk currently is that Spa is for the chop.

I think I'd like to see (but it won't happen for the above reason), Hockenheim dumped. I think that that track no longer serves any valid purpose in F1.

 

[Pupik]

I agree, over at the Atlas F1 Nostalgia Forum, they had a thread about "Historic Hockenheim"...one chap said something along the lines of "you know F1 is getting lousy when we're getting nostalgic about the demise of Hockenheim. What's next, crying over the loss of Zolder and Las Vegas?"

I nearly busted my gut with that line!

If the FIA really does ditch Spa, it will be one very large step closer to yours truly becoming an ex-F1 fan.

Sad, but Nurburgring-lite is finally a match for Hockenhiem since they emasculated it. Both are now so sad to behold. And although hugary used to provide an interesting race, it just has not been the case over the past 7-8 years. It's been dull as dirt.

But dull is want the FIA wants, however.

 

[vat_man]

Hopefully Hungary, although I suspect it will be the Nurburgring. I don't ever remember Hungary being interesting, the closest I can recall is Thierry Boutsen cruising around at the front of a very long queue many years ago.

I actually do miss the old Hockenheim circuit, although I will readily admit the grid truly did show it to be a car circuit, with team members lined up side by side on the grid - it was good to see the cars running with absolutely no toe and being ultra twitchy at 340kmh.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Ooh, I think you might be being a bit selective there Vat.

There was the 1997 almost-win for Arrows. There was Schuey's 2000 pit-strategy-switch, and then there was the 1990 race where Nigel Mansell won in an inferior Ferrari (I think I'm right on that one), passing Ayrton Senna in turn one.

Admittedly the races produce little in the way of overtaking, but often quite a lot of intrigue.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
Ooh, I think you might be being a bit selective there Vat.

There was the 1997 almost-win for Arrows. There was Schuey's 2000 pit-strategy-switch, and then there was the 1990 race where Nigel Mansell won in an inferior Ferrari (I think I'm right on that one), passing Ayrton Senna in turn one.

Admittedly the races produce little in the way of overtaking, but often quite a lot of intrigue.

I could never remember if that was Hungary or Portugal.

It's not the dullest by any stretch - some of the dullest GP's of recent years have been at Magny Cours - there's been a couple of wrist slitters there over the years.