Spa to alernate with Paul Ricard for F1?

[RDMcG]

So reports the Guardian this morning. If so it seems like another nail in the coffin of great circuits. Australia is iffy in the mid term. I understand financial realities so let's get on with it. One rotating GP for all of Europe plus an annual Monaco bash,30 races including Turkhmenistan,Indonesia,Nigeria,Western Samoa,and a floater in Atlantis.
Like most F1 fans I rate Spa at the very top. We seem to be losing history at rate of knots.

[Eric Mc]

Totally irrelevant as far as Bernie and CVC is concerned.

[24lemons]

Eric Mc said:

Totally irrelevant as far as Bernie and CVC is concerned.

Sadly true but one of the most compelling attractions for this fan at least is the heritage and history of the sport. If they let the links to the past fade away I might as well go and watch indycars.

Progress is to be expected but not at the expense of the venues (and teams for that matter) that made f1 what it is.

[Vocal Minority]

I think the more and more historic circuits that are lost the more and more hardcore fans will drift away.

The result of this will be the majortiy of the fan base being casual observers, who will be much harder to keep on as fans. One dull season and it could take a lot of times to recover.

[Woody]

Doesn't Bernie own Paul Ricard???

[davepoth]

Woody said:

Doesn't Bernie own Paul Ricard???

Yes. Hardly irrelevant for Bernie.

[McHaggis]

RDMcG said:

So reports the Guardian this morning. If so it seems like another nail in the coffin of great circuits. Australia is iffy in the mid term. I understand financial realities so let's get on with it. One rotating GP for all of Europe plus an annual Monaco bash,30 races including Turkhmenistan,Indonesia,Nigeria,Western Samoa,and a floater in Atlantis.
Like most F1 fans I rate Spa at the very top. We seem to be losing history at rate of knots.

Erm, isn't Paul Ricard a bit of a classic circuit? It's not exactly new, and it's a lot more exciting than Magny Cours. If it means we keep both Paul Ricard AND Spa, then I'm all for it.

Early September in the South of France... bring it on.

[Eric Mc]

No substitute for Spa though.

Let's have Paul Ricard instead of Bahrain.

[Henry Fiddleton]

Spa is one of the few circuits F1 needs, more than it needs F1.

Monaco and Spa are a must- they need to see that!

[Allyc85]

Spa = arguably f1s best circuit

Paul Ricard = Over grown car park, decorated in bright colours for 5 year olds. And yes I know it is the high friction surface...

[Xtype]

I love spa

My order of fav tacks,

Spa
Suzuka
Monaco
Monza

[Chrisgr31]

Ahhhh but in the TV threads people keep saying the European viewers dont matter as everyone including sponsors is more interested in the Far East market. The new fans there arent going to care about the old European circuits!

[Fire99]

Paul Ricard looks like it merged a Tesco car park with a kaleidoscope.

[Welshbeef]

Xtype said:

I love spa

My order of fav tacks,

Spa
Suzuka
Monaco
Monza

Agreed but I'd add Bathurst - imagine if F1 went there....

[TheHeretic]

I used to have fanciful notions of romantic circuits... Then I saw the Indycar race the other day, and the circuit they ran on... It puts most F1 circuits in a far better light!

[Red Firecracker]

From reports, it is a fantastic circuit with marvellous facilities. For the teams. For spectators it is very poor, with a capacity of 3-4 thousand and access roads that make the Silverstone of old seem like the centre of the universe.

To get an idea, the 6 Hours of le Castellet ELMS race is on MotorsTV tomorrow. Last year it was a great race, with great coverage as the TV angles open to the cameras are very clear, which is again a throwback to the circuit's years as the HTTT (Hight Tech Test Track). Also, I believe it has a track sprinkler system installed....

[zac510]

The Belgians have been threatening to scuttle Spa themselves for years with noise restrictions and what not.

I hope not as it definitely is one of the best tracks (and GP).

[Fire99]

Red Firecracker said:

Also, I believe it has a track sprinkler system installed....

Oh for goodness sake. What next? Press a button and a cardboard cut-out of a small child pops out the ground for the drivers to avoid? Racing should be organic, not artificially stimulated.

[Eric Mc]

Fire99 said:

Oh for goodness sake. What next? Press a button and a cardboard cut-out of a small child pops out the ground for the drivers to avoid? Racing should be organic, not artificially stimulated.

Shush - don't give 'em any ideas.

[Red Firecracker]

It was installed for very valid reasons when the track was the HTTT. Want to test your wet setup? No problem. You have to remember that this facility was completely geared towards testing rather than racing, it is only recently that racing has once again been seen there.