Donnington Running out of cash?
Donnington Running out of cash?
Author
Discussion

revrange

Original Poster:

1,182 posts

213 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
Not sure what to make to this but might be no Brit GP 2010 if this is right -

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p...

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
revrange said:
Not sure what to make to this but might be no Brit GP 2010 if this is right -

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p...
some interesting new names in there.....

german tony

2,000 posts

237 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
Hoping to sell 5000 odd corporate seats in advance to finance the enterprise was damn fool idea even when there was loads of cash about & now that we are in the middle of a recession it just looks even more Alice in Wonderland.

Fortunately Bernie has lots of people busting to organise a replacement GP (although not in the UK). Lets just hope the world recession misses them eh?

Edited by german tony on Sunday 8th February 21:38

skeggysteve

5,724 posts

246 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
Max is saying that the FIA could step in to safe guard the British GP.

Autosport article

fastfreddy

8,577 posts

266 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
They don't have any cash to run out of: "Donington Ventures has just £28 in the bank and so clearly its resources are limited"

Gillett will just walk away from this when it becomes apparent the investment isn't going to materialise. Probably leaving a half-finished building site in his wake...

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
fastfreddy said:
They don't have any cash to run out of: "Donington Ventures has just £28 in the bank and so clearly its resources are limited"

Gillett will just walk away from this when it becomes apparent the investment isn't going to materialise. Probably leaving a half-finished building site in his wake...
this was always what I consider the nighmare senario, Donington get's thoroughly screwed up and bankrupt in the process, killing it off for everybody.

RichB

56,258 posts

313 months

Saturday 7th February 2009
quotequote all
There was in interiew with the owner of Donnington in this months Motor Sport, I must confess he comes across as an arrogant sort, on the subject of banning spectatores from driving to the track he said "They'll just have to lump it..." Perhaps he's Ecclestone's type.

Kickstart

1,119 posts

266 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
This was always just a Bernie negotiating tactic so that he got some upfront money, shafted Silverstone and they could claim not to be the person who ended the British GP.

From what I read of the financing for the Donninton race it is all just pie in the sky...

rubystone

11,254 posts

288 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Paul Ricard, Donington Park - they'd make a nice pair, I'd have thought.

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
rubystone said:
Paul Ricard, Donington Park - they'd make a nice pair, I'd have thought.
it's looking increasingly like that's the game plan....

Plug550

1,108 posts

244 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.

RichB

56,258 posts

313 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Plug550 said:
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.
Ecept that this Gillet chap's diggers appear to have turned the place into a buildig site/quagmire...

skeggysteve

5,724 posts

246 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
rubystone said:
Paul Ricard, Donington Park - they'd make a nice pair, I'd have thought.
Interesting theory scratchchin

I think you could be on to something.

guyh

640 posts

240 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Donington will get built, I personally know people who despite the credit crunch are going to put hefty sums into this..

rubystone

11,254 posts

288 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Plug550 said:
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.
I thought that Gillett had acquired the whole place lock stock and barrel including (at that time) the Donington Collection. Perhaps you're confusing Gillet with the American company that did lease the circuit in the '90s?

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
rubystone said:
Plug550 said:
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.
I thought that Gillett had acquired the whole place lock stock and barrel including (at that time) the Donington Collection. Perhaps you're confusing Gillet with the American company that did lease the circuit in the '90s?
nope, still on lease....(long term)

flemke

23,485 posts

266 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
guyh said:
Donington will get built, I personally know people who despite the credit crunch are going to put hefty sums into this..
There are numerous scenarios. One's intentions could apply to one or some but not all.
Would your acquaintances' be independent of the debenture scheme, contingent upon it, in lieu of it, or bridging to it?

chevronb37

6,472 posts

215 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
rubystone said:
Plug550 said:
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.
I thought that Gillett had acquired the whole place lock stock and barrel including (at that time) the Donington Collection. Perhaps you're confusing Gillet with the American company that did lease the circuit in the '90s?
nope, still on lease....(long term)
Yeah, it was my understanding that the Collection was still with Tom and Kevin Wheatcroft. I can't see TW ever selling those cars after the adventures he had finding most of them.

Graham

16,381 posts

313 months

Sunday 8th February 2009
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
rubystone said:
Plug550 said:
Tom Wheatcoft still owns the freehold. This Gillet chap only took the leasehold. If all else fails, as it inevitably will, it will be back to 'as you were'.
I thought that Gillett had acquired the whole place lock stock and barrel including (at that time) the Donington Collection. Perhaps you're confusing Gillet with the American company that did lease the circuit in the '90s?
nope, still on lease....(long term)
iirc 100 year lease..

skwdenyer

18,707 posts

269 months

Monday 9th February 2009
quotequote all
fastfreddy said:
They don't have any cash to run out of: "Donington Ventures has just £28 in the bank and so clearly its resources are limited"

Gillett will just walk away from this when it becomes apparent the investment isn't going to materialise. Probably leaving a half-finished building site in his wake...
I do think one shouldn't read too much into this article. All it is doing is quoting the qualifications to the accounts of the Directors and, perhaps, the Auditors.

Essentially they're laying out the risks facing the business. This is very normal. There are thousands of companies around the UK whose accounts will read like this, yet which are in reality in rude health.

This is a start-up operation and, as such, is being financed by its shareholders and by borrowing.

As for £28 in the bank, this is a total red herring. The numbers on the balance sheet are simply a snapshot of the position at the close of business on a particular day in the year. Without corresponding historical evidence over a few years, this also means nothing.

Nothing to see here. Move along. I have no view as to whether the financing will happen, but I think this article is the worse kind of journalism - reporting something without understanding it at all.