Don't buy your British GP 2010 tickets just yet
Discussion
"Ecclestone: Donington causes F1 calendar 'trouble'"
Can someone just put him out of our misery please.
Can someone just put him out of our misery please.
Crash.net said:
Bernie Ecclestone has cast further doubt upon the future of the British Grand Prix, insisting that Donington Park must complete its extensive redevelopment programme and circuit modifications by its promised date of summer of next year – and that even if it does, it is still not necessarily guaranteed a spot on an over-populated 2010 Formula 1 calendar.
Donington was awarded a ten-year rights agreement to hold the British Grand Prix by Formula One Management (FOM) chief executive Ecclestone last July, and will replace the race's traditional host of Silverstone, which has been a fixture on the F1 schedule on no fewer than 42 occasions since the official inception of the world championship back in 1950.
However, there has been persistent doubt and cynicism over the Leicestershire venue's ability to welcome the top flight, having only done so once before, when it hosted the rain-lashed 1993 European Grand Prix, so famously dominated by the late, great three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
Critics have pointed to the circuit's inadequate infrastructure and poor access, and the limited timeframe in which to undertake a £100 million revamp to bring it up to F1 standard, with further question marks over contracts and just where all the money is coming from, following a number of setbacks for Simon Gillett's Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) company since the change of venue was announced eight months ago.
Moreover, Ecclestone has revealed his intention of introducing a fixed, 20-date calendar for the sport – and he warned that with South Korea due to join the fray in 2010 and India a year later, there are already more races than available slots.
With European races that have recently been axed unlikely to be re-instated given the far greater financial wherewithal of Middle and Far Eastern countries clamouring for a grand prix, the sport's commercial rights-holder admitted that should Donington not meet its legally agreed deadline, then the British Grand Prix will be no more – as Silverstone, he insists, will not be granted a reprieve.
“We haven't got a spare date,” the 78-year-old told UK newspaper The Guardian. “We're in trouble. We need a date. We're going to be in trouble if we do have Donington, [but] they're doing a good job.
“We left Silverstone because I'm trying to improve facilities throughout the world, and when I get people to build new circuits to the standard of which we are trying to reach, how could we go back to Silverstone? I negotiated a deal for them many years ago to allow them to have enough money to build what they wanted, and they didn't build it.”
Amongst the improvements at Donington are a new pit-lane and paddock complex along the Starkey Straight – which would become the new start-finish line – the displacement of the famous Dunlop Bridge, a new infield section which will join the present layout at the final corner, Goddards, enhanced media facilities and better access, with suggestions by Gillett that the race will be the first-ever public transport-only grand prix.
FIA President Max Mosley has previously underlined the importance of retaining F1's six 'classic' races that have featured on the calendar from the very beginning – Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Monaco. With the French Grand Prix having already bitten the dust, though – for the time being at least – Belgium having lost its position on a couple of occasions over the last six years and Germany looking to be on shaky ground too, many are wondering just how long it will be before Britain becomes Ecclestone's next victim..
Donington was awarded a ten-year rights agreement to hold the British Grand Prix by Formula One Management (FOM) chief executive Ecclestone last July, and will replace the race's traditional host of Silverstone, which has been a fixture on the F1 schedule on no fewer than 42 occasions since the official inception of the world championship back in 1950.
However, there has been persistent doubt and cynicism over the Leicestershire venue's ability to welcome the top flight, having only done so once before, when it hosted the rain-lashed 1993 European Grand Prix, so famously dominated by the late, great three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
Critics have pointed to the circuit's inadequate infrastructure and poor access, and the limited timeframe in which to undertake a £100 million revamp to bring it up to F1 standard, with further question marks over contracts and just where all the money is coming from, following a number of setbacks for Simon Gillett's Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) company since the change of venue was announced eight months ago.
Moreover, Ecclestone has revealed his intention of introducing a fixed, 20-date calendar for the sport – and he warned that with South Korea due to join the fray in 2010 and India a year later, there are already more races than available slots.
With European races that have recently been axed unlikely to be re-instated given the far greater financial wherewithal of Middle and Far Eastern countries clamouring for a grand prix, the sport's commercial rights-holder admitted that should Donington not meet its legally agreed deadline, then the British Grand Prix will be no more – as Silverstone, he insists, will not be granted a reprieve.
“We haven't got a spare date,” the 78-year-old told UK newspaper The Guardian. “We're in trouble. We need a date. We're going to be in trouble if we do have Donington, [but] they're doing a good job.
“We left Silverstone because I'm trying to improve facilities throughout the world, and when I get people to build new circuits to the standard of which we are trying to reach, how could we go back to Silverstone? I negotiated a deal for them many years ago to allow them to have enough money to build what they wanted, and they didn't build it.”
Amongst the improvements at Donington are a new pit-lane and paddock complex along the Starkey Straight – which would become the new start-finish line – the displacement of the famous Dunlop Bridge, a new infield section which will join the present layout at the final corner, Goddards, enhanced media facilities and better access, with suggestions by Gillett that the race will be the first-ever public transport-only grand prix.
FIA President Max Mosley has previously underlined the importance of retaining F1's six 'classic' races that have featured on the calendar from the very beginning – Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Monaco. With the French Grand Prix having already bitten the dust, though – for the time being at least – Belgium having lost its position on a couple of occasions over the last six years and Germany looking to be on shaky ground too, many are wondering just how long it will be before Britain becomes Ecclestone's next victim..
Korea and India, those great motor racing nations, will, no doubt, have full grandstands for their races.
I think this talk about a fixed 20 race series explains everything.
I would consider the £100m an impossible target in these times of restraint and also totally unreasonable now that Eccs has threatened - and that can be the only interpretation of his latest statement - that he won't allow a race in this country in any case. Who would put that sort of money up front without guarantees? One might think that given Eccs tone, there is indeed a guarantee that it won't be run.
I can't wait for the Borneo GP.
I think this talk about a fixed 20 race series explains everything.
I would consider the £100m an impossible target in these times of restraint and also totally unreasonable now that Eccs has threatened - and that can be the only interpretation of his latest statement - that he won't allow a race in this country in any case. Who would put that sort of money up front without guarantees? One might think that given Eccs tone, there is indeed a guarantee that it won't be run.
I can't wait for the Borneo GP.
Odious dwarf said:
“We haven't got a spare date,” the 78-year-old told UK newspaper The Guardian. “We're in trouble. We need a date. We're going to be in trouble if we do have Donington, [but] they're doing a good job.
Er, excuse me? TWO races in Spain and you say "we haven't got a spare slot"?Here's a solution to your "problem", Bernie - chop one of the Spanish races.
FunkyNige said:
Hate to say I told you so, but I think most of the people on the thread when Donington got the Grand Prix in 2010 said it wouldn't happen.
Really & trully it mustn't happen.Silverstone have really got the access thing well sorted...Donington is a mare. Not their fault, and it's a great circuit, but it just can't handle the traffic.
t wants Gillett to find £100 million to get the circuit up to scratch but is saying they will be in trouble if it is ready - FFS, why doesn't he just say there won't be a British GP and save Donny all that money. (looks at calendar)
Isn't it about that time of year for Bernie's annual "Let's kick the British Grand Prix in the nuts" soundbite ??
I believe that the British GP is enshrined as one of the 'classic' GPs and that it's not easy for it to be dropped. It can, like Belgium was a while ago, only be dropped on a technicality and I suspect that the 'problem' is that BE will have to drop one of his lucrative Asian GPs if Donington pull off the redevelopment in a timely manner.
Frankly, there are thankfully few people in this world who I feel deserve my utter contempt, but it does seem like F1 has more than its fair share....
Isn't it about that time of year for Bernie's annual "Let's kick the British Grand Prix in the nuts" soundbite ??
I believe that the British GP is enshrined as one of the 'classic' GPs and that it's not easy for it to be dropped. It can, like Belgium was a while ago, only be dropped on a technicality and I suspect that the 'problem' is that BE will have to drop one of his lucrative Asian GPs if Donington pull off the redevelopment in a timely manner.
Frankly, there are thankfully few people in this world who I feel deserve my utter contempt, but it does seem like F1 has more than its fair share....
Piglet said:
This is one of the problems that the BRDC faced, BCE wants a multi million pound investment with no promises that there will actually be a GP date year on year. How do you recoup a multi million pound investment without actually running a race?
Or given the amount BE charges, how do you recoup a multi million pound investment even if you *DO* run a race ?!!!Nick M said:
Piglet said:
This is one of the problems that the BRDC faced, BCE wants a multi million pound investment with no promises that there will actually be a GP date year on year. How do you recoup a multi million pound investment without actually running a race?
Or given the amount BE charges, how do you recoup a multi million pound investment even if you *DO* run a race ?!!!That said, I don't think BE is saying quite what some are suggesting; he's not saying that the British GP might not run in some of the years in which it is contracted to run (10 AFAIK). Instead he's saying that it might not run in 2010 (and presumably thereafter) if Donington don't fulfil their side of the bargain by doing the work on time.
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