Silverstone to be sold?
Silverstone to be sold?
Author
Discussion

Sixpackpert

Original Poster:

5,299 posts

243 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Do we think this would actually go ahead??

http://en.espnf1.com/greatbritain/motorsport/story...

DanB7290

5,535 posts

219 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Sadly it could probably happen, with big debts like that. Don't really like Bernie's angle on it "they need to let professionals run it". The BRDC does a fantastic job with running most aspects of the circuit, just if a deal was to take place, just let the new investors look after the money, and leave the BRDC to get on with everything else.

Rich_W

12,548 posts

241 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Interesting that the BRDC would rather sell to Middle East than to Bernie who himself offered to buy and rebuild the place (ala Paul Ricard) a good decade ago. You think if Bernie was the owner there would ever NOT be a GP in Britain? And at least he's got Motorsport background and the correct (for some) passport

Alpha97

1,121 posts

217 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Rich_W said:
Interesting that the BRDC would rather sell to Middle East than to Bernie who himself offered to buy and rebuild the place (ala Paul Ricard) a good decade ago. You think if Bernie was the owner there would ever NOT be a GP in Britain? And at least he's got Motorsport background and the correct (for some) passport
How would Bernie extort millions of pounds out of himself to host a grand prix?

FourWheelDrift

92,239 posts

313 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
"But Bernie Ecclestone, who competed in the British Grand Prix in 1958"

He failed to qualify, replaced by Jack Fairman.

sirtyro

1,824 posts

227 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Don't like the way Bernie says the Europe needs to understand that the middle east or china is going to buy Europe.....sad way of thinking about life and not much pride in his nation!!

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Rich_W said:
Interesting that the BRDC would rather sell to Middle East than to Bernie who himself offered to buy and rebuild the place (ala Paul Ricard) a good decade ago. You think if Bernie was the owner there would ever NOT be a GP in Britain? And at least he's got Motorsport background and the correct (for some) passport
Bernie owning Paul Ricard didn't stop France losing it's GP. So not really a good example.

Derek Smith

49,673 posts

277 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
johnfelstead said:
Bernie owning Paul Ricard didn't stop France losing it's GP. So not really a good example.
Indeed. The birthplace of motor racing and it doesn't have a GP.

Crafty_

14,067 posts

229 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
I expect Paul Ricard losing the GP was money based.

The circuit needed upgrading to keep an A1 licence if I recall correctly ?
Certainly it would now need massive facility upgrades.

I expect Bernie looked at it and decided it wasn't worth the investment...

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Paul Ricard is excellent at what it is now designed for, which isn't holding GP Level race meetings.

StevieBee

15,285 posts

284 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
sirtyro said:
Don't like the way Bernie says the Europe needs to understand that the middle east or china is going to buy Europe.....sad way of thinking about life and not much pride in his nation!!
You're not wrong.

Sadly, neither is Bernie.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
Rich_W said:
You think if Bernie was the owner there would ever NOT be a GP in Britain?
Like there is currently a French Grand Prix - you mean?

AJS-

15,366 posts

265 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
"But Bernie Ecclestone, who competed in the British Grand Prix in 1958"

He failed to qualify, replaced by Jack Fairman.
Something I had no idea of until I read that.

I thought he'd only done the junior formulae and maybe motorbikes.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

FourWheelDrift

92,239 posts

313 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
He couldn't see over the steering wheel.

Sixpackpert

Original Poster:

5,299 posts

243 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
He couldn't see over the steering wheel.
And had not yet amassed enough wealth to make a booster seat made of wads of cash.

zebedee

4,595 posts

307 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
I really hate to say it but Silverstone is a cold, heartless mess now since the new complex was put up. Buses moving people about because the pedestrian infrastructure clearly hasn't been thought through, no under or over track access to the new pit complex, no view of the front 2 pits from the other side of the track because they are basically underground, half finished roads, barriers, gravel and cones everywhere, nowhere to eat near the new complex, it is an embarrassment. No windows in the media room either (unless you use the cafe), great way to put journalists off coming to races there and covering them.

Used to love going, don't anymore.

DanDC5

19,992 posts

196 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
zebedee said:
I really hate to say it but Silverstone is a cold, heartless mess now since the new complex was put up. Buses moving people about because the pedestrian infrastructure clearly hasn't been thought through, no under or over track access to the new pit complex, no view of the front 2 pits from the other side of the track because they are basically underground, half finished roads, barriers, gravel and cones everywhere, nowhere to eat near the new complex, it is an embarrassment. No windows in the media room either (unless you use the cafe), great way to put journalists off coming to races there and covering them.

Used to love going, don't anymore.
Wouldn't worry, the only race meetings to use the new complex are the F1 weekend. Everything else still uses the old paddock and pit buildings.

Greeny

1,423 posts

288 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
DanDC5 said:
Wouldn't worry, the only race meetings to use the new complex are the F1 weekend. Everything else still uses the old paddock and pit buildings.
I have heard of other races using the F1 pits and facilities.



Edited by Greeny on Tuesday 1st November 18:22

Cheese Mechanic

3,157 posts

198 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
StevieBee said:
You're not wrong.

Sadly, neither is Bernie.
Quire right, I read yesterday what Bernie was saying. He was 100% on the nail.

Richard-G

1,743 posts

204 months

Tuesday 1st November 2011
quotequote all
Greeny said:
I have heard of other races using the F1 pits and facilities.



Edited by Greeny on Tuesday 1st November 18:22
Indeed the 6 hours of silverstone used the wing and it's podium

Oddly I really like silverstone now, good mix of old and new!