Donington: "a missed oportunity"

[mcdjl]

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=44998

Anyone else think the lack of expensive landscaping fancy grandstands and so forth might be because the track is being privately financed rather than by the government?

[dougc]

CABE can sod off.

As long as the track promotes good racing then who gives a toss if it doesn't have an 'iconic building' along with it. The last thing I want to see is a great and historic motor racing venue turned into some sort of monstrous media driven theme park just because Shanghai is.

[zac510]

They could still build a fantastic museum to hold the collection. Accessible without there having to be a race on, too.

[juansolo]

zac510 said:

They could still build a fantastic museum to hold the collection. Accessible without there having to be a race on, too.

I thought the Donington Collection and the circuit were seperate entities these days?

[flemke]

juansolo said:

zac510 said:

They could still build a fantastic museum to hold the collection. Accessible without there having to be a race on, too.

I thought the Donington Collection and the circuit were seperate entities these days?

Indeed.
Are you saying, zac, that they intend to close the museum except on race weekends?

[zac510]

What I meant was that if there was a fancy grandstand it could only be appreciated one a race weekend by those that can afford a seat, whereas a museum and its contents could be appreciated 7 days a week!

I don't know anything about the status of the museum and circuit ownership.

[williamp]

zac510 said:

What I meant was that if there was a fancy grandstand it could only be appreciated one a race weekend by those that can afford a seat, whereas a museum and its contents could be appreciated 7 days a week!

I don't know anything about the status of the museum and circuit ownership.

well you should. Or at least do some reaearch before moaning about a great opportunity for a great circuit:

http://www.donington-park.co.uk/grand-prix-collect...

[zac510]

I wasn't moaning!

[motormania]

I've seen all the plans, but has anyone seen any 3D virtual shots of how the site will look, from above, at track level, from the various grandstands, the pitlane etc...?

[onemorelap]

motormania said:

I've seen all the plans, but has anyone seen any 3D virtual shots of how the site will look, from above, at track level, from the various grandstands, the pitlane etc...?

Only seen the plans and nothing else.

Ref: the museum i'm not 100% on this but the proposed overall plan appears to show a red line that possibly denotes the boundary wall. However it looks like it goes around the back of the museum (along the service road by airparks) and across the museum car park effectively putting the musuem within the confines of the circuit area. Can anyone clarify this further?

P.S - Would be great if they could do what i've seen on many construction sites recently and get a web cam put in place so we could have a look at how things are progressing.

[FNG]

From their ivory tower CABE said:

they were “particularly concerned by the absence of a comprehensive masterplan and coherent landscape strategy for the site”, without which Donington Park “will continue to suffer from piecemeal and poorly coordinated racetrack development”.

“The material presented gave us little confidence that a bold architectural vision had been developed for this facility to showcase Britain’s racing pedigree and create…a racetrack of global standing to match Formula 1’s most recent tracks in Bahrain, China and Malaysia designed by the same team that are working at Donington,”

Bloody quango. What gives them the high ground that they can take potshots at a project that's entirely privately funded and the hard work of one entrepreneurial bloke, by comparing it to government-funded £200m developments undertaken purely for propaganda reasons?

They appear to have wilfully ignored the small fact that without limitless public funding, you can only spread the money so thin.

I wouldn't be surprised if these imbeciles would rather see the venture look amazing but fall flat, than be successful and a bit fragmented in its appearance.

Or are they offering to put their own money into it? Encouraging the gummint to part-fund it? No? Well STFU then.


Edit - quotes muppetry
And again - teach me not to preview my posts doesn't it

Edited by FNG on Friday 23 January 16:28

Edited by FNG on Friday 23 January 16:29

[onemorelap]

onemorelap said:

motormania said:

I've seen all the plans, but has anyone seen any 3D virtual shots of how the site will look, from above, at track level, from the various grandstands, the pitlane etc...?

Only seen the plans and nothing else.

Ref: the museum i'm not 100% on this but the proposed overall plan appears to show a red line that possibly denotes the boundary wall. However it looks like it goes around the back of the museum (along the service road by airparks) and across the museum car park effectively putting the musuem within the confines of the circuit area. Can anyone clarify this further?

P.S - Would be great if they could do what i've seen on many construction sites recently and get a web cam put in place so we could have a look at how things are progressing.

Having said all of the above just had a look on our local papers website and there is a 3D image of the pitlane in the report. 1st one i've seen.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail/DisplayArti...

[Redlake27]

Try a whole lap on the simulator in the Donington museum.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresul...

[Ipelm]

williamp said:

zac510 said:

What I meant was that if there was a fancy grandstand it could only be appreciated one a race weekend by those that can afford a seat, whereas a museum and its contents could be appreciated 7 days a week!

I don't know anything about the status of the museum and circuit ownership.

well you should. Or at least do some reaearch before moaning about a great opportunity for a great circuit:

http://www.donington-park.co.uk/grand-prix-collect...

Not such a GREAT circuit, hope the new section improves it

[Redlake27]

The video simulation of the lap I posted earlier shows that the new link has the potential to be interesting. The simulation doesn't show the gradient, but the climb back through the infield onto the old start finish line has the potential to be as steep as Eau Rouge!

[german tony]

Does anybody else think that spending vast sums to convert Donnington to an F1 venue whilst at the same time blowing a load more to convert Silverstone to a venue suitable for Moto GP is completely Alice in Wonderland?

's no wonder Britain's skint is it?

[FNG]

Don't think that video shows Donington in a very good light. Took me two watches - four laps - to identify the corners and the Craner Curves were a non-event. Which, I do hope, is not representative of how an F1 car will be on the track.

If the gradients and corner radii have been worked out properly in the new section I'm hopeful it will be a real challenge, with more than one very fast nearly-flat corner to sort out the great from the good.

Fingers crossed.

[Ipelm]

german tony said:

Does anybody else think that spending vast sums to convert Donnington to an F1 venue whilst at the same time blowing a load more to convert Silverstone to a venue suitable for Moto GP is completely Alice in Wonderland?

's no wonder Britain's skint is it?

F1 is 'Alice in Wonderland,' the circuits are just pawns in a huge greedy egotistical game. With nothing left to prove what else can it be for the little dictator Bernie. A more rational man would have moved on by now...........its just power and influence the racing means nothing to him.

[dpbird90]

I heard they are getting shot of the Dunlop bridge to make way for the new pit complex. It's a shame but I see no reason for getting rid of it, despite it being rather old, but a lick of paint here and there should fix it.

[Redlake27]

dpbird90 said:

I heard they are getting shot of the Dunlop bridge to make way for the new pit complex. It's a shame but I see no reason for getting rid of it, despite it being rather old, but a lick of paint here and there should fix it.

Unfortunately, the new straight runs at a different angle to the old one, so the bridge will have to go. It may be relocated near the main entrance though, or by the museum.