Official 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix **SPOILERS**

[Scrump]

Thanks for remembering to include the C4 times for us thrifty types.
Glad you did as the quali is on even earlier on Saturday than usual.

[Sandpit Steve]

Derek Smith said:

Would there be anything to stop a circuit tacking on a day before a two-day Grand Prix event? Given the age demographic, classic races might draw in more than FP1 and FP2 do currently.

Good idea. F1 do need a few hours the day before their meeting for things like track inspections and testing of timing and signalling systems, and there’s set times for various media activities which either need the track or need track silence - but at a permanent circuit there’s probably still a fair bit of time where an historic race or two could be accommodated, if the various officials could work out a schedule. Probably couldn’t be televised though, too many conctractual and technical problems for that.

[Mr Pointy]

Murghee said:

Wish i worked in f1 even any job would be cool.

The attraction wears off pretty quickly. Constant travel during the season - in economy class. Home - airport - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - airport - home. Pretty low wages because people are queueing up for the jobs.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Sandpit Steve said:

Derek Smith said:

Would there be anything to stop a circuit tacking on a day before a two-day Grand Prix event? Given the age demographic, classic races might draw in more than FP1 and FP2 do currently.

Good idea. F1 do need a few hours the day before their meeting for things like track inspections and testing of timing and signalling systems, and there’s set times for various media activities which either need the track or need track silence - but at a permanent circuit there’s probably still a fair bit of time where an historic race or two could be accommodated, if the various officials could work out a schedule. Probably couldn’t be televised though, too many conctractual and technical problems for that.

That’s not gaining to work, the amount of graft to get a circuit ready for the F1 even takes at least a full day, so the track will be out of use.

If they need to get it ready a day ahead there’s no benefit.

[Fundoreen]

Mr Pointy said:

Murghee said:

Wish i worked in f1 even any job would be cool.

The attraction wears off pretty quickly. Constant travel during the season - in economy class. Home - airport - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - airport - home. Pretty low wages because people are queueing up for the jobs.

wouldn't be the same as the ted walk around either. You would be washing wheels and packing flight cases. Any standing around taking in the atmosphere would be regarded as slacking.
Probably fun for a few years though till the wife shows you her new baby with features not unlike the milkman.

[Sandpit Steve]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

That’s not gaining to work, the amount of graft to get a circuit ready for the F1 even takes at least a full day, so the track will be out of use.

If they need to get it ready a day ahead there’s no benefit.

I think it would depend on the nature of the meeting, reasons for the 2-dayer in the first place, time of year (number of daylight hours) etc.

A lot of the track setup is done by local crews rather than F1, so could be done a day early if F1 were late arriving. Most permanent circuits already have the required timing and signalling systems in place, so could have most things ready to go ahead of time too.

It wouldn’t work everywhere, but could probably be made to work in a lot of places if the will was there. Which it would be, if it meant the circuit could pay F1 a bigger hosting fee from the extra day’s ticket sales.

[Oilchange]

Involving more club/historic racing Perhaps. I mean in Portugal there were only two races before, one with Porsche and Mercedes GT type cars and another with a one make special weird looking marque.
Maybe some motorbike racing as well? Or more showman/demo laps with old V8/V10 F1 cars etc.



Anyway, Imolaaaaaaaaaa !

[Sandpit Steve]

Fundoreen said:

Mr Pointy said:

Murghee said:

Wish i worked in f1 even any job would be cool.

The attraction wears off pretty quickly. Constant travel during the season - in economy class. Home - airport - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - airport - home. Pretty low wages because people are queueing up for the jobs.

wouldn't be the same as the ted walk around either. You would be washing wheels and packing flight cases. Any standing around taking in the atmosphere would be regarded as slacking.
Probably fun for a few years though till the wife shows you her new baby with features not unlike the milkman.

It’s definitely a young person’s game except for the top engineers, going to be hard work, long hours but hugely rewarding.

Former McLaren mechanic (and now public speaker and journalist) Marc Priestley wrote a good book on his time in the business. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=marc+priestley+the+me...

[coppice]

Funny thing about Imola is that it runs anti clockwise . As I found out when I realised that my carefully chosen grandstand seat at Variante Alta was, in fact, anything but carefully chosen ...Great circuit though , and a fabulous atmosphere in happier, busier times

[TheDeuce]

Another week another fun GP to look forward too! In terms of circuit choice this season has been epic really I very much hope at least some of the forced new/old circuits that were added to the calendar in a panic this year make a return in future years.

Should F1 actually set a target to try one or two new circuits every season? Sometimes you don't know what you're missing until you try it... After all, some circuits that are overlooked due to being too expensive or otherwise not commercially viable could prove to be so popular with viewers that they could be justified in terms of adding value to the TV rights. There's been a couple this season I'd have back for sure.

Also the double headers (same circuit) have been interesting and proved just how different two identical races can be..

[Mr Dendrite]

Pericoloso said:

Anyone know how many , unless it's changed again , spectators will be here ?

I saw tickets on sale a few weeks ago ,also at way more sensible prices than Mugello were .

I hope they have tidied some of the bleachers up ,this time last year some of them were over grown with weeds .

I think Ted said in his notebook that the local authorities had changed their minds and it was now no spectators even though tickets had been sold. He was urging people to check before they travelled.

[Eric Mc]

Great to see Imola back on the list again. Sadly likely to be a one-off.

[TheDeuce]

Eric Mc said:

Great to see Imola back on the list again. Sadly likely to be a one-off.

Depends doesn't it? They wouldn't normally consider such circuits these days perhaps... But now they have been forced to, if the viewer reaction is very positive then that could change things. Have to wait and see of course. Although, say the vaccine (about to be rolled out in London for front line staff) is successful, would F1 really go back to the 'normal' more familiar calendar? I would think there would be some concerns it could look a little dull and ordinary after this seasons 'knee jerk tour or Europe'. Lot's of commercial considerations I know, and this season's solution clearly isn't sustainable. But one of the biggest commercial factors is the reaction and happiness of the global TV audience. Some circuits which don't make much sense to FOM on paper may however prove to be very appealing to viewers.

Something good has to come out of this turd infested year after all

[Pericoloso]

Mr Dendrite said:

Pericoloso said:

Anyone know how many , unless it's changed again , spectators will be here ?

I saw tickets on sale a few weeks ago ,also at way more sensible prices than Mugello were .

I hope they have tidied some of the bleachers up ,this time last year some of them were over grown with weeds .

I think Ted said in his notebook that the local authorities had changed their minds and it was now no spectators even though tickets had been sold. He was urging people to check before they travelled.

Thanks for that , I spent only about 5 seconds thinking of buying a ticket and went with no .

Some lucky people live overlooking the circuit .

[DanielSan]

TheDeuce said:

Depends doesn't it? They wouldn't normally consider such circuits these days perhaps... But now they have been forced to, if the viewer reaction is very positive then that could change things. Have to wait and see of course. Although, say the vaccine (about to be rolled out in London for front line staff) is successful, would F1 really go back to the 'normal' more familiar calendar? I would think there would be some concerns it could look a little dull and ordinary after this seasons 'knee jerk tour or Europe'. Lot's of commercial considerations I know, and this season's solution clearly isn't sustainable. But one of the biggest commercial factors is the reaction and happiness of the global TV audience. Some circuits which don't make much sense to FOM on paper may however prove to be very appealing to viewers.

Something good has to come out of this turd infested year after all

As appealing to TV viewers as these tracks are, if they don't chime in with the cash to host the race they won't appear on a normal F1 calendar. Not unless Liberty make a U turn and decide to do something for the good of the sport rather than it's profit margins.

[Pericoloso]

I've mentioned this before .

Found the pic whilst looking for something else .



This structure sits in the garden of a house within the perimeter of Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari .

On the Varianta Alta .

[ChocolateFrog]

The timings in the OP look a bit squiffy.
Session start time jumps from an hour after local time to an hour before for the race.

I'm assuming it's a 1410 race start for us?

Edited by ChocolateFrog on Tuesday 27th October 00:32

[ChocolateFrog]

Fundoreen said:

Mr Pointy said:

Murghee said:

Wish i worked in f1 even any job would be cool.

The attraction wears off pretty quickly. Constant travel during the season - in economy class. Home - airport - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - hotel - track - airport - home. Pretty low wages because people are queueing up for the jobs.

wouldn't be the same as the ted walk around either. You would be washing wheels and packing flight cases. Any standing around taking in the atmosphere would be regarded as slacking.
Probably fun for a few years though till the wife shows you her new baby with features not unlike the milkman.

It's a singlies life that's for sure, would be cool to do for a few years in your 20's.

[ch37]

ChocolateFrog said:

The timings in the OP look a bit squiffy.
Session start time jumps from an hour after local time to an hour before for the race.

I'm assuming it's a 1410 race start for us?

Edited by ChocolateFrog on Tuesday 27th October 00:32

UK times are correct on the OPs list, just a typo on the local quali time which should say 14:00.

So, race is 12:10 UK time.

[Piginapoke]

TheDeuce said:

Eric Mc said:

Great to see Imola back on the list again. Sadly likely to be a one-off.

Depends doesn't it? They wouldn't normally consider such circuits these days perhaps... But now they have been forced to, if the viewer reaction is very positive then that could change things. Have to wait and see of course. Although, say the vaccine (about to be rolled out in London for front line staff) is successful, would F1 really go back to the 'normal' more familiar calendar? I would think there would be some concerns it could look a little dull and ordinary after this seasons 'knee jerk tour or Europe'. Lot's of commercial considerations I know, and this season's solution clearly isn't sustainable. But one of the biggest commercial factors is the reaction and happiness of the global TV audience. Some circuits which don't make much sense to FOM on paper may however prove to be very appealing to viewers.

Something good has to come out of this turd infested year after all

The draft 2021 calendar is being shared with teams this week- it looks very similar to the original 2020 schedule (according to Autosport)