RE: Silverstone F1 Terminated!
Discussion
griff2be said:
Well 44,000 people turned out on one day last year for the GT/F3/Seat/Tuscan race day at Rockingham, combined with a SugarBabes (?) gig. That is how to promote motorsport - put on something that gives the whole family something to do.
Couldn't agree more.
My point though is that without F1, events like this will become increasingly more difficult to make viable.
billb said:
accordin to bbc1 eccelstone has bought it so future should be safe??
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3642787.stm
He aint bought naff all m8 hes taking F1 over the asia where the money and tabbacco advertising is still legal, lets face it whats interesting about seeijhgnthe same sodding car leading the way every week the old days are gone and the new days are just to boring to watch anymore....Senna is dead but long may his memory and feats....
GOOD… Hopefully this will give British motor sport and it’s investors the kick up the ass they need to build a decent race track instead of the s**thole that Silverstone is. Comparing it to the circuits in Australia, Malaysia and Dubai is an embarrassment. OK Maybe we’ll be without a home GP for a few years but we’ll still be able to watch them on TV and let’s face it that’s better than going to Silverstone ATM. Hopefully we’ll get a world class circuit out at the end of it.
Gazboy said:Or Brands, or Donington?
Why can't the GP go to Rockingham?
Because none of them are anywhere near the standard required by Mr Ecclestone and Mr Mosley, and none of them are rich enough to pay the fee for a F1 race.
Face it, we haven't got a glamour circuit in this country, nor can we find the money to build one (given to foreign circuits by their governments).
Minority sport, proved over and over again by lack of interest whenever a F1 thread appears in PH.
Silverstone don't deserve to hold a Grand Prix. The place is an absolute dump, a total disgrace, and the prices they charge to sit in makeshift ramshackle grandstands and park your car in a field full of mud after queueing for hours on end and being ordered around by snotty car park attendants is an embarassment to the whole country on a massive scale.
I know the new foriegn circuits are paid for by governments, but they would't spend a penny on F1 if they didn't think all the spin offs would be worth it.
This country couldn't organise a bicycle race, let alone the Olympics, I'm very sad to say. We are left looking more and more third world, and it's a crying shame, because we should be leading the way, and not being in this very sorry and pathetic state.
I know the new foriegn circuits are paid for by governments, but they would't spend a penny on F1 if they didn't think all the spin offs would be worth it.
This country couldn't organise a bicycle race, let alone the Olympics, I'm very sad to say. We are left looking more and more third world, and it's a crying shame, because we should be leading the way, and not being in this very sorry and pathetic state.
£000,000,000....
"In a statement just issued by Silverstone, it's been revealed that it has terminated its contract with Formula One!"
Bernie hasn't paid anything, quite the opposite.
IPG have paid him a shed load of cash to take the rights back.
Motor sport is not F1. It has been described as a pyramid, from the grass-roots (club motor sport) to the pinacle (supposedly F1). The new circuits were built to only accomodate F1 (for one week each year), as the financers did not want the inconvienience of grubby club / national / histoic racing (not that their countries have much anyway) to soil their nice new pristine facilities.
Perhaps Silverstone should be rebuilt as a new F1 "stadium" and the other British circuits can get on with proper motor sport. :rantover:
Bernie hasn't paid anything, quite the opposite.
IPG have paid him a shed load of cash to take the rights back.
Motor sport is not F1. It has been described as a pyramid, from the grass-roots (club motor sport) to the pinacle (supposedly F1). The new circuits were built to only accomodate F1 (for one week each year), as the financers did not want the inconvienience of grubby club / national / histoic racing (not that their countries have much anyway) to soil their nice new pristine facilities.
Perhaps Silverstone should be rebuilt as a new F1 "stadium" and the other British circuits can get on with proper motor sport. :rantover:
Problem is that Club racers love Silverstone too - it would be a loss that some may find too much to bear (although I'm not so sure after a big smash at the weekend).
Also, financially, we cannot afford to have that much land in this country occupied for only one week per year.
Who says club racers are grubby anyway
.
Also, financially, we cannot afford to have that much land in this country occupied for only one week per year.
Who says club racers are grubby anyway
. 
this country can't even build a footie stadium at Wembley - why does anyone think they can build an F1 showcase????
Japan built super stadia with retractable roofs in the time it took one uk commitee to beg for more $£$£$s.
They will continue to allow the rally though - Colonel B can still collect his £60 tickets off all the entrants
Japan built super stadia with retractable roofs in the time it took one uk commitee to beg for more $£$£$s.
They will continue to allow the rally though - Colonel B can still collect his £60 tickets off all the entrants
daydreamer said:
Problem is that Club racers love Silverstone too - it would be a loss that some may find too much to bear
I'd not miss it, ok i've only ever run on the club circuit which is crap, but its the atmosphere of the place i dont like.. all fences and gates everywhere..
to much the right tie kind of place... which i suppose is exactly what it is some old boys club....
I was quite plesased to see it missing from our calendar this year...
G
steviebee said:
F1 feeds every aspect of motor sport in the UK either indirectly or directly.
I disagree, I think F1 is accredited with far too much influence. It does not feed every aspect of motor sport. What about sprints, rally events etc? They have little to do with F1.
steviebee said:
The interest it creates generates new fans some of whom in time become (club) racers themselves which in turn creates income for engine tuners, race shops, race car dealers and so on - not to mention added enjoyment for those who just like to watch the racing be it F1 or Mighty Minis.
Motoring fans/racers wouldnt dry up if F1 wasnt hosted in this country. You can still watch it on the TV you know. However, if there was a decent British driver in F1 it may attract more people towards motor racing but at the moment they're all crap.
steviebee said:
England is the centre of the Motor Racing universe but without F1 - that centre will begin to shift elsewhere and then the country looses a very large chunk of an industry which IIRC is worth something in the region of £30billion.
I did mention in my earlier post that although I didnt much care for F1, it is important for employment and the GDP of the host nation. However, get your head out of your ar$e, the UK is not the centre of motor racing. In a recent study by Sports Business Daily the top 7 race series by attendance are as follows:
1) NASCAR Nextel Cup
2) ChampCar
3) Formula 1
4) ALMS
5) NASCAR Busch Series
6) IRL
7) World of Outlaws
F1 is a paltry third and only one race is held in the UK.
steviebee said:
The amount of business done in the paddock club at Silverstone each year is massive - this is mainly business that benefits the UK - ie You and me!! I wouldn't mind betting that the value of the sport, combined with the collective deals of British business involved in F1 isn't far short of £100billion.
You have no idea how much business was done, stop making up statistics. Those kind of spectators dont care about motor racing, they will just go to what ever prestigous event is going on to make themselves and their company look good. Business wouldnt stop just because F1 does.
steviebee said:
And quote me another sporting event in the UK which attracts over 100,000 people over 3 days!
Wimbledon attracted almost 500,000 in 13 days in 2001. Anyway, attendance figures at the british grand prix are in decline.
steviebee said:
It's a bit like saying "why bother about the Olympics coming to the UK" or "Why bother about Wembley", "Why bother about Cities of Culture".
Its purely personal and selfish. I dont particularly enjoy F1, so I dont care if it goes. The kind of motor sport I do enjoy isnt going to suddenly collapse without F1 in the UK. I'm sure if you did a poll, F1 would be way down on the popularity list below athletics and football, thats why people would rather care about wembley and the olympics.
jam1et said:Fine, but Champ cars are built in the UK, as are IRL cars.
I did mention in my earlier post that although I didnt much care for F1, it is important for employment and the GDP of the host nation. However, get your head out of your ar$e, the UK is not the centre of motor racing. In a recent study by Sports Business Daily the top 7 race series by attendance are as follows.....
As anyone involved in the business of motor sport knows, gate receipts are almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things, so attendance on the day is meaningless. I would suggest that F1 has a much larger worldwide audience than NASCAR, which is why the sponsors prefer to go to F1.
The fact that five and a half of the F1 teams are based here is on its own sufficient to call the number one player. Add this to the aspirational effect on second tier suppliers or suppliers to the more minor series, and we start to see how important motorsport is to us.
You might not like F1, but its worldwide appeal is such that these new countries are desperate to get in to promote their country. We need it even more, as there are a f
k of a lot of UK jobs that depend on it. Goodwood Festival of Speed
How many does that attract? ok there are too many people, the racing as such is a little dull. But put the whole lot together & its brilliant.
Surely we'd all go and watch something with some real racing & some real racing cars as opposed to electronic flying fag packets.
If they put the current drivers into 1950's cars on every major circuit in the UK would we go and watch? would it be good racing?
How many does that attract? ok there are too many people, the racing as such is a little dull. But put the whole lot together & its brilliant.
Surely we'd all go and watch something with some real racing & some real racing cars as opposed to electronic flying fag packets.
If they put the current drivers into 1950's cars on every major circuit in the UK would we go and watch? would it be good racing?
Up to now F1 has been a VERY important aspect of British motorsport. Since the late 1950s, the balance of technical power in F1 shifted away from Italy and Germany to Britain and Britain has dominated the technical aspects ever since. Since the Concorde Agreement was signed in the early 1980s, the teams (mostly UK based) have had a much more dominant role in setting rules and regulations.
However, times are changing and, if Britain did lose its GP, then I think we would see a slow and gradual shift of the balance of power away from the UK. It could take a long time - 20 years or more - it took over 20 years for Britain to atain its dominance after all.
What I regret terribly is the gradual loss of access to F1 for real motor racing fans. Back in the mid 60s, motor racing fans could look forwrd to five or six F1 races in the UK alone (only one was a World Championship event, of course). The prospect of there being NO F1 event in Britain is very real. And don't forget, Britain and Italy are the only country teo countries to host a World Championship round every year since its inception in 1950.
I too am not a great fan of Silverstone as a venue - it has a "Stalag" look about the place and there seem to be more places you cannot go rather than can. However, it still is the only circuit suitable for modern F1 and we have to ensure that it changes in keeping with current requiremnets.
I noted on "Speed Sunday" that Murrey Walker was moved to comment that the new venues like Sepang and Bahrain had no motor racing tradition. I really am concerned that F1 is losing track of its roots and core fans.
However, times are changing and, if Britain did lose its GP, then I think we would see a slow and gradual shift of the balance of power away from the UK. It could take a long time - 20 years or more - it took over 20 years for Britain to atain its dominance after all.
What I regret terribly is the gradual loss of access to F1 for real motor racing fans. Back in the mid 60s, motor racing fans could look forwrd to five or six F1 races in the UK alone (only one was a World Championship event, of course). The prospect of there being NO F1 event in Britain is very real. And don't forget, Britain and Italy are the only country teo countries to host a World Championship round every year since its inception in 1950.
I too am not a great fan of Silverstone as a venue - it has a "Stalag" look about the place and there seem to be more places you cannot go rather than can. However, it still is the only circuit suitable for modern F1 and we have to ensure that it changes in keeping with current requiremnets.
I noted on "Speed Sunday" that Murrey Walker was moved to comment that the new venues like Sepang and Bahrain had no motor racing tradition. I really am concerned that F1 is losing track of its roots and core fans.
Eric Mc said:
Up to now F1 has been a VERY important aspect of British motorsport.
This is a good read:
www.achq.org/mike/Mike16.htm
jamlet said:That is a very good article - well worth reading. Thank you.
This is a good read:
www.achq.org/mike/Mike16.htm
Not sure why everyone is focused on building circuits to hold F1. Why not borrow public roads once a year like they do in Monaco?
Surely a London, Birmingham or Manchester F1 race through the streets would be a much more accessible and marketable platform for F1 than finding a way to rebuild Silverstone, Donnington or a start with a greenfield site.
Surely a London, Birmingham or Manchester F1 race through the streets would be a much more accessible and marketable platform for F1 than finding a way to rebuild Silverstone, Donnington or a start with a greenfield site.
Monaco is allowed to host a Grand Prix because of tradition. There is no way that a similar circuit would ever get on the calendar as Drivers, Teams, Bernie and the population of the city that was to be closed for three months would all object.
I've just read the article mentioned above, and my take on his POV (although difficult to fathom) was that the Grand Prix was actually essential to the success of motorsport in this country. As it was posted to prove an opposite POV, what have I missed?
I've just read the article mentioned above, and my take on his POV (although difficult to fathom) was that the Grand Prix was actually essential to the success of motorsport in this country. As it was posted to prove an opposite POV, what have I missed?
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