Spa dropped to once every two years?
Discussion
Not seen this mentioned on here yet:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/164422...
"And on Friday the French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the the French Grand Prix, which has not been on the calendar since 2008, would return in 2013, alternating with the Belgian race at the historic Spa-Francorchamps track"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/164422...
"And on Friday the French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the the French Grand Prix, which has not been on the calendar since 2008, would return in 2013, alternating with the Belgian race at the historic Spa-Francorchamps track"
Streps said:
Spa is the best track on the calendar for me.
since when has that ever mattered to the power obsessed, money fixated generally unloved dirty little w
e of a waste of sperm piece of st cretin spunk bubble manky skid mark old saggy granny titted father of spoilt media prostitutes husband of gold digging eastern European ten bob a night wker that runs formula one
since when has that ever mattered to the power obsessed, money fixated generally unloved dirty little w
e of a waste of sperm piece of st cretin spunk bubble manky skid mark old saggy granny titted father of spoilt media prostitutes husband of gold digging eastern European ten bob a night wker that runs formula oneAs long as there are no hard feelings
Olivera said:
Not seen this mentioned on here yet:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/164422...
"And on Friday the French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the the French Grand Prix, which has not been on the calendar since 2008, would return in 2013, alternating with the Belgian race at the historic Spa-Francorchamps track"
This would be very sad news. Spa is one of the Grand Prix weekends I look forward to the most. The place has a mystique about it, and is steeped in history and very special - the unpredictable weather always adds another exciting ingredient to the weekend. I hope Spa stays on a yearly basis.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/164422...
"And on Friday the French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the the French Grand Prix, which has not been on the calendar since 2008, would return in 2013, alternating with the Belgian race at the historic Spa-Francorchamps track"
This was talked about at last years Belgian Grand Prix weekend, with everyone hoping it would remain just that, a rumour.
With the influx of Frogs into F1 this year, no surprise they want a race, but where ? back to Magny Centre of nowhere ? or will the Bernster spend some of his personal fortune building a decent access road /20 grandstands/ & 10 hotels to make Le Castellet usable ? I doubt it.
Can't see anyone stumping up the readies to construct a new circuit at Disney or wherever the hell else they fantasised about. . . . . . don't see Sarkozy risking losing the presidential election by announcing big spending plans for a Parisian street race either, hold on, I have an idea,
if the Grand Prix of Luxembourg could be held at the Nurburgring, why not hold the French Grand Prix in Spa, a bit of "badge engineering" is not alien to F1, or indeed the Motor Indusry as a whole, & I don't think the "Luxembourg" event is the only time that stunt has been pulled.
So lets hear it for the 2013 French Grand Prix
held in the beautiful (FRENCH SPEAKING) Ardennes Forest / Walloon region (just don't mention it is in Belgium OK ? 
)
With the influx of Frogs into F1 this year, no surprise they want a race, but where ? back to Magny Centre of nowhere ? or will the Bernster spend some of his personal fortune building a decent access road /20 grandstands/ & 10 hotels to make Le Castellet usable ? I doubt it.
Can't see anyone stumping up the readies to construct a new circuit at Disney or wherever the hell else they fantasised about. . . . . . don't see Sarkozy risking losing the presidential election by announcing big spending plans for a Parisian street race either, hold on, I have an idea,
if the Grand Prix of Luxembourg could be held at the Nurburgring, why not hold the French Grand Prix in Spa, a bit of "badge engineering" is not alien to F1, or indeed the Motor Indusry as a whole, & I don't think the "Luxembourg" event is the only time that stunt has been pulled. So lets hear it for the 2013 French Grand Prix
held in the beautiful (FRENCH SPEAKING) Ardennes Forest / Walloon region (just don't mention it is in Belgium OK ? )Edited by the other me on Saturday 7th January 14:31
Spa has been in and out before, it's the local politics in Belgium that are the issue here. It was very close to seeing one of the major Spa historic races cancelled with teams already on site in 2010 because of the shenanigans that goes on in the local politics there. Bernie is not the one causing the problem here.
DiscoColin,
As I said in my post above "Paul Ricard" aka "Le Castellet" would need a LOT of someones money to stage a GP.
As a test track, fantastic ! but to stage a GP, would need a load of dosh.
Having said that, the French GP survived for years in Magny Cours, with b*gger all in the way of accomodation for miles around, cr@p access & monumental traffic jams all the way to Paris till they finally upgraded most of the road to 4 lane, & I guess Albert Park/Monaco survive with temporary grandstands (Hell, many of them in most circuits are "temporary" structures) so, finally. . . . . my pessimism is perhaps (unfortunately) badly founded.
Wish the Belges could get it sorted though, I missed a couple of years since 93 at Spa, when due to some stupid politics it didn't happen, don't really want to miss the best circuit of all every other year though.
As I said in my post above "Paul Ricard" aka "Le Castellet" would need a LOT of someones money to stage a GP.
As a test track, fantastic ! but to stage a GP, would need a load of dosh.
Having said that, the French GP survived for years in Magny Cours, with b*gger all in the way of accomodation for miles around, cr@p access & monumental traffic jams all the way to Paris till they finally upgraded most of the road to 4 lane, & I guess Albert Park/Monaco survive with temporary grandstands (Hell, many of them in most circuits are "temporary" structures) so, finally. . . . . my pessimism is perhaps (unfortunately) badly founded.
Wish the Belges could get it sorted though, I missed a couple of years since 93 at Spa, when due to some stupid politics it didn't happen, don't really want to miss the best circuit of all every other year though.
Edited by the other me on Saturday 7th January 21:06
This gets banded around most years...
Unfortunately there is an inbalance between the fact that the local area would die on its arse and property prices plummet, all the camp sites and stores based in the area which survive solely on the back of motorsport (not just F1!!!), and some interferring locals who decided to pitch up recently and then make a fuss about the fact that the area is spolied by the sound of squeeling tyres... fkING BUY SOMEWHERE ELSE THEN YOU SHORTSIGHTED ttS!
I suppose to balance this argument, the local track day organiser or circuit began to allow more and more track days, and there was some question over the noise pollution which they chose to basically ignore from what I could gather at the time. But (again as far as I remember), it wasnt exhaust or engine noise, it was tyre squeel causing the main issue - I could be wrong.
Spa has been consistently improved, the track is fantastic, the pathways and access have been improved for spectators (although the fencing has gone a bit wild so you cant get within spitting distance of the track on race day anymore), the hospitality and pit area have been improved - so what a bloody waste it would be for them to not visit the most amazing, dramatic and challenging circuit they have on the calendar...
Its my aim to drive that circuit on a track day at some point, its a crying shame that through one bit of crap politics or another we may miss out on both track days and the pinnacle of motorsport due to a few dimented cretins
Unfortunately there is an inbalance between the fact that the local area would die on its arse and property prices plummet, all the camp sites and stores based in the area which survive solely on the back of motorsport (not just F1!!!), and some interferring locals who decided to pitch up recently and then make a fuss about the fact that the area is spolied by the sound of squeeling tyres... f
kING BUY SOMEWHERE ELSE THEN YOU SHORTSIGHTED ttS! I suppose to balance this argument, the local track day organiser or circuit began to allow more and more track days, and there was some question over the noise pollution which they chose to basically ignore from what I could gather at the time. But (again as far as I remember), it wasnt exhaust or engine noise, it was tyre squeel causing the main issue - I could be wrong.
Spa has been consistently improved, the track is fantastic, the pathways and access have been improved for spectators (although the fencing has gone a bit wild so you cant get within spitting distance of the track on race day anymore), the hospitality and pit area have been improved - so what a bloody waste it would be for them to not visit the most amazing, dramatic and challenging circuit they have on the calendar...
Its my aim to drive that circuit on a track day at some point, its a crying shame that through one bit of crap politics or another we may miss out on both track days and the pinnacle of motorsport due to a few dimented cretins
Unfortunately I think the threat to the GP is (supposedly) due to the finances rather than the NIMBY's.
Same sort that buy a house at the end of a runway and then wonder what this large noisy projectile is doing over their house.
If I remember correctly the Bernster has some stake in promoting this event, & I remember them securing Title Sponsorship from Shell recently, which was for a few years.
On the back of this I was surprised to hear these stories at last years race, but, in a country that ran without a government for 14 ? was it months, & now has a Queen for a P.M.
well, anything is possible.
Same sort that buy a house at the end of a runway and then wonder what this large noisy projectile is doing over their house.
If I remember correctly the Bernster has some stake in promoting this event, & I remember them securing Title Sponsorship from Shell recently, which was for a few years.
On the back of this I was surprised to hear these stories at last years race, but, in a country that ran without a government for 14 ? was it months, & now has a Queen for a P.M.
well, anything is possible.Luca Brasi said:
GP at Spa hasn't been making profits for years now. Public opinion is tired of the Walloon government spending tax money on a race track, that's Belgian politics for you.
Gosh darn we have a government again? Ah Meneer "Ik wil better mijn nederlands" as PM, Public opinion here is tired of them too, and I can't write what my Vlaaming friends call him.Still I'm glad I got to drive Spa once
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