Donnington to be ready in 2010 ? Joke ?
Donnington to be ready in 2010 ? Joke ?
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Discussion

timmo

Original Poster:

1,788 posts

263 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
I attended the Carrera Cup and Touring cars at Donnington last Sunday
Can someone please explain how this place will be ready for F1 next year .
all they have done is shift some mud from one place to another !!!

having attended SPA and Hungary last year and seen the minimum requirements Bernie expects for a F1 GP
they have no chance of completing this in 12 months

matt frost

783 posts

280 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
all they had done this time last year was move mud about too, it lookied like they were more worried about creating a motocross circuit than an F1 circuit.

boycieboy

285 posts

231 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
timmo said:
I attended the Carrera Cup and Touring cars at Donnington last Sunday
Can someone please explain how this place will be ready for F1 next year .
all they have done is shift some mud from one place to another !!!

having attended SPA and Hungary last year and seen the minimum requirements Bernie expects for a F1 GP
they have no chance of completing this in 12 months
I'm sure they will have an inspection a few months before the GP date to confirm it's all OK for F1 so, that gives them even less than a year.

I can't see it happening myself....theres only so much that can be done at the same time when running a project like this, so soon they will get to a point where it is unachievable within the time frame anyway?



onemorelap

694 posts

260 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
No point doing further redevelopment work at the mo.

Wheatcrofts are suing DVL over non payment of rent and asking for forfeiture of DVL's lease as a result. Case is being heard in a couple of weeks but Gillet was confident during the BTCC coverage that it would be resolved prior to then............

In line with the above the planners have extended the deadline to the end of June for DVL to provide / satisfy / sign upto some remaining planning conditions.

If the above gets sorted out there is still the long standing problem of financing the re-development, something which again, DVL are supposedly announcing plans for in the near future.

DVL still insist that a 9 month build programme is acheivable for the redevelopment.
Bernie talking of a one year sabattical for the BGP to give Donington time such is his confidence in a 2010 date being acheived.

Good news is at least the circuit is operating again. What "state" was it in by the way? I could see from the coverage that you couldn't get into the infield but little else.

SeeFive

8,353 posts

262 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
onemorelap said:
No point doing further redevelopment work at the mo.

Wheatcrofts are suing DVL over non payment of rent and asking for forfeiture of DVL's lease as a result. Case is being heard in a couple of weeks but Gillet was confident during the BTCC coverage that it would be resolved prior to then............

In line with the above the planners have extended the deadline to the end of June for DVL to provide / satisfy / sign upto some remaining planning conditions.

If the above gets sorted out there is still the long standing problem of financing the re-development, something which again, DVL are supposedly announcing plans for in the near future.

DVL still insist that a 9 month build programme is acheivable for the redevelopment.
Bernie talking of a one year sabattical for the BGP to give Donington time such is his confidence in a 2010 date being acheived.

Good news is at least the circuit is operating again. What "state" was it in by the way? I could see from the coverage that you couldn't get into the infield but little else.
I have not attended Donny for a big meeting. The curses aimed a Silverstone's access by the FIA meant a lot of road upgrading around it, and a one way set up on big racedays. What's access and egress like at Donny for 100,000 people? Even if the circuit is ready by some miracle, surely that has to be called into question by the hotshots if it is not up to scratch.

timmo

Original Poster:

1,788 posts

263 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
We stood at Redgate - no doubt one of the corners which will feature the most should the F1 Circus arrive in town ( 1st corner/double apex)

Currently it has a 10-15 metre run off at a guess,
to build a proper F1 type run off area with suitable stands for the public to me is a 9 month project in itself let alone the other parts of the circuits /facilities .

I think GB will be off the calander next year

we had rain for 2-3 hours and the car park was on the verge of being a swamp - we got out just in time

I see the building at Stratford each day for the Olympics which is very Impressive and you cannot help thinking that any F1 GP circuit in the UK will require Government funding




onemorelap

694 posts

260 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
SeeFive said:
onemorelap said:
No point doing further redevelopment work at the mo.

Wheatcrofts are suing DVL over non payment of rent and asking for forfeiture of DVL's lease as a result. Case is being heard in a couple of weeks but Gillet was confident during the BTCC coverage that it would be resolved prior to then............

In line with the above the planners have extended the deadline to the end of June for DVL to provide / satisfy / sign upto some remaining planning conditions.

If the above gets sorted out there is still the long standing problem of financing the re-development, something which again, DVL are supposedly announcing plans for in the near future.

DVL still insist that a 9 month build programme is acheivable for the redevelopment.
Bernie talking of a one year sabattical for the BGP to give Donington time such is his confidence in a 2010 date being acheived.

Good news is at least the circuit is operating again. What "state" was it in by the way? I could see from the coverage that you couldn't get into the infield but little else.
I have not attended Donny for a big meeting. The curses aimed a Silverstone's access by the FIA meant a lot of road upgrading around it, and a one way set up on big racedays. What's access and egress like at Donny for 100,000 people? Even if the circuit is ready by some miracle, surely that has to be called into question by the hotshots if it is not up to scratch.
The current access to the Donington can't hold a candle to what is now in place at Silverstone.

Big meetings at Donington have, historically been pretty bad to get into at the wrong time, especially if you are coming in from the M1. Helps if you are a local and know plenty of back ways in though wink
A friend used to work at a travel agents based at East Mids and they always rang all of there own customers that were flying out on the weekend of a big meeting to warn them of lengthy delays approaching the airport because of the forecast race traffic.
It always ended up with a few distressed customers coming through the shop doors having missed flights though!!

I think the intention was for the access to be upgraded at some point but it wouldn't be in place for 2010 so DVL supposedly intend on some sort of park n ride scheme in place from various points away from the circuit. Plenty of old threads on here discussing the virtues of this.

profstoff

1,272 posts

256 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
onemorelap said:
The current access to the Donington can't hold a candle to what is now in place at Silverstone.

Big meetings at Donington have, historically been pretty bad to get into at the wrong time, especially if you are coming in from the M1. Helps if you are a local and know plenty of back ways in though wink
A friend used to work at a travel agents based at East Mids and they always rang all of there own customers that were flying out on the weekend of a big meeting to warn them of lengthy delays approaching the airport because of the forecast race traffic.
It always ended up with a few distressed customers coming through the shop doors having missed flights though!!

I think the intention was for the access to be upgraded at some point but it wouldn't be in place for 2010 so DVL supposedly intend on some sort of park n ride scheme in place from various points away from the circuit. Plenty of old threads on here discussing the virtues of this.
I thought the BGP at Donington was always going to be park and ride.

It amazes me how long these things can take to build. We build major gas plants in two years from contract signature to on-stream with about nine months for the construction. This includes lots of necessary safety measures, planning permissions, operating permits etc and a complex commissioning process. This is on a fairly confined site. On this basis you would have thought that it would be easy for Donington in the time frame, given that many activities can proceeed in parallel.

Yet, I have just watched them build a new grandstand at Epsom race course and that has taken the best part of two years, I just don't see it can be that complicated.

Incidentally, if the British Grand Prix does not happen next year it will be the fist time in the history of the F1 world championship. The only other country that can claim an unbroken spell like that is Italy.

german tony

2,000 posts

237 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
What idiot would continue to invest in F1 facilities at a time that nobody is even sure that there will be F1 next year?


CatherineJ

9,586 posts

272 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
I saw an interview last Sunday during the BTCC with Gillett. He is confident it will be all OK as the build project I think he said was 10 months and there are 15 before the GP.

Wasn't sure what to make of him really.

Holst

2,468 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
CatherineJ said:
I saw an interview last Sunday during the BTCC with Gillett. He is confident it will be all OK as the build project I think he said was 10 months and there are 15 before the GP.

Wasn't sure what to make of him really.
I was very sceptical before the BTCC but after verious threads on here insistint it would be canceled they did manage to run it in the end, however they did cut it very fine.

My main concern is that they wont be able to find the money to start building if they dont have the cash then nothing else will happen.

The wheatscoft court case will be interesting (if it goes to court)

Im a b it more positive after last weekend but I will still be a bit supprised if they pull it off.

51mes

1,557 posts

229 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
I'm going for WSB next month, been invited gratis - so rude not to go .. and makes a change from dressing in orange and watching the 4wheel boys circulate.

Will be interesting to see what shape the place is in,


Simes.

NeilC

94 posts

260 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
timmo said:
We stood at Redgate - no doubt one of the corners which will feature the most should the F1 Circus arrive in town ( 1st corner/double apex)
Actually the first corner is going to be the melborne loop (yes, that 180deg turn with no run off to either side). They're building an additional pit straight down the old dunlop straight. The plans are on the donny website (masterplan.pdf).

MartG

22,791 posts

233 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
german tony said:
What idiot would continue to invest in F1 facilities at a time that nobody is even sure that there will be F1 next year?
+1

Who in their right mind would invest money into F1 when it is in the midst of yet another political crisis. Assuming that Gillet's business case for the redevelopment is based on GP ticket sales, if ( as reported today ) next year NONE of the current F1 teams are running then who is going to pay GP ticket prices to watch a load of unknown teams race in 'F1'

stifler

37,069 posts

217 months

Friday 22nd May 2009
quotequote all
matt frost said:
all they had done this time last year was move mud about too, it lookied like they were more worried about creating a motocross circuit than an F1 circuit.
Maybe they know more about next years regs than anyone else. wink

german tony

2,000 posts

237 months

Monday 25th May 2009
quotequote all
Gillet's apparently got some form in talking utter bks on motorsport-related investments.

http://pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?f...

In short, it ain't going to happen, well, unless Wheatcroft takes control in exchange for non paid rent - you read that here 1st.


fastfreddy

8,577 posts

266 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
german tony said:
Gillet's apparently got some form in talking utter bks on motorsport-related investments.

http://pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?f...

In short, it ain't going to happen, well, unless Wheatcroft takes control in exchange for non paid rent - you read that here 1st.
As pointed out before, he also tried a few years ago to get investors interested in redeveloping the old Melbourne loop and make it into some sort of Motorsport park but that idea faded into obscurity and it's very difficult to find any mention of it now.

Amazing he hasn't been found out sooner.

MartG

22,791 posts

233 months

Tuesday 26th May 2009
quotequote all
If Monaco is having problems with falling spectator number ( http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p... ), what hope has Gillett of repaying any loan he may get ?

onemorelap

694 posts

260 months

Thursday 4th June 2009
quotequote all
When is DVL's day in court with the Wheatcrofts regarding the rent / forfeiture of the lease?

5th or 8th of June rang a bell for some reason?


woof

8,456 posts

306 months

Thursday 4th June 2009
quotequote all
MartG said:
If Monaco is having problems with falling spectator number ( http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p... ), what hope has Gillett of repaying any loan he may get ?
Yep i would say Monaco was down 75% - seriously. The stands might have been down 25% or so but in general people out and about and the number of boats moored it was easily 50-75% down.