Future Of The British Grand Prix

[adrianjordan]

the question is

are we talking about loosing the british GP or losing silverstone ?

up till 1987 silverstone didn't have a monopoly on hosting the race and personally i've no great love for the place since for me it threw away it's identity the moment they started building the slow sections for 1987, so why not another track? although the donington plan failed, that was more about how they had planned to finance the track changes and being caught up in the financial crash, if a race around london's docklands could be financed, there''s no reason why the race shouldn't move there if silverstone are so adamant they can't afford it, it would certainly be better than no british gp at all

Silverstone was shafted by Bernie who, even though he's a member, seems to hate the BRDC (who used to own Silverstone). He did everything he could to mess them around and charge big money for the race. The roads around Silverstone were improved to help facilitate fans getting to and from the race too.

Silverstone is a good F1 track with proper high speed "balls out" corners that are missing at most modern "medium speed" tracks.

As for Docklands - no. We don't need yet another sporting event in London at the expense of the rest of the country. We also don't need another contrived street circuit in F1. If you had to have a street circuit in the UK, use Birmingham for its central location. Better yet, use Oxford. They hate cars in Oxford so it would be funny to watch them all implode with indignation. Actually, I could see a street course working in Oxford. There a couple of bits that are long enough and wide enough to even allow some overtaking.

Nah, let's take a leaf out of Spa's book and create a "street circuit" using countryside roads.... Image a course that included the Snake Pass!!!

[Ringleheim]

For as long as I can remember, there has been a constantly running story about how Britain may lose its GP, Silverstone specifically may lose the race to some other track, and how the folks running Silverstone are constantly trying to make the place better to appease the FIA.

What is all that about exactly? It makes no sense, especially after all the new construction work/paddock area and track reconfiguration not that long ago.

Certain countries and tracks should be declared "important cultural icons in the sport" and therefore can't be messed with easily!

Silverstone, Spa, Monaco, Monza immediately get such status. At least if I'm running the show. LOL

I cringe to think Spa or Silverstone could disappear some day, but we have to endure the f-ing race in Bahrain every year.

That ain't right!

[Restomaniac]

I’m so glad I’m attending and taking my lad to his first ever British GP with the doubt hanging over it.

Can anyone tell me the best place to go with a 10 year old with standard tickets please.

[komninosm]

screw monaco honestly

[RaulRof]

This might be the least excited I have ever been about a grand prix. --- this racetrack. Its everything that is wrong with modern racing.

[NathanOlder]

This might be the least excited I have ever been about a grand prix. --- this racetrack. Its everything that is wrong with modern racing.

Err.... ok

The future of the British Grand Prix is not to blame for Mercedes dominance around the streets of Monte Carlo.

[Just_a_fan]

RaulRof is a troll. Joined the forum a couple of weeks ago. Ignore them.

[Ringleheim]

Why is Silverstone constantly in danger, 24/7/365, of losing its F1 race?

They spent a ton of money updating the paddock area, it's a great track with genuine history and heritage, and England is 100% the home of motor racing in general and Formula One in particular.

What the hell?

All the races can't be these Bahrain type abominations, can they?!

When they finally get rid of Silverstone, Spa, Monza, and Suzuka, there won't be much point in watching anymore.

[NathanOlder]

I don't think Silverstone gets any government funding. So they have to pay the fee's themselves.

As far as I'm aware, most circuits are helped by the government to help attract tourists, or owned and funded by the rich.

[Maritimer]

I've always been under the impression that the races themselves generate little revenue if any; the real money lies in everything associated with going to the race. They're big money makers for local economies, just not the venues themselves. Some type of government funding or benefactors footing the bill are the only way something like a Grand Prix can be profitable, such has been the case for decades if not all of GP history.

[izzy]

I've always been under the impression that the races themselves generate little revenue if any; the real money lies in everything associated with going to the race. They're big money makers for local economies, just not the venues themselves. Some type of government funding or benefactors footing the bill are the only way something like a Grand Prix can be profitable, such has been the case for decades if not all of GP history.

Yes tho it hasn't helped how Silverstone is run by a club and they can be a bit amateur. Bernie gave them £10m to do up the facilities and they spent it on their own clubhouse! That pissed Bernie off a lot. They signed up for his 5% accumulator and then were stunned that it actually put the price up, by quite a lot over a few years. They put half the pit garages below ground out of sight, and even put the top teams in them to start with. Then even recently they had the track resurfaced and didn't notice it was still bumpy and didn't drain .

Luckily it's a great, great actual racetrack!!

[Just_a_fan]

I don't think Silverstone gets any government funding. So they have to pay the fee's themselves.

As far as I'm aware, most circuits are helped by the government to help attract tourists, or owned and funded by the rich.

Exactly. The Government doesn't fund the circuit or the race. They did improve the local road network but only as part of a general upgrade of the A43 that is link from the M1 to the M40, so wasn't done for the race circuit's benefit (although the circuit does benefit).

Most of the new races are Government funded to bring the glamour of F1 to a country, usually for the reflected glory for the senior politicians / president etc that signed the paperwork.

Silverstone sells out and the grandstands are full every year. Compare with a number of the more recent additions to the calendar.