British Grand Prix move!

Guess everyone has heard about this now? Moving to Donington in 2010...I'll be amazed if they pull it off!

wrinx

I think the move is down to friction between the BRDC (Silverstone owners) and the FIA & Bernie E. Moving the GP to Donnington will not solve all the logistical problems, just move them.
My prediction is that the 2010 GP at Donny will be a total disaster logistically.

Agreed, having spent over two hours queueing on the road into Donington (even using both lanes!) for a Renault race day, it's just not set up for the volume of traffic.

Guy on 155.org quoted four hours from the infield to the roundabout, when he went to a DTM meeting :/

Can't help thinking it will be a nightmare, looks like a decision based on political pressure rather than what's good for the people!

wrinx

Silverstone has for the last 5 years or so been trying to at least sort the infrastructure for moving 90,000 people in cars. Donnington just isn't going to be able to sort that out in less than 2 years.

Be interesting to know the exact reasons for moving away from Silverstone.

More or less what you said I think Steve, Silverstone didn't do exactly what BE wanted, in the time he wanted so he took his very expensive ball elsewhere.

I suspect it may get punctured though...:?

wrinx

Having just been to the race at the weekend I think Silverstone has the parking and operational logistics pretty well sorted. No (absolutely none) traffic parking up on both days, leaving on Qualy day was simple too. After race day we left late (about 17:30) and we got stuck in about 30 mins traffic on the A43 where the roads were combined after both directions were set to take you to the M1 (A43 closed to through traffic). Nothing to complain about really. There are 100s of marshals around for info and direction, seemed a pretty well run show :) Race was fantastic too!

Thirty minutes! That's pretty damn good...Donington is a nightmare for access in my experience.

wrinx

There was more traffic at SIlverstone this year than I have seen in ages but it was all moving freely. They do seem to have got it sorted now.

BRDC refuse to pay BE fees, he wants ?11m per year with a 5% uplift year on year for 10 years. As BE already owns all the F1 trackside advertising, the TV rights and the event sponsor rights doesn't leave much to get your money back on. Never mind the upgrades that BE insists on.

Can't see how Donny can cover the ?100m refurb, plus the ?11m per year plus increases over a 10 year deal with the current or even projected capacity.