Comments on: Donington Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch and the British Grand Prix http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/ F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog with F1 news, pictures, video, comment and analysis Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:34:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sam http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-253145 Sam Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:53:20 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-253145 http://www.autoracing1.com/images/Trackmaps/BrandsHatchNew2.jpg Anyone have any better pictures of the old Brands plan. http://www.autoracing1.com/images/Trackmaps/BrandsHatchNew2.jpg
Anyone have any better pictures of the old Brands plan.

]]> By: les douglas http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-206307 les douglas Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:14:56 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-206307 if bernie wants a london gp, surely investing in brands is the answer. all the airports, motorways and train stations (ebbsfleet included) are close and if they can get their own use slip road to the m20 for big race days the place has it all. spending $100m would improve the facilities and runoff areas.seems the only problem would be the local council, but apparently they have a very good relationship with the palmer regime these days.and bernie is a local boy. if bernie wants a london gp, surely investing in brands is the answer. all the airports, motorways and train stations (ebbsfleet included) are close and if they can get their own use slip road to the m20 for big race days the place has it all. spending $100m would improve the facilities and runoff areas.seems the only problem would be the local council, but apparently they have a very good relationship with the palmer regime these days.and bernie is a local boy.

]]> By: DG http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-179406 DG Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:14:49 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-179406 And another thought about this, if Bernie is so adamantly against Magny-Cours because of its lack of hotels etc, why has he allowed the British GP to move away from Silverstone with its closeness to Brum etc, to far off Donnington which can only just cope with the BTCC these days! This, I feel, is a Bernie-ism of mega proportions. Someone needs to ask why he has different rules for different countries..... And another thought about this, if Bernie is so adamantly against Magny-Cours because of its lack of hotels etc, why has he allowed the British GP to move away from Silverstone with its closeness to Brum etc, to far off Donnington which can only just cope with the BTCC these days!
This, I feel, is a Bernie-ism of mega proportions. Someone needs to ask why he has different rules for different countries…..

]]> By: Steven Roy http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-179109 Steven Roy Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:40:37 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-179109 I think Bernie has spotted a mug running Donington and knows they have not a hope of putting a race on in the timeframe. They will end up having to pay him the cost of their penalty clause and the race will return to Silverstone with the BRDC suitably chastened. There are a few interesting questions that arise from this situation. Who else has been given a ten year contract? Who is going to invest in a debenture when no-one actually believes there is going to be a race? How difficult is it going to be to get planning permission when part of the circuit is in Leicestershire and the rest in Derbyshire? How can you get all the helicopter flights in and out when the circuit is on the approach to East Midlands airport? I think Bernie has spotted a mug running Donington and knows they have not a hope of putting a race on in the timeframe. They will end up having to pay him the cost of their penalty clause and the race will return to Silverstone with the BRDC suitably chastened.

There are a few interesting questions that arise from this situation.
Who else has been given a ten year contract?
Who is going to invest in a debenture when no-one actually believes there is going to be a race?
How difficult is it going to be to get planning permission when part of the circuit is in Leicestershire and the rest in Derbyshire?
How can you get all the helicopter flights in and out when the circuit is on the approach to East Midlands airport?

]]> By: donwatters http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178506 donwatters Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:37:40 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178506 I'm sure Bernie has a varity of non-performance clauses in the Donnington contract. Plus, I understand he got an upfront payment of something like 50 million...I'm not sure if it was dollars or pounds. So it would appear that no matter what happens, Bernie comes out ahead...no suprise...and the UK may end up with no F1 race. I’m sure Bernie has a varity of non-performance clauses in the Donnington contract. Plus, I understand he got an upfront payment of something like 50 million…I’m not sure if it was dollars or pounds. So it would appear that no matter what happens, Bernie comes out ahead…no suprise…and the UK may end up with no F1 race.

]]> By: AndyWolf http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178414 AndyWolf Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:22:13 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178414 Let's just hope there IS a British GP.. Let’s just hope there IS a British GP..

]]> By: Keith Collantine http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178403 Keith Collantine Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:54:52 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178403 There's all kinds of rumours about why Ecclestone and the BRDC don't get on. He sees them as a bit of an old boys' network and they certainly don't have his business acumen. Apparently once when he visited them to present a business plan one stood up and demanded to know of him "how do we know we can trust you?" which he was offended by and left. Makes me think of that bit in "There Will Be Blood"... There’s all kinds of rumours about why Ecclestone and the BRDC don’t get on. He sees them as a bit of an old boys’ network and they certainly don’t have his business acumen. Apparently once when he visited them to present a business plan one stood up and demanded to know of him “how do we know we can trust you?” which he was offended by and left. Makes me think of that bit in “There Will Be Blood”…

]]> By: Rabi http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178402 Rabi Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:52:14 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178402 Well with Boris now in charge as the London Mayor and not Ken Livingstone I'm suprised that Bernie hasn't approached in public unless the answer is still "no". Well with Boris now in charge as the London Mayor and not Ken Livingstone I’m suprised that Bernie hasn’t approached in public unless the answer is still “no”.

]]> By: DG http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178398 DG Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:42:45 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178398 I think this is Bernie getting his own back on the BRDC (did they kick him out early on for not winning races or something?) It seems that he wants the British GP at Silverstone, but not with BRDC running it. Since BHL failed to buy the circuit during the last contract, he might be hoping that the Donnington people will give up trying to meet their deadline (maybe sometime next year), and they will approach BRDC with whats left of $100m to buy the circuit or run the race..... I know I am probably seeing shadows, but given that Brands Hatch had trouble raising the funds, and the BRDC always have trouble, have Donnington taken on more than they can handle? And is $100m sufficient to need a new public enqury? Also, it does seem strange that up to this year's GP, Bernie was going for a London venue - does this mean that he has given up on it, or not found a backer, or is going to turn round next year and say 'Silverstone isn't good enough, Donnington isn't good enough, Brands Hatch isn't good enough, I want a new London circuit'? I think this is Bernie getting his own back on the BRDC (did they kick him out early on for not winning races or something?)
It seems that he wants the British GP at Silverstone, but not with BRDC running it. Since BHL failed to buy the circuit during the last contract, he might be hoping that the Donnington people will give up trying to meet their deadline (maybe sometime next year), and they will approach BRDC with whats left of $100m to buy the circuit or run the race…..
I know I am probably seeing shadows, but given that Brands Hatch had trouble raising the funds, and the BRDC always have trouble, have Donnington taken on more than they can handle? And is $100m sufficient to need a new public enqury?
Also, it does seem strange that up to this year’s GP, Bernie was going for a London venue – does this mean that he has given up on it, or not found a backer, or is going to turn round next year and say ‘Silverstone isn’t good enough, Donnington isn’t good enough, Brands Hatch isn’t good enough, I want a new London circuit’?

]]> By: Keith Collantine http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/07/14/donington-park-silverstone-brands-hatch-and-the-british-grand-prix/comment-page-1/#comment-178377 Keith Collantine Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:50:03 +0000 http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/?p=7434#comment-178377 Am suitably embarrassed. Fixed the typo! Am suitably embarrassed. Fixed the typo!

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