F1 blogs & more: Donington news
Brands Hatch has attracted complaints about noise from residents
Donington Park’s planning application is expected ‘within weeks’ but the circuit owners are refusing to discuss their plans for the 2010 British Grand Prix. What’s going on?
Plus as British circuits like Brands Hatch face increasing pressure friom neighbours over noise restrictions one group is petitioning the British parliament to change the law. Read these stories and more below.
Paperwork over race track plans is ‘imminent’ – Leicester County Council claims it is willing to work with the track’s owners over plans to move the British Grand Prix in 2010, but says it has not heard from them yet.
Am I the only one? – Are F1 fans as passionate as football fans?
Photographs – Why Pau is a more romantic setting for a race than Bahrain.
An Olympics motorsports category – A motorsports category might make the Olympics interesting. Maybe.
Speed satisfied with abortive F1 career – Scott Speed practices the “lower your expectations to the point where they’re already met” principle.
Petition to protect motor racing (and other events) from protests from new resident – Support efforts to protect circuits and motor racing events from NIMBYs. In Britain many racing tracks face often onerous limits on when they can be used due to complaints from locals, many of whom moved to the area long after motor racing began nearby.
Is Felipe Massa championship material – Massa – only great when the going’s good?
New rules likely to spread out field – Changes for 2009 should make wheel-to-wheel racing closer but will it also increase the differences in performance within the field?
Shakedown running ongoing – F1 teams doing shakedown tests between Grands Prix .
F1 at Eastern Creek unlikely – Doubt over rumoured F1 move to Eastern Creek.
ESPN continues digital expansion with Racing-Live.com – ESPN buys F1-live.com and sister sites (reg. req.).
Brundle escapes penalty for live gaffe – Ofcom accepts Brundle did not mean to cause offence during the Canadian Grand Prix, only 36 people complaied.
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Journeyer said on 20th August 2008, 7:55
Over at Sidepodcast, Scott Woodwiss has killed the debate altogether – with an IOC rule:
I don’t wish to be a killjoy, but motorsport won’t be part of the 2012 Olympics. As http://www.hickoksports.com/history/olsports.shtml#criteria points out, it is effectively banned by the IOC:
“There’s a little-noted rule that sports, disciplines, and events that depend essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable in the Olympics. That excludes aerobatics, air racing, auto racing, powerboat racing, motorcycle racing, and snowmobiling. (Although powerboating was briefly an Olympic sport, before that rule was in place.)”
The IOC went as far as issuing the following clarification:
“…sports and events in which athletes directly use and control automated propulsion as a component of competition should not be eligible for inclusion in the Olympic Programme.”
In case anyone wants further information on this, I’ll upload the review carried out by the Olympic Programme Commission prior to Beijing (see drop.io). Search for ‘2.4 Sports relying on mechanical propulsion’.
Although some have argued that the rule is a little ambiguous, the bottom line is that the IOC are completely against the idea of adding motorised sports to the modern games. Although the Commission’s review highlights water skiing, it should be noted that this hasn’t been included in the games since 1972, and even then it was only a demonstration sport.
As a point of interest, although motorsport was itself a demonstration sport in 1900 – unlike water skiing- it is no longer recognised by the IOC.
DG said on 20th August 2008, 8:28
From what I remember, Bernie didn’t understand the term himself…is there some Romany blood in there?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 20th August 2008, 9:02
Paige – Donington a rubbish circuit! Heresy! It’s a great track, I’m just not sure it’s big enough for F1 and I’m worried that the changes they’d have to make to accommodate Formula 1 would end up spoiling it.
DG said on 20th August 2008, 9:38
I prefer Donington and Brands Hatch over Silverstone as circuits. Silverstone is fast, but thats about it, and Thruxton is even faster.
The revisions necessary at Donington are going to ruin it, and I think the logistics of getting a big enough crowd there will take away any benifits of holding the GP.
sidepodcast said on 20th August 2008, 10:07
“Over at Sidepodcast, Scott Woodwiss has killed the debate altogether – with an IOC rule”
minor correction journeyer, it was actually scott dryden of f1break.com that found the IOC ruling.
but yeah, it killed the debate stone dead :(
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 20th August 2008, 10:46
Surely the IOC can change their own rules if they choose to?
I really don’t care about the Olympics though. I’m much more concerned about whether there’ll be a Grand Prix in Britain in 2010.
sidepodcast said on 20th August 2008, 12:01
“I really don’t care about the Olympics though. I’m much more concerned about whether there’ll be a Grand Prix in Britain in 2010.”
mind if i ask why? you didn’t even attend the race this year did you?
spa / magny-cours are within easy driving distance. monza’s doable too (in fact you did it last year).
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 20th August 2008, 12:16
I don’t mean for me, I mean for everyone in Britain who likes F1. The race was a sell-out this year. And I think it’s important for the motor racing industry in Britain for us to have a Grand Prix.
sidepodcast said on 20th August 2008, 12:28
“And I think it’s important for the motor racing industry in Britain for us to have a Grand Prix.”
is it though? you’ve seen the valencia pics. how the heck can we complete with that? and it’s not like spain is an oil rich nation.
when it rains, silverstone’s a hole, and my two trips to donington have shown me that place is worse. f1 fans deserve better than anything we have to offer right now.
DG said on 20th August 2008, 12:32
I did try to suggest a while back via the BBC that Bernie talk to the UK Olympic people about the Olympic Park in London as having a second life as a racing circuit, and I think I mentioned it here too.
Though it sounds a silly idea, it would solve the problem of what to do with the site after the Games, and since it has good road and rail links to London/Britain/Europe, it should meet most of Bernies criteria as a racing venue.
And it links F1 into the Olympics – “Welcome to the Santander British Olympic Grand Prix”
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 20th August 2008, 12:40
“when it rains, silverstone’s a hole, and my two trips to donington have shown me that place is worse. f1 fans deserve better than anything we have to offer right now.”
Spa’s not a ton of fun when it rains either, but like Silverstone it’s an excellent circuit. I agree Silverstone could be better, but it wouldn’t be better not to have a race in Britain.
sidepodcast said on 20th August 2008, 16:07
“I agree Silverstone could be better, but it wouldn’t be better not to have a race in Britain.”
not having one might urge the government to step in and do something, or it might prove once and for all that they just don’t care. if that’s the case, then the bgp is living on borrowed time anyhow.
there’s nothing to say disappearing for a year or two means it’ll be forever, spa came back after all.
i say let’s have one more weekend in the tumbledown shack and give donington as much time as they need to get it right. and if that’s not possible, we’re probably better off without it.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 20th August 2008, 16:42
I wish I could share your optimism about the government stepping in under any circumstances but I don’t see it happening. I really don’t think it’s a vote-winner. Especially not with the obscene amounts they’re spending on the Olympics… and now we’ve come full circle!