Formula 1 circuits that never were
- This topic has 11 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 9 months ago by necrodethmortem.
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- 2nd July 2012, 12:09 at 12:09 pm #131617Prisoner MonkeysParticipant
School holidays have just begun, and that means I’m already bored. No school means no work. No work means my mind tends to wander, and I started thinking about this proposal for a race in London that most people believe will never thinking. Following that thought through to its conclusion, I started wondering about circuits that were planned to host Grand Prix, but never actually happened. And while trawling the internet waiting for something to happen, I found a lap of the Moscow Raceway, which Wikipedia tells me was intended to host the Russian Grand Prix in 2010, but – for reasons the article never makes clear – obviously never eventuated. Even travelling at 100km/h, there’s some tricky-looking corners there. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like at race speeds, until I found out that Formula Renault 3.5 is heading there later this month (becoming the first major international motorsport series to race in Russia, no less), so at least my curiosity will be satisfied.
But what other circuits are there that were planned to hold races, but they ultimately fell through?
2nd July 2012, 13:07 at 1:07 pm #204840AdrianMorseParticipantNo work means my mind tends to wander
I’m trying to think of something funny to say to connect to your usual loquaciousness in the months September to June, but I’ve got nothing.
As something remotely relevant to the thread, in the nineties the Zandvoort circuit was revamped and there had been talk of “now we are ready to get back the Grand Prix again”, which never materialised as unfortunately it’s not a particularly brilliant track, and probably too small and narrow for F1 cars anyway.
2nd July 2012, 13:37 at 1:37 pm #204841necrodethmortemParticipantNot sure I’d get bored in Australia, even in winter. Anyways, Autopolis in Japan springs to mind. I don’t feel it’s a big loss since I’d rate it somewhere on par with the Tilkenized Fuji. Not bad, but can’t hold a candle to Suzuka.
There’s also a bunch of them that never got materialized, like Les Mureaux and Velociudad Speedcity. Glad nobody got it in their heads to build those atrocities.
Oh and the Mexican Grand Prix at Cancun.
3rd July 2012, 0:44 at 12:44 am #204842Craig WoollardParticipantDonington is the only one that jumps out for me… I also believe there was meant to be a Romanian GP in Bucharest…
3rd July 2012, 1:22 at 1:22 am #204843SpinmastermicParticipantTilke drew up plans for an A1 GP around the streets of Dublin. Monaco without the yachts.
3rd July 2012, 3:12 at 3:12 am #204844Prisoner MonkeysParticipantI believe there were also plans for a Grand Prix in Lebanon – in Beirut, I tihnk – back in 2004, but it never happened.
3rd July 2012, 3:24 at 3:24 am #204845necrodethmortemParticipantDubai Autodrome and Losail are the only tracks which currently currently FIA Grade 1 status that haven’t ever held an F1 GP. And since you need to specifically ask the FIA to get the grade, it means they want an F1 race.
3rd July 2012, 3:28 at 3:28 am #204846Prisoner MonkeysParticipantAnd since you need to specifically ask the FIA to get the grade, it means they want an F1 race.
I don’t think it’s as definite as that. Perhaps they simply want the option of hosting Formula 1 in the future.
3rd July 2012, 3:33 at 3:33 am #204847necrodethmortemParticipant@prisoner-monkeys Why not get the license later then? Maybe it’s already expired by the time they get the race and those things don’t come cheap.
I suspect they wanted to serve as a backup plan for Bahrain.
3rd July 2012, 3:37 at 3:37 am #204848Prisoner MonkeysParticipantHere’s a few that I found online:
Cape Town – http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/News/images/capetown.gif
Disneyland Paris – http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7084275519_6facf3fc1b.jpg
Balearic Islands – http://s1.aecdn.com/images/news/mallorca-targets-f1-race-in-2013-or-2014-21973_1.jpg
Nagatino Island (Moscow) – http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/News/images/nagatino.gif
Somewhere in Greece – http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_LzGS303Dc/Tc2DltVXFeI/AAAAAAAACV4/2bKRP7Gpj2o/s1600/assets_LARGE_t_1041_336580_.jpg
Tor Poznań, Poland – http://s1.blomedia.pl/autokult.pl/images/2012/01/fot-simracingpl-.gif
Beirut – http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/bullheadpics/Picture0002-1.jpg
And these are just the ones that got to the stage where they had circuit plans drawn up.
Why not get the license later then? Maybe it’s already expired by the time they get the race and those things don’t come cheap.
Because that would mean making changes to the circuit at a later date. It would be cheaper and easier – especially in the long term – to build the circuit to Grade-1 standards to begin with.
Because despite your claims that they absolutely want a Grand Prix, they have never put orward a bid to have one. Losail was briefly mentioned as a potential alternative venue in the event this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix fell through, but that’s it.
3rd July 2012, 4:14 at 4:14 am #204849DamionShadowsParticipantAutopolis, in Japan, wasn’t built specifically for Formula One, but was intended to hold a future F1 event. Even though they were a sponsor of the ’90 and ’91 Benetton team, the only International race held there was one WSC race. It’s still open but it holds mostly regional events like Super GT and such.
3rd July 2012, 14:26 at 2:26 pm #204850necrodethmortemParticipantBecause that would mean making changes to the circuit at a later date. It would be cheaper and easier – especially in the long term – to build the circuit to Grade-1 standards to begin with.
Because despite your claims that they absolutely want a Grand Prix, they have never put orward a bid to have one. Losail was briefly mentioned as a potential alternative venue in the event this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix fell through, but that’s it.
I didn’t say they desperately want a GP, I didn’t even imply it. What I mean is that, the way I understand the FIA Grade licenses work, you ask for an inspection for a certain grade, not that the FIA looks around and decides it’s a 1, 2 or 3. So even if they — understandably — opted to build a track that is good enough for Grade 1, there’s no need to have that license until you actually are willing to host F1, because a Grade 1 license is considerably more expensive.
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