Comments on: Donington GP plan might just work

By: Örjan Bergstedt

Örjan Bergstedt — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:56:12 +0000

Best of luck to the Donington Circuit if it will succeed in actually arranging the 2010 British Grand Prix.
It will need not only luck but a huge quantity of money as well.
After all, when Bernie gratiously gave Donington the rights to arrange the Grand Prix, from 2010 and onwards, he also raised the arranging fee by a modest 35%. From £22m to £30m; any guesses for how much a sunday grandstand ticket will cost? £500? £700?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:28:20 +0000

Airport racetracks never interesting? Lord March may want to counter you.

By: alan

alan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:03:48 +0000

i agree

By: Pat O'Brien

Pat O'Brien — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:34:26 +0000

As a TV viewer I don’t so much regret the passing of Silverstone (airport circuits are never very interesting) and as I recall Donington is a real race course, although no Brands Hatch. What I don’t get is even if the British GP does go off as planned, how long will it last? The Brits, Canadians and Americans have no apetite for subsidising rich guys so that they can get richer. If the circuit owner can’t make a buck why will he keep doing it? The answer makes no difference to Bernie so long as there is another fool willing to dump piles of money into his pocket for the rights to a GP.

By: S.J. Porter

S.J. Porter — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:33:01 +0000

Donington is my home curcuit and people should give it a chance. Which would you rather do; go with out a British GP. Silverstone has it problems too but most seam to be forgeting them. I find it fast getting out of Donington after the MotoGP than for most of the events at Silverstone! I just hope that they sort the disabled viewing and allow them to park in the usual spot at the Old Hairpin. But unlike most I’ll wait to complain or cheer until it all over and we know how its gone.

By: Bob Downs

Bob Downs — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:17:03 +0000

For those interested, Silverstone Heliports Ltd who operate the heliports at Silverstone on behalf of Silverstone Circuits Ltd are looking at the possibility of establishing a heliport close to Donington Circuit that will be able to cope with the anticipated high demand for helicopter transportation during the 2010 F1 Grand Prix event.

In 2008 there were more than 120 helicopters parked up at Silverstone during the race. 2,200 passengers passed through the heliport and there were 1800 movements on race day Sunday alone. This is a massive operation and takes a team of 75 people to operate safely and effectively.

Donington poses it’s own set of problems especially considering its close proximity to East Midlands Airport. We aim to work with the airport establishing a heliport within the air traffic zone that won’t interfere with their commercial traffic. The site will have direct access to the circuit thus avoiding any traffic congestion.

For more information please visit our website http://www.flysilverstone.co.uk

By: Graham Stanton

Graham Stanton — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:56:17 +0000

Personally, I have totally enjoyed Silverstone for many years for the Grand Prix, and I feel that the facillities for us true fans at the circuit are fine, and have improved year on year.I really fear for the future as Bernie is not in the true world. The more I read on the post Silverstone race, the more angry I become, money people and corporate seem to be Bernie’s only consideration – please can we remove him before the “Max and Bernie show” ruin motorsport completely. They have lost the real feeling for the sport, stand at a circiut’s banking and enjoy racing, at any event,I doubt that they undrstand that cocept anymore.
Pleae let us do what we can and fifgt this stupid action !!!!

By: John Hill

John Hill — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:15:35 +0000

Berni has always wanted to own Silverstone. He could have helped them if he was a true motor sport fan but he along with his friend Max have nevr ever been motor sport fans. they have had only one agenda “the total domination of motor sport”. They have succeded. The whole of motor sport have been sedueced by their smoke and mirrors i.e. the kings new clothes, did they not realise that there is a price to pay for the big buck. now the FIA President Mr Mosley returns from Demascus with the message “I have seen the light, you have all been profligate what have you been doing”.He and his little friend have presided over the pigs with their snouts in the trough for years. I have no sympathy for the teams if they go under, the sport will survive, it is a pitty the Jenks has passed on he would not be afraid of the odd couple and say it like it is. In other words just shut up and race the bloody cars!!

By: David J, S, Cox,

David J, S, Cox, — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:21:38 +0000

Just one Question, As all the parking of Vehicles is to be some way away from the Circuit, How are you to get all your camping gear to the camp sites?
For all the Pactice and the Race itself.

By: JVCanada

JVCanada — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:33:59 +0000

Does anyone have an actual jpg of the track layout…. before and after?

JVCanada

By: chris brooke

chris brooke — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:40:08 +0000

I’ve always enjoyed donnington as a circuit and apart from one or two corners [ye olde woodcote] and the one after the hangar straight, i’ve never ever been a fan of silverstone, having been there more times than i can recollect – so i [hopefully] will welcome the change and as i also have a motorbike not really worried about the traffic, good luck donnington

By: Roger White

Roger White — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:54:32 +0000

I live on the Gold Coast where The Indy Race takes place each year in a very busy area,No room for car parking.The park and ride system works very well,Once people get used to it.I dont like the alternative i.e. loosing the British Grand prix.

By: Peter Yates

Peter Yates — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:25:48 +0000

So Mr Gillet is ever more determined to host the British GP at Donington in 2010. Does a sentence containing the words iceberg and Titanic have a similar ring. Sadly, this farce only ever had one intention, and that is to open a place on the calender for a race track many miles east of the East Midlands. As Peter Dring has already reported, access into and around Donington has been compromised,one of its best features was being able to park on the infield on a big grassy bank with commanding views of the cicuit. O.K. the pits might be crap, but we go to watch racing not look at architecture.

By: Don Capps

Don Capps — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:29:48 +0000

RIP British Grand Prix, 1948-2009

You can forget Donington 2010, which was a fantasy prior to the economy going sour, but a figment of an overactive imagination after the meltdown.

So, with the French Grand Prix (1968-2008, the replacement to the GP de l’ACF 1906-1967) also gone, when does the Italian formula 1 race follow these onto the trash heap of history?

By: Chris Foskett

Chris Foskett — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:32:43 +0000

The problem is that when the circuit has taken into account the area required for the F1 teams, plus the paddock club, plus the helicopters, will there be any room left for the spectators?

Unless ticket prices are going to be 300 pounds plus I can’t see any financial logic in running this event as Donnington will not be able to accomodate the necessary numbers – 90,000 plus.

By: Nick Dunstan

Nick Dunstan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:25:06 +0000

I guess due to the spectator areas being tight at some parts of the circuit the organisers are going to have to limit the overall crowd number.
As to getting in/out by shuttle bus this works very well at cardiff for rugby and other events and that is in a town !!!

By: Peter Bowyer

Peter Bowyer — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:36:24 +0000

Park and Ride? What’s wrong with using the helicopter?

By: Nick Wilson

Nick Wilson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:33:14 +0000

Please give Donnington a chance.
I live locally and enjoy the Donnington “park” circuit compared to Silverstone.
The bottleneck in all large events is arrival and departure– these ideas are neat and clever.
BUT don’t forget that the M1 is closeby and temporary carparks with shuttlebuses could be an additional option.
Many of us have been the NEC motorshow where all transport links were integrated fly ,drive or even use rail.

By: David Redfern

David Redfern — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:19:38 +0000

I think Mr. Gillett needs his head examined. F1 is supported by a fan base of car loving petrol heads which makes entire sense. To expect hordes of them to surrender their beloved McLaren/Ferrari/BMW substitute in favour of a train then a bus from St Pancras or a park and ride scheme is verging on the delusional. And if you want to take kids? tents, brollys, picnics, rucksacks then you have to drag the complaining brats from train/car to bus to track and then back again with X thousand other fans as Dave Cubbedge in a previous post pointed out.

All this trouble to get in and out of a track with lousy access when Brands Hatch, with probably the best transport links and the best spectator views in the country is ignored. And yes I know there are planning problems but with enough effort they could be solved. But hey, I guess I don’t have to pay the now inflated prices for other events as at Donington.

Unless I can bike it directly to the track I certainly won’t be going to Donington for an F1 race.

By: Steve Turnbull

Steve Turnbull — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:03:33 +0000

Anyone doubting the efficiency of a proposed parn and ride scheme needs to look at the Sunderland International Air Show; this attracts many more people – across two days – than the Grand prix can even hope to, and access is largely by exactly this sort of distance parking scheme. It works beautifully.

By: Dave Cubbedge

Dave Cubbedge — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:05:15 +0000

Beware ‘Park and Ride’ arrangements. I attended the NASCAR race in Phoenix in November 2007 and some of our party who didn’t want to be at the track when it opened chose this method. Getting into the track was very easy, but getting out was a nightmare. You can imagine that shuttling in 15-20,000 people over the course of several hours before the race was simple compared to the same bunch, now tired and sore and wanting to be at their car RIGHT NOW and having to wait hours to get a bus back. I drove in and drove out (thru very heavy traffic) and still beat the rest of the party back to the hotel by hours!

By: Bill Howard

Bill Howard — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:44:50 +0000

Donnington is not a bad circuit but it is another one of those places which are difficult to overtake at (unless you are Ayrton Senna in the wet!!!) and it seems a great pity to me to be loosing Silverstone which is a fast circuit with some good bends.
Either way it matters not a lot to me because i will never be able to afford the price of the tickets and if i did have the money i would rather go to the Goodwood events
Bill Howard

By: Neville Walker

Neville Walker — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:04:28 +0000

Great !! So the punters will have to carry their chairs/seats, cold boxes,champagne (or whatever),wet/hot weather clothing, cameras,etc from their cars to the coaches/cattle trucks across the circuit to a suitable (?) viewing point and then do it all again after the races. Brilliant!!If only I could go “corporate”!

By: Peter Dring

Peter Dring — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:56:45 +0000

Donington is my local circuit. My father delivered lorries for the armed forces from there during the war. Much as I want it to run the GP I fear that it will be not happen and in the meantime it will disadvantage all the other meetings that are traditionally held at the circuit by increasing fees to not only spectators but to competitors.Already at the end of the 2008 season access into and around the circuit was reduced and seriously reduced the pleasure of attending races.

By: colin north

colin north — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:38:50 +0000

i have to wish donington well,a great circuit don’t really see whats wrong with silverstone but that’s but that’s Bernie.Is it coincidence that Max and Bernie have lost there marbles at the same time?

By: Graham Williams

Graham Williams — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:06:02 +0000

The campers will have some fun going on the park and ride system.

By: Dave Currie

Dave Currie — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:52:15 +0000

Apropos of the Silverstone/Donington fracas, am I alone in thinking that Bernie is a very greedy little man (emphasis on the “little”) and that he could quite easily have invested in Silverstone if, as is reported, he is one of the Donington investors? He has amassed billions out of F1 – is it not time that he gave some back. He may be too late now, of course, as the wife would appear to be off with most of it!

By: Rob Whitmarsh

Rob Whitmarsh — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:29:34 +0000

Out of power? Dead more likely, even his money can’t buy immortality.

By: Dave Kane

Dave Kane — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Bernie will be out of power by race day…enough said.