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F1 Back At Donington.


Fujisan
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F1 back at the scene of the greatest single lap in F1 history :yahoo:

"Bernie threatens Silverstone

Formula One supreme Bernie Ecclestone has ramped up the pressure on Silverstone to do a long-term deal on the British Grand Prix by threatening to take the race to Donington Park instead.

Silverstone’s owner, the British Racing Drivers’ Club, has a deal with Ecclestone to hold the race at the Northamptonshire circuit until 2009. But F1’s commercial boss and the club have become stuck in negotiations about the price of the race and required improvements to the track’s facilities.

Ecclestone told The Times, “We are discussing the possibility of reaching an agreement with Donington to host the British Grand Prix. We are trying to save the British GP and we want it to be staged at a venue which befits an event of its stature.”

Donington, which hosted F1’s European GP in 1993, recently lost the deal to host Britain’s round of the MotoGP motorcycling series (to Silverstone, ironically). Sources claim that F1 track guru Hermann Tilke has already been commissioned to create a revised layout at the Leicestershire venue for the four-wheeled category."

But knowing Bernie, when the money is right he'll cut a deal with Silverstone :crybaby:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can't wait for 2010...just hope they don't butcher Donington too much in making it F1 friendly :(

"The British Grand Prix will move to Donington Park from 2010, the FIA has announced.

Donington, which recently lost the country’s top motorcycle meeting to Silverstone, has signed a 10-year deal with the governing body of four-wheeled motorsport to bring F1 back to the venue for the first time since the European GP in 1993.

F1’s commercial supreme Bernie Ecclestone, who has been involved in intense, often-heated negotiations with Silverstone’s owner the British Racing Drivers Club, expressed regret that the British government had not stepped in to secure the race’s future at the Northamptonshire venue.

“I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run F1,” he said.

“I believe that the government should have supported them which would have cost probably less than .002% of the government’s commitment for the Olympic Games.”

He added, “We wanted a world-class venue for Formula One in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of. The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that: a venue that will put British motorsport back on the map.

Donington’s owners and joint CEOs, Simon Gillett and Lee Gill, said, “We are naturally delighted and extremely proud to have acquired the rights to bring Formula One back to Donington Park from 2010.

At the beginning of last year when we acquired the circuit and its substantial lands, we made clear our commitment towards realising the full potential of the Park by making the necessary investments in current and future events that will see Donington revitalised ensuring its leading position as one of the most iconic racing circuits in the world.

“To that end, we have now entered a new and exciting chapter in the development of the Park and one that will bring significant investment and regional development while securing the future of one of the most important and significant sporting events in Britain.”

The deal arguably has just as many potential pitfalls as those that have hampered talks between Silverstone and Ecclestone in recent years. Donington’s track will need to be lengthened and its pits facilities are poor in comparison with those of the current venue.

It also shares access with East Midlands Airport, making traffic management tricky. Donington says that a major shareholder is assisting with a five-year investment plan, worth £100m, that will address these issues."

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Donnington Park has an awful lot of work to do in order to get the circuit and the facilities up to F1 standards by 2010.

The surrounding road structures and layout will need to be totally revamped if it is to stand a chance of success.

Current access from the M1 is absolutely appalling and car parking at Donnington is at the standard that Silverstone was a decade ago.

I find it hard to believe that it will be ready for 2010 :(

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As much as i like donnington park, i dont think its fit for the f1.

its way too small a track and the toilets, food outlets etc for us the paying public are not upto much either ;)

i understand they will throw lots of money at it and it sure needs it to get anywhere near silverstone,

also the small villages and country lanes around the circuit will have to be ripped wide open too for access,

After sitting many a year for 2hours just trying to get out of the circuit myself after BTCC and other races,

its a nightmare.

They also need to sort out the grassed parking areas, as again i have watched loads of cars get themselves

stuck in the mud :o

If i lived local i would not be pleased if they ruined the quite villages, with major road access,

but to host the f1 they will have to.

Maybe they will prove me wrong i guess we will let time tell us that one :rolleyes:

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