San Marino GP goes bye-bye....

[TrueBrit]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5294664.stm

Good to see that Spa is back on, but I think it is a real shame to lose Imola....

The new Hockenheim was awful and I'm glad to see that it's gone...hopefully it won't be a threat to replacing the Nurburgring for the Grosser Preis Von Deutschland.....

[emjaya]

I'd rather lose both Hockenhiem and Nurburgring and keep Imola.

Good news about Spa, though.

:)

[Dirty Sanchez]

no need to panic... it's just a provisional schedule. you'll notice a month gap between bahrain and barcelona (imola's traditional spot on the schedule). I would imagine they just have to confirm the progress of the planned upgrades to the facilities in imola and then it will be back on the schedule.

disagree on the new hockenheim as well. it now puts on exciting races... where before it was nothing but a horsepower track. you could've just put all the engines on a dyno and figured out who would win.

[coolhand]

Hockenhiem >>> Nurburgring

[eiregosod]

Hockenheim paid a king's ransom to upgrade their facilities. Thier big payoff is the right to get into a bidding war with the Nurburgring to host the German GP. :gomer:

That's business Bernie style. Of course there's always a country willing to come in and build a Tilke track to impress the world with. :gomer:

[Dirty Sanchez]

what bidding war are you referring to? they agreed long ago to the idea of switching venues each year. I think it was their idea actually :laugh:

[eiregosod]

what bidding war are you referring to? they agreed long ago to the idea of switching venues each year. I think it was their idea actually :laugh:

Good for them.

Attendence has been excellent in Germany this year. I wonder which deserted track will host the replacement Tilke GP?

[emjaya]

disagree on the new hockenheim as well. it now puts on exciting races... where before it was nothing but a horsepower track. you could've just put all the engines on a dyno and figured out who would win.

I don't mind the new Hockenhiem (Hockenheim?), it's just I liked the old one better.I liked the idea of a horsepower circuit, where the team with the best engine (and aero) won the day.The new Nurburging does nothing for me, though. :)

[omni]

The agreement died in about the same time as it took to print it in the media.

[emjaya]

what bidding war are you referring to? they agreed long ago to the idea of switching venues each year. I think it was their idea actually :laugh:

I thought Bernie didn't want the switching from year to year thing?

Or was that just for the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch and Silverstone?
:confused:

[eiregosod]

I don't mind the new Hockenhiem (Hockenheim?), it's just I liked the old one better.I liked the idea of a horsepower circuit, where the team with the best engine (and aero) won the day.The new Nurburging does nothing for me, though. :)

Engines + aero and don't forget that the cars had to create mechanical grip at the old track. r

If anyone ever thought that Hermann Tilke might be a little off his rocker, consider this. The lap time at the new track is a little shorter than was expected. When Hermann was designing the layout he forgot that the cars would be going throuh the stadium section a lot quicker becasue they had more downforce. He could have made the track a little longer. Ole Hermann made a gaffe, who'd've thunk it. :gomer:

[Dirty Sanchez]

expected by whom? ofcourse a track that requires more downforce than, say, none :laugh: will result in a faster trip through the stadium section. this wasn't a surprise to anyone. the race used to be a snoozer... not anymore.

and as already mentioned, attendance is quite strong. made my first trip this year and I would definitely do it again in the future :thumbup:

[Dirty Sanchez]

The agreement died in about the same time as it took to print it in the media.Europe and San Marino dropped for 2007

By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, August 29th 2006, 08:42 GMT

The FIA have confirmed that the San Marino and European Grands Prix will be dropped from the Formula One calendar next year.

The sport's governing body published the list of dates for next year's schedule on Tuesday following a fax vote of the World Motor Sport Council.

The 17-race calendar is widely as had been expected, starting in Australia on March 18 and finishing in Brazil on October 21.

The return of the Belgian Grand Prix on September 16 had been expected to force one race off the calendar, but it appears that both the San Marino and European events have gone.

Imola had needed to upgrade its facilities to have a chance of hosting the fourth race, while the European venue has been dropped after Nurburgring and Hockenheim organisers decided that it would be best to alternate one race in Germany. :gomer:

The FIA has however left a one-month gap between the third and the fourth race, allowing for a possible reinstatement of the San Marino Grand Prix.

There will be five back-to-backs on the schedule. Malaysia and Bahrain in April, Canada and the United States in June, France and Britain in July, Italy and Belgium in September and China and Japan in September/October.

[emjaya]

Is Monza still under seige by greenies?

[coolhand]

why did they shorten the track?

[Lizzerd]

why did they shorten the track?

Hockenheim? No fans in the woods. The only spectator access, iirc, was in the stadium section and main straight. More laps = better "show".

[omni]

The loss of the European Grand Prix means Hockenheim and Nurburgring circuits are both vying to host the German Grand Prix.


The German Grand Prix is scheduled for July 22nd but it's not specified if the race will be hosted by Hockenheim or by the Nurburgring -- there has been discussion that the event could be shared between the two circuits.


There is no venue listed for the German GP, and it remains to be seen whether it is Nurburgring or Hockenheim, although there are strong suggestions that the latter will be dropped for the first year of an alternating schedule.


"Nothing is impossible but I don't envisage this solution. Rotation
isn't viable for organisers. But on the other hand sooner or later it
will be necessary to agree to lose certain Grand Prix." B.E.

[pchall]

I don't mind the new Hockenhiem (Hockenheim?), it's just I liked the old one better.I liked the idea of a horsepower circuit, where the team with the best engine (and aero) won the day.The new Nurburging does nothing for me, though. :)

The old Hockenheim was wonderful. It opened in 1939 with the expressed purpose of running a regional GP event that would show off the top speed of the the Auto Unions and Mercedes-Benz.

There was nothing like hearing modern F1 cars disappear into the forest and then come roaring back to do it again. They killed Hockenheim. The bastards.

[Cam]

The old Hockenheim was wonderful. It opened in 1939 with the expressed purpose of running a regional GP event that would show off the top speed of the the Auto Unions and Mercedes-Benz.

There was nothing like hearing modern F1 cars disappear into the forest and then come roaring back to do it again. They killed Hockenheim. The bastards.

I am in complete agreement with Pete here. Even tho the majority of the old track was off limits to the general fan, it brought out the who is the fastest factor in the drivers. The new track has no soul. :flame:

[Dirty Sanchez]

did you just quote bernie ecclestone??? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Cam]

did you just quote bernie ecclestone??? :rofl: :rofl:

Maybe I should have said, the new track has no attachments? :saywhat:

[Dirty Sanchez]

sorry that was for omnitard :gomer:

[omni]

sorry that was for omnitard :gomer:

Your point? :confused:

[Dirty Sanchez]

The agreement died in about the same time as it took to print it in the media.:gomer:

German Grand Prix to alternate between Nurburgring, Hockenheim tracks
Wed 27 Sep, 4:26 PM

HOCKENHEIM (AFP) - The German Grand Prix will alternate between the tracks at Nurburgring and Hockenheim over the next four years, Hockenheim chiefs have confirmed.

The Nurburgring will host next year's German Grand Prix and the 2009 edition while Hockenheim have secured the rights for 2008 and 2010.

Since 1995 there have been two Formula One races in Germany but one was dropped from the calender as spectator revenue fell.

Not enough fans were turning up for the two races and with Germany's seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in retirement next season attendances were expected to drop further.

Hockenheim, with debts of 29 million euros, was the favourite to be axed - after recording a reported three million euro loss at this year's Grand Prix - but the deal to alternate tracks has given them an extended foothold in motor sport.

[cameraman]

Now all we need is for Champ Car to take the alternate years...

[Dirty Sanchez]

Ecclestone confirms Imola axe
Thu 26 Oct, 1:25 PM

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that Imola will not feature on the Formula One calendar of 2007.

After the traditional San Marino Grand Prix was still missing from the latest provisional calendar, the F1 supremo told an Italian newspaper on Thursday that Imola's 'Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit would indeed not host a race next year.

The venue was reportedly in doubt due to delayed circuit renovations, but also a rumoured increase in Ecclestone's annual fees.

"I'm sorry, but we have lost Imola," 75-year-old Ecclestone was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera daily.

The Italian newswire Ansa added that Imola mayor Massimo Marcignoli has just returned from meetings with Ecclestone in London with a personal letter confirming the non-renewal of the Imola contract.

But Ansa also asserted that Imola could return in 2008 with a different organiser, following the expiry of the 'Sagis' deal, and if new paddock and pit facilities have been erected.

[oddlycalm]

Before a lot longer Bernie will be off the schedule.

oc

[cameraman]

At which time F1 will get an idiot grandson of its very own:eek:

[diamond dave]

sad:irked:
on track racing was okay, the atmosphere was killer!:thumbup: