Donington reclaims F1 as British GP moves.

[emjaya]

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/165776-0/donington_reclaims_f1_as_british_gp_moves.html


F1's British Grand Prix gets a new home from 2010, as traditional venue Silverstone loses out to Donington Park in a ten-year deal.



“Finally the uncertainty is over,” Ecclestone announced. “A contract has been signed with Donington Park, and the future of the British Grand Prix is now secure.

“We wanted a world-class venue for F1 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.”


And this intriguing line;


Those development plans – said to take the form of a five-year investment programme – are believed to be the product of a healthy £100 million boost from an unidentified donor, referred to only as ‘a private investor who is also a large shareholder'

:saywhat:

[opinionated ow]

if tilke touches that track...i'll bee angry:flame::flame:

donnington's layout is one of the best layout

[Indy]

They'll ruin it. You can count on it.

Bernie is not dying fast enough.

[pchall]

Bernie sez:


The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that – a venue that will put British motorsport back on the map.

Kiss another good track goodbye. Tilke's probably alread got a lot of ideas on how to "improve" Donnington just like he "improved" Fuji. I wonder if Tom Wheatcroft has the balls to keep Bernie and his pet track butcher from messing things up?

[oddlycalm]

I wonder if Tom Wheatcroft has the balls to keep Bernie and his pet track butcher from messing things up?
Very slim chance considering the numbers being tossed around. :shakehead

My question is who is going to pay for it, and how are they going to amortise the cost when they are losing money on the race? They will have the same crowd as Silverstone and after paying Bernie his $36 million I hardly see a profit.

The article below also makes the point that Hobbs and others have made that the highway access improvements will cost a fortune as well. Who pays for that? Anyone else who doubts this will ever happen? We should know soon because in order to be ready by 2010 they need to be excavating real soon.


The £100m that the track's owners say will be invested to upgrade its facilities to F1 standards may be enough to complete what, effectively, will be a complete reconstruction of the place - the track needs significant lengthening, and the facilities will have to be started from scratch.

But there is also the question of access.

Donington is near the M1 motorway and East Midlands airport, so F1's high-rollers can fly their private jets to within a mile or so of the track, but that is just where the problems start.

Currently, there is a single carriageway main road leading towards the track, and a couple of country lanes off it to get into the circuit.

It is easy to see how another £100m might need to be spent to get the access to the required standard. And the question is, who is going to spend it? Certainly, Donington will find it no easier than Silverstone did to squeeze any money out of the government.

Donnington gets Brit GP (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7490338.stm)

[cameraman]

One word keeps going through my mind.

fubar
fubar
fubar
fubar...

[Methanolandbrats]

Hopefully the evil little prick is just shaking the BRDC down for more cash. Losing Silverstone is a crime :mad:

[Insomniac]

Hopefully the evil little prick is just shaking the BRDC down for more cash. Losing Silverstone is a crime :mad:

They said they have a deal. I imagine Silverstone is gone unless they decide to run 2 races in England.

[Methanolandbrats]

They said they have a deal. I imagine Silverstone is gone unless they decide to run 2 races in England. He could cash the sanction check from Donnington, wait a while until they fall behind on the construction schedule, then he could fine them for being behind, cash that check, void the contract and go back to Silverstone :thumbup:

[morgahorse]

They were talking during qualies like Tilke is going to be messing with Donnington.:tony:

[cameraman]

Does this look like a 2010 F1 track?

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Cynops/Donnington.gif

:shakehead

They are going to have to blow it up and start from scratch.:thumdown:

[Methanolandbrats]

This is one of the best F1 seasons I can remember. Of course Bernie wants to **** up the tracks and Max wants to **** up the cars. If those two asshats just took a one year vacation F1 would be better off :mad:

[oddlycalm]

He could cash the sanction check from Donnington, wait a while until they fall behind on the construction schedule, then he could fine them for being behind, cash that check, void the contract and go back to Silverstone :thumbup:
Given the fact that the numbers being tossed around for Donnington don't make any business sense and the schedule seems impossible you may be exactly right.

Pocketing some serious cash from the Donnington consortium while giving the BRDC a knee to the groin all the while knowing he has Silverstone for a fallback position is certainly Bernie's style. :shakehead

oc

[eiregosod]

If I were Donnington promoter, I'd stick wih the monsters of rock festival. There's lots of judas priest and 80s hair metal revivalists who'll buy tickets ;)

[STD]

Tilke will find the room for more picturesque grandstands with a view. :eek:

[STD]

Paper Tigers?

http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=43261

[cameraman]

They are going to bond $200 million USD and pay it back off of ticket sales all the while paying Bernie's fees? What is a GA ticket going to cost, 500£?

[Michaelhatesfans]

Autosport is confirming that it's Tilke.

[Michaelhatesfans]

Pocketing some serious cash from the Donnington consortium while giving the BRDC a knee to the groin all the while knowing he has Silverstone for a fallback position is certainly Bernie's style. :shakehead

oc

Don't forget the part where he forces the British government to pour in millions to upgrade the roads around Donington after they just finished improving all the roads around Silverstone. Well, that or the F1 circus shuts down England's main north/south artery for the better part of a weekend.

Being the recipient of a bidding war, kicking an old foe in the groin, a different pile of money to fall into if the Donington money runs out, and extortion. A perfect weekend for Bernie.

[Methanolandbrats]

Autosport is confirming that it's Tilke.:yuck: Moving the British GP makes no sense. Spend a little to improve an historic, fantastic track or spend a lot to build a new, crappy track. Bernie really is an evil little prick. This whole exercise is nothing but him swinging his tiny dick around to prove how powerful he is, it has nothing to do with the best interest of the sport. :thumdown:

[oddlycalm]

They are going to bond $200 million USD and pay it back off of ticket sales all the while paying Bernie's fees? What is a GA ticket going to cost, 500£?
Yep, and that will be obvious to whatever bank they ask to do the bond underwriting. No guarantee that they bond will make it through the underwriting phase, and if it does there's no guarantee it will be fully subscribed, particularly in the current risk adverse market.

oc

[Michaelhatesfans]

As far as any chance of profit goes, remember that it's a ten year deal. Between ten years of ticket sales, f1 level sponsorship packages, and the money that you pull in from support races, merchandising, and vendors, you might catch up. Never underestimate the costs involved in staging an event of this size.

The real problem will be that the big money will have to be spent up front. It's going to be a scary ride for the bean counters, and a lot of conversations about how the checks are in the mail until that ten year roller coaster grinds to a halt. Of course, that's assuming that Bernie doesn't yank it out from under them before that with some nasty clause in the fine print.

It's all fun and games when it's someone else's money. Until they want it back.

[TrueBrit]

Thank God it's not Brands Hatch...I saw the plans they had for that track and they were brutal...

Donington is going to get butchered beyond belief....:shakehead

Silverstone was a shadow if it's former self...no Woodcote, no Abbey...what's the point? Chicanes and bullsnit switchbacks everywhere...

[emjaya]

Found this at another forum.


Donington reveals redevelopment plan...

Under the proposals, the pit lane will be moved from its current location to what is presently the Starkey's Straight, with a brand new paddock constructed on the inside of the track at this point and Coppice corner being reprofiled to accomodate the new pit entry.

The realignment of the straight means that the current Esses will be replaced by a slight left-hand kink, with the Melbourne Hairpin instead becoming the circuit's first corner.



Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70322)

Link to PDF Map (http://www.donington-park.co.uk/files/pdf/master_plan.pdf)

[oddlycalm]

Looks like our collective predictions were on the money. Finances not secured, permitting taking forever, track not going to be ready for F1 any time soon. Thanks to the evile dwarf for yet another close order group fornication. :irked:

Ecclestone pessimistic about Donnington (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79368)

oc

[cameraman]

It would be interesting to see the British Racing Drivers' Club tell Bernie to sod off when he comes back in a week or so to ask if he can run 2010 at Silverstone.

[oddlycalm]

It would be interesting to see the British Racing Drivers' Club tell Bernie to sod off when he comes back in a week or so to ask if he can run 2010 at Silverstone.
Agreed, but the end result would be no British GP and the fans would be the one made to suffer which of course Bernie knew going in. No British GP would suit him fine because he could peddle that date elsewhere for considerably more money. It's a win/win for him. Grrrrrr... :thumdown:

oc

[Indy]

It would be interesting to see the British Racing Drivers' Club tell Bernie to sod off when he comes back in a week or so to ask if he can run 2010 at Silverstone.

They should join forces with FOTA and start a new series. :Bernie=Tony/Algernon:

[Hard Driver]

Amazing, there are so many idiots with money. If the financing actually materializes, why would they think this is worth anything. Just like the idiot in Indianapolis, they will spend a ton of money building a track, pay millions in anctioning fees, and when the intital 3 year contract ends, Bernie will just tell them to piss off and go find another sucker with money to pay him millions.

[NismoZ]

Gosh, Bernie now denies there was a new deadline to meet his demands and says the British GP is already in breach of contract. Sure is difficult to see what he REALLY wants, isn't it?:shakehead

[STD]

Who didn't see this coming? :rofl:
And yes Bernie gave him no new deadline, the two weeks are for Gillett to pay Bernie what he owes Bernie. Remember Bernie gets paid no matter.
The whole Donington deal was an amatuer attempt to squeeze money out of the locals and the government. Gillett gets to hold the empty bag rightfully so.

[oddlycalm]

Who didn't see this coming? :rofl:
As I recall, pretty much everyone on this forum from day one. Too bad for Gillett that he didn't check with us first... :D

oc

[oddlycalm]

Good luck with that. :gomer:


Investors in Donington Park's circuit have been asked to sign up for a high-risk £135 million bond in order to support the track that is aiming to host the British Grand Prix next year......Standard & Poor's (S&P) assigned Donington Holdings a CCC+ rating, seven notches below investment grade.

oc

[STD]

Gillett, utter genius or the kind of Bernie wannabe hack Bernie's pocket change likes best?




:laugh::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[pchall]

Bernie and Max. Tony and Brian. The sport needed one helicopter to end them all as they planned the first USGP at IMS.

[BarillaGirl]

Amazing, there are so many idiots with money.

Maybe this explains why we all know plenty of smart people who don't have nearly enough. :(

[pchall]

We are all broke because we believed....

[STD]

Oh my,

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79654

[TrueBrit]

Oh my,

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79654

If that is accurate then Bernie just made a boatload of free money. Iirc the "new" Wembley Stadium was opened waaaaaaaaaaaay past the deadline and massively over-budget...

[NismoZ]

Failed in bid to get 135 mil bond approved...It's over on Mon....Silverstone waits to pounce? Or beg?

[TrueBrit]

Failed in bid to get 135 mil bond approved...It's over on Mon....Silverstone waits to pounce? Or beg?

Nope..my bet..no British G.P. courtesy of Bernie...big outcry, Bernie finally relents...one final British swansong at Salivastone and then *poof* off the calendar for 2011...

[oddlycalm]

then *poof* off the calendar for 2011...
Right, and replaced by the GP of Botswana...

oc

[TrueBrit]

Right, and replaced by the GP of Botswana...

oc

Bombay more likely...

[NismoZ]

So, why did that F-1 revolt fail last year? Time for another one. Oh, and if BE does relent as you suggest and allows one more, for old time's sake, please say no.

[oddlycalm]

Bernie offers Silverstone the same deal they rejected 18 months ago.


Ecclestone: "The contract they have is the contract we like. We are not prepared to charge less. Do we need a British Grand Prix? No.....we are not going to do special rates for Britain."

Bernie's offer (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79728)

oc

[Michaelhatesfans]

Bernie always has a Plan B. And C. And D...

Once Silverstone makes it clear that they won't do it if it loses money, watch Bernie leverage the British government to cough up the balance. You know, in the interest of tourism, economic impact, international prestige...

And if they don't go along with it, surely some third world nation on the rise will cough up some cash.

Bernie's very good at finding other people's money.

[opinionated ow]

Bernie always has a Plan B. And C. And D...

Once Silverstone makes it clear that they won't do it if it loses money, watch Bernie leverage the British government to cough up the balance. You know, in the interest of tourism, economic impact, international prestige...

And if they don't go along with it, surely some third world nation on the rise will cough up some cash.

Bernie's very good at finding other people's money.

They're already struggling under the burden of the olympics, I can't see them paying for a GP as well, especialy as BE would expect it to be on the streets of london

[oddlycalm]

Not a great week for Donington. :(

Tom Wheatcroft passes (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79938)

pc