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Good point, but I was thinking more consecutively. Last French race was Magny-Cours.

Still would love to go back to Imola, hypothetically.

But Magny Cours was terrible. No one liked it. Imola has changed a little and is still very narrow. I doubt we'll see F1 back there. At least the circuit is still alive.
 
Magny Cours is a better track than Paul Ricard.

The only reason F1 didn't like Magny Cours is because it's in the middle of nowhere.
 
This stupid! Shame on the fools that chose to live by Spa. They shouldn't complain because the track has been there longer than they have and they should know what their getting theirselves into by moving there
 
This stupid! Shame on the fools that chose to live by Spa. They shouldn't complain because the track has been there longer than they have and they should know what their getting theirselves into by moving there

Exactly. The money is still an issue for Spa, but there are a lot of tracks around the world blighted by complaints from the locals. In most cases, the tracks have been there a long time.
 
Well that's debatable. I prefer Paul Ricard. Don't forget it has a lot of alternate track layouts too.

None of which takes away from the fact that it is a featureless flat mass of carpark like tarmac with a track variation effectively painted on it.

I really don't like the place. The trouble is France doesn't seen to have a really good F1 grade track so it's either Magny Cours or Paul Ricard. :ill:

It's a shame Dijon isn't up to standard. It's better than both of those.
 
Exactly. The money is still an issue for Spa, but there are a lot of tracks around the world blighted by complaints from the locals. In most cases, the tracks have been there a long time.

Thruxton is a case of this. Only allowed to operate on a certain number of weekends a year. It's based at an airfield, for crying out loud!
 
None of which takes away from the fact that it is a featureless flat mass of carpark like tarmac with a track variation effectively painted on it.

I really don't like the place. The trouble is France doesn't seen to have a really good F1 grade track so it's either Magny Cours or Paul Ricard. :ill:

It's a shame Dijon isn't up to standard. It's better than both of those.

I agree about Dijon, but it's just the way Formula One is nowadays. There are a lot of great tracks that don't have the money to make the grade required, let alone the race hosting fee.

Thruxton is a case of this. Only allowed to operate on a certain number of weekends a year. It's based at an airfield, for crying out loud!

I live near Parkhead Stadium (Home of Celtic FC) and whenever there is a game on, the entire local area is taken up by badly parked cars. Generally, the crowd is quite civilized, but the noise coming from the stadium is annoying.

Occasionally, there will be a bit of hassle with the fans. However, I know I have no right to complain as I chose to move to this area (because it was cheap). I think the local authorities of the world should man up and say to those who complain. "You knew it was there. It's been there longer than you and it brings more money to the area than you. So if you don't like it, move. "

Too bad that's not going to happen.
 
MazdaPrice
Good point, but I was thinking more consecutively. Last French race was Magny-Cours.

Still would love to go back to Imola, hypothetically.

I wouldn't be gutted if Monza was an every-other-year circuit, to be honest. I mean, its tradition is just about as long as Spa's, and Imola is more interesting, in my opinion.

Monza is a power circuit, not too much passing anymore (even with the DRS), rather predictable, save two tricky corners, it's all chicanes.

F1 fan
Occasionally, there will be a bit of hassle with the fans. However, I know I have no right to complain as I chose to move to this area (because it was cheap). I think the local authorities of the world should man up and say to those who complain. "You knew it was there. It's been there longer than you and it brings more money to the area than you. So if you don't like it, move.

It's like the people who move by an active airport and complain...duh! Although, I suppose people aren't quite aware that the noise can be heard for some distance before landing, due to approach. Still...
 
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F1 fan
Exactly. The money is still an issue for Spa, but there are a lot of tracks around the world blighted by complaints from the locals. In most cases, the tracks have been there a long time.

In my town they have torn down Manzanita, the legendary sprint at track, and the fairground dirt oval basically where Indy car started. They also were complaining about my kart track be wide it's smack in the middle of town, but i thank god they didn't close it because it has been there for 40 years when there was no civilization. Now I'm worried that they will close Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) that has hosted Indy Car and NASCAR races for years. Also some Grand-Am, IMSA, and Copperworld races. I've been going there since I was a month old, and when the town moves out there i will be worried about it. If Spa gets closed I will be PISSED.
 
I wouldn't be gutted if Monza was an every-other-year circuit, to be honest. I mean, its tradition is just about as long as Spa's, and Imola is more interesting, in my opinion.

Monza is a power circuit, not too much passing anymore (even with the DRS), rather predictable, save two tricky corners, it's all chicanes.



It's like the people who move by an active airport and complain...duh! Although, I suppose people aren't quite aware that the noise can be heard for some distance before landing, due to approach. Still...

It would make sense if possible to alternate Imola and Monza but I'm not sure Imola has the money to pull back an F1 race.

On the reason that people move near an active airport. Its probably because the property taxes are lower.:dopey:
 
Russian Grand Prix venue has first official launch.
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Ecclestone increases pressure on Australian GP organisers

I'd say the Australian GP will dissolve in the coming years, I'd like to see it return to Adelaide, even as a night race (the city looks better at night, lol), but I don't think the road would meet today's standards anymore (which circuit has the roughest track?), plus the paddock would be a complete dump, there's a touring car race on here this weekend, I went 2 years ago because I knew someone racing in a feature event, and the place was just a sad depressing joke, and there are the toothless drunken stumbler types from the northern suburbs invading the city (but alas this is the touring car series' demographic).
A large sum of funds would need to be put down in order to make an Adelaide GP the world class event it should be, basically, they need to replace everything.

I wonder if they could make a F1 circuit in Perth?
 
Even if it's true, I don't think it's going to happen. The race is scheduled to take place in three months, and I don't think any country that wants a race would be willing to pay full price for a single event with no promise of a future. The only way Bernie would get it would be to offer a massive discount, and maybe move the race back to August to give them time to prepare (and in the process, bring the one-month break forward to June).

But I think it's far more likely that Bernie will terminate Valencia's contract after this year's race.
 
Even if it's true, I don't think it's going to happen. The race is scheduled to take place in three months, and I don't think any country that wants a race would be willing to pay full price for a single event with no promise of a future. The only way Bernie would get it would be to offer a massive discount, and maybe move the race back to August to give them time to prepare (and in the process, bring the one-month break forward to June).

But I think it's far more likely that Bernie will terminate Valencia's contract after this year's race.

There are any number of circuits who could step up though - if Bernie named an acceptable price.

PS on the subject of Magny Cours, I wouldn't mind betting the current-spec cars would suit the track a hell of a lot more than the late 90's/early 2000's machines. A DRS zone up to the first hairpin would work quite well.
 
There are any number of circuits who could step up though - if Bernie named an acceptable price.
Bernie can't readily change the date - Valencia is two weeks after Montreal, and two weeks before Silverstone (likewise, moving the race to August means it will be two weeks after Hungary and two weeks before Spa). Any change to the date will have a serious knock-on effect for other events, affecting circuits, teams and spectators. If the race is to take place, then it's going to have to take place on June 24 or August 12. They are the only two dates that can be managed.

Because of the events before and after both dates, the race will not be a flyaway. The teams would never agree to it - it would jsut be too expensive, and too difficult to turn things around in time for the next race. So the race has to remain on the European continent. There are plenty of circuits in Europe, but any replacement venue would, at the very least, need a Grade-1T licence from the FIA. There are only a handful of circuits for which this is possible:

1) Portimao in Portugal. It has a 1T licence, and the idea of a race taking place there has been popular since it was built. But Portugal is one of the PIIGS, with a very delicate economy right now. Unless private funds could be found for the race, it's probably not going to be feasible, even with the discount.

2) Motorland Aragon in Spain. It's massively popular as an event, with many people wondering why Formula 1 goes to Barcelona and Valencia when Aragon is available. But the circuit is in Spain - another of the PIIGS - and only has a Grade-2 licence. Bernie approached them with the idea of filling in for Korea if Korea was not ready in 2010, but the circuit said no.

3) Imola in Italy. The event might have been run as the "San Marino Grand Prix", but the circuit is in Italy, which like Portugal and Spain is one of the PIIGS. Even though the final chicane has been removed, and the circuit has a 1T licence, is simply too small and too cramped for Formula 1.

4) Red Bull Ring in Austria. Unlike the other three, Austria is not one of the PIIGS. It's backed by Red Bull, so they could certainly afford it; doubly so at a discounted rate. But, like Imola, the circuit is too small - the lap record is a paltry 1:08.337, and that could easily be beaten. Furthermore, Dietrich Mateschitz has said that Moto GP and Formula 1 will not visit the circuit while Red Bull runs it.

5) Magny-Cours in France. The French want in, Magny-Cours has the appropriate licence, the economy is stable, and the circuit's notorious traffic issues have been resolved as a highway now goes straight past it. But the French are believed to be favouring Paul Ricard for 2013 and beyond, and while the owners of Magny-Cours want the race for themselves, a lot will come down to who the French government is willing to back.

6) Paul Ricard, also in France. Believed to be France's favourite venue for 2013. It has a 1T licence, but the major problem is that the circuit has no spectator facilities.

If Bernie decides that Valencia aren't worth the trouble they cause, and wants to hold the race elsewhere, then I think Magny-Cours is the most-acceptable venue, though it may create controversy if Paul Ricard is the favoured circuit. But I still think that, because of the time constraints and the need for a discount to make any replacement race viable, Bernie will tolerate Valencia for one more year, then kick them to the kerb and replace them with New Jersey. It's the easiest solution.
 
France sounds like the best choice... but yeah, likely not this year.

Damn... the economy this year is going to the PIGS! :lol:
 
Italy might be able to sustain one race for the time being. But with its delicate economy, recent political upheaval and uncertain political future, picking up the contract for a second race would be irresponsible.
 
The economy is still shaky everywhere. Not sure if any location would be able to safely put up the money for more than one year.
 
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