Donington Park say's bye bye

[Demon2330]

It been announced this afternoon that donington park has gone into adminstration , this is bad news.

the failure of the F1 campaign has not helped add this to the loss of Motogp. but this now has also led to the loss of everything else aswell touring car now has 1 less circuit to race at.

Sadly like alot of others i did see this happening

if sliverstone gets the green light for F1 again which is now likely it's won big style F1 , Motogp , Touring Car (ok that goes there anyway)

 

[Tired Tyres]

Is that from the current lease holder who tried to get the Grand Prix or the actual owner of the site?

Edit.

It's Donington Ventures Leisure Limited.

 

[Northstar]

Is administration the UK's equivalent to our bankruptcy?

 

[Demon2330]

Quick note to this it's on the track site if anyone's intrested to know and yep as wondering it's definetly DVLL that's gone into Admin not the track owner (wheatcroft). but they were running the events at the track like Touring car and Motogp.

http://www.donington-park.co.uk/

 

[Demon2330]

@Justin

this should explain what adminstration is in uk I took this from business link site in the uk to claifly it.

Administration happens when an administrator is put into a company to run it and to try to save it. If this is not possible, the administrator will try to achieve the best results for all the creditors.

downside here is what the creditors will take if no one offers to buy the rights to host racing at the circuit

 

[TheCracker]

Is that from the current lease holder who tried to get the Grand Prix or the actual owner of the site?

Edit.

It's Donington Ventures Leisure Limited.

From my understanding, it's the the company who leased the circuit from the owners (the Wheatcroft family) who've gone into administration.

There's still little hope of seing the circuit host any racing in the near future, even is the damage to the track itself is minimal.

It's unfortunate since it's my local circuit and has traditionally hosted the first race of our season. It's also one of, if not the best circuits in the country for historic racing cars.

 

[Milliethemutt]

Gutted, mainly for the loss of a great circuit. It was blatantly on the cards as soon as the crunch hit and probably before.

 

[Sureboss]

I went there back in 07, it's a good track, history, etc. But it needs a lot of work done to it. Going in to administration doesn't mean it is all over, but it's hardly the most attractive proposition, is it?

Anyone know the credit owned?

 

[Ian Poole]

such a shame

 

[boiltheocean]

I'm really sad about this, Donington isn't very far away from me and I've enjoyed countless trips there to see some brilliant racing.

Donington as a whole have been though a tough year, not getting the F1 and then Tom Wheatcroft dying the day before the final GP of the season. I really do hope the next to buy this circuit do a really good job.

 

[maximumattack]

What a shame, I've been to a fair few events at Donnington & not just motor racing events either. Fingers crossed the administrators can work something out so the circuit can continue to operate

 

[Ardius]

Get MSV in charge, they've done a great job of all the other circuits they operate. 👍

 

[Milliethemutt]

Does anyone have any recent news on where they were up to with work going ahead on the track modifications? I suppose the good side of this is that hopefully with a reasonable amount of investment the track should be able to go back to the way it was. As the company in administration isn't the owner of the circuit you would expect the owners to want to re-lease it asap.

 

[maximumattack]

I don't know how much work has been done but this is part of a statement from www.donington-park.co.uk which suggests that they will continue to redevelop the circuit

 

[JohnBM01]

You know, I'm going to be honest... why the hell would you screw up a classic course like Donnington Park anyways? And just to get an F1 race? This is like when I saw some given configuration which basically killed the previous character of Donnington Park by making its super-slow hairpin as the first corner. I don't want this course to be killed like Hockenheim or Fuji. And by the way, I think the United Kingdom's version of bankruptcy is called resentment.

Maybe this classic course can be renovated, but not to where the character of the old course is screwed over like (and I rarely type this) *cough* Hockenheim. Hoping for the best for a classic British race track.

 

[TheCracker]

You know, I'm going to be honest... why the hell would you screw up a classic course like Donnington Park anyways? And just to get an F1 race? This is like when I saw some given configuration which basically killed the previous character of Donnington Park by making its super-slow hairpin as the first corner. I don't want this course to be killed like Hockenheim or Fuji. And by the way, I think the United Kingdom's version of bankruptcy is called resentment.

Maybe this classic course can be renovated, but not to where the character of the old course is screwed over like (and I rarely type this) *cough* Hockenheim. Hoping for the best for a classic British race track.

From the recent photos i've seen of the track, the tarmac surface has only been dug up in a couple of places, and only as narrow strips - certainly nothing that couldn't be quickly repaired. What the developers have done is doing a lot of earth moving in the infield where the new section of track was going to be. Whether any of that could possibly affect the safety aspect of driving on the circuit as it stands, i don't know.

To be fair, the proposed changes to the circuit wouldn't have destroyed the classic layout. Apart from lengthening it with an infield section, the only other changes were to the Melbourne loop area and the chicane at the end of the national circuit layout, both of which were 'mickey mouse' sections anyway.

 

[homeforsummer]

You know, I'm going to be honest... why the hell would you screw up a classic course like Donnington Park anyways?

Er...ask Donington Park? After all, the Melbourne Loop was added specifically for the F1 race back in '93 too...

I hope all goes well for the circuit. It's not my local track but it's my second most frequently visited after Croft and it's probably my favourite circuit in the country - I think many racing drivers would agree too.

Note for all: Donington doesn't have a double "n".

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I think that the way the lease was structured, should DVLL become insolvent, it automatically transfers back to the Wheatcroft family. Also, I think it's the Wheatcrofts who are the primary creditors.

Obviously, with Tom Wheatcroft's death, the family is probably in some disarray, and will be looking to try to resolve all of their business issues as quickly as possible.

But I don't think we're going all Kyalami or Oran Park here.

 

[Ardius]

Er...ask Donington Park? After all, the Melbourne Loop was added specifically for the F1 race back in '93 too...

I hope all goes well for the circuit. It's not my local track but it's my second most frequently visited after Croft and it's probably my favourite circuit in the country - I think many racing drivers would agree too.

Note for all: Donington doesn't have a double "n".

Nah, Oulton Park takes favourite circuit honours for me

 

[Adam41]

Them pictures that TheCracker posted are incredible. The hills on the infield facing the backstraight from coppice and the old hairpin I used to run up when I was kid are no longer; not to mention dunlop bridge (I know I'm only 17 but it's still.. y'know ). I really do hope the future is bright for Donington, it being my local track I've visited to watch various racing events.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Nah, Oulton Park takes favourite circuit honours for me

Get rid of both chicanes and I would be with you on that one.

 

[Stevisiov]

Get rid of both chicanes and I would be with you on that one.

Remove the chicane at knickerbrook and drivers will be in grave danger, taking the off camber corner at those speeds is asking for trouble. There is no development room for run-offs to be added either.

I do agree with Ardius on this matter.

 

[Ardius]

They could make a more gradual corner at Knickerbrook, that turns right earlier, say make the turn start from where the chicane is now and cut through where the inside hill is currently.
But I guess going up the hill into Druids would become more dangerous.

Even with the chicane I still love it though, at least this chicane actually provides action rather than being a follow-the-leader type affair. Though I do wish sometimes that it was a bit wider, but I guess it makes the passes there all the more impressive. Which is the main reason I like Oulton - no matter where you are on the circuit you can overtake, but you have to be very brave and skilled. I can think of at least one overtake I've seen with my own eyes at all of the corners. Even Druids, though thats very rare.

But all offtopic, to bring it back, MSV did a great job overall with Oulton so I see no reason why they shouldn't look after Donington too.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Remove the chicane at knickerbrook and drivers will be in grave danger, taking the off camber corner at those speeds is asking for trouble. There is no development room for run-offs to be added either.

I do agree with Ardius on this matter.

Yes I know about the Knickerbrook issue so it would never happen (unless I win a lot of money in the Lotto) but the 70's layout before the chicanes where added would be a staggering fast challenge now.

 

[Ardius]

Seems we aren't going to get a British GP in 2010....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8371266.stm

Neither side will budge and Hill said he won't let them bankrupt Silverstone like they did with Donington.

I have to say, when I look at the figures its easy to see why Silverstone don't want to agree to the 7% increase, if the first year was 15million, then by 2027 it would be 44.3 million.

I can see the arguments for both sides but seriously, its stupid to think how much is put into this sport from this country and we won't have somewhere to go watch it and celebrate it.
The lack of appreciation for fanbase, tradition and the infastructure that Britain provides for F1 by the FIA and the FOM is disgusting and rather idiotic in the long term. I don't see where they are going to find the fanbase and infastructure elsewhere when Bahrain doesn't feel like spending several million a year on a race no one goes to.

 

[Ian Poole]

If there isn't a British GP, it will suck ass.

Silverstone need to pull their fingers out of their ass or Bernie needs to go and help Donington.

Or maybe Brand's Hatch?

 

[Ardius]

As I just said though, Silverstone can't possibly agree to a contract that sees them paying such a massive fee in the end, if Donington can't find the money for a 17 year deal, how on earth can Silverstone? Would you like them to bump up the ticket prices so we can't even get in?

Brands Hatch is not going to happen because of the sound restrictions there and the same problem of not being able to find the money to do so. I think the paddock is way too small there too.

Really, the government could save this but the problem with that is:
1. Don't think many taxpayers will appreciate their money being spent like this when there are far more pressing matters.
2. The same old argument of "its a rich sport, we can't be seen to be putting money into a sport which oozes money and glamour".

So unless Silverstone magically find investors who have a lot of money behind them for several years or Bernie backs down, we aren't getting a British GP.

 

[Ian Poole]

Looks like we don't have a GP next year then

 

[Tired Tyres]

So we are slowly losing all the heartland F1 Grands Prix. Once they are all gone you're left with the non profit making venues financed by Governments. Once they get bored pumping money into Bernie's hands, there won't be an F1 anymore.

 

[Peterram430]

Would it be too late to organise a London street race?