British GP at Silverstone for the final time!

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16th June 2009, 12:44
Harrison

British GP at Silverstone for the final time!

It is quite sad knowing that this will be the final British Brand Prix held at Silverstone. I've always really enjoyed this circuit, with its fast corners and complex. Will you also be sad to see Silverstone gone from F1?

Sadly I couldn't afford to go this year so won't get to see the final race live, but I will definitely be watching it live on TV.

Can Jenson win his home Grand Prix? I really hope so. It will be great. He is just on another level this year and Brawn GP have been amazing. They really deserve it.

Not sure what to think of the British GP moving to Donington next year for at least the next 10 years. I've always liked the track when watching Touring car or MOTOGP, due to it making racing close, and also really enjoyed racing on the track in games such as the TOCA series, and MOTOGP, but it has always seemed too narrow and small for F1 to race there. So I really hope these upgrades do something about that, but without ruining the existing track, or we won't see much overtaking. However with the couple of really sharp bends the track has it could see some good clashes and possible crashes. Maybe even on those last two bends when it is quite slow. It is a shame the Dunlop bridge has been removed though.
16th June 2009, 12:54
Harrison

And if you are interested in seeing what the redesigned and updated Donington Park track will look like, they have a simulated lap on their website here. Definitely looks a huge upgrade from the existing track.
16th June 2009, 13:05
xpect

I think they are cannibalizing another great track as is Donington, just to cope for F1.

As Silverstone is a great track for F1, Donington was for bike racing. As turned out they've swapped camps, F1 to Donington (we have to see next year how good it turn out, or not) and MOTOGP for Silverstone, which is a boring track for bike racing in my opinion.

Regarding the championship i would like to see Jenson grab this up too. Rubens is much of a cry boy that can't handle the pressure of having a faster driver than him. So he mumbles and cry.

BrawnGP as showed nothing more of professionalism this season, and with Jenson this is turning out perfect this season for them and shows for once the real talent that Jenson is.
16th June 2009, 13:24
Bloodwych

Strange season and year in F1 this with all the rule changes and Button walking away with the championship.

It may be the last race at Silverstone, but what a last race to finish on! English world champion and another English driver and team leading this years championship! Fantastic!

And to top it all off, no add breaks and BBC's brilliant webpage/red button coverage of all practice sessions! Superb!

I'd have preferred the race to stay at Silverstone but I don't want to delve too much into the background politics, because as you know it's a deep conversation. I can't believe how much politics rules the F1 headlines the last few years. It's almost as if in winter they get together on Flav's boat and think of antics they can create to gain press coverage for the year.

As long as we get a British grand prix I'm happy. Donnington, Silverstone doesn't really bother me greatly to be honest as they are both historic tracks. If we lost another standard European fixture to a money bags middle eastern country (that gets poor crowds but gains plenty of dosh for greedy Bernie), then I'll kick off. We don't have a god given right to host a GP of course, but the heart of F1 always felt European to me.

I'm overall a little gutted the classic tracks of the eighties/nineties I grew up with are slowly fading away for bore-fests like some of the new street circuits or the lifeless tracks out in the deserts with empty grandstands. But there is little I can do to change it.
16th June 2009, 13:26
Tiago

Silverstone is a great circuit. One of my my favorites.

they are killing all the good circuits left:

Estoril - The older one, one of the pilot's favorites - gone
Silverstone - Gone
Hockenheim the old one, very very fast circuit - gone, now they have a modified circuit - crap!
Monza - Still the same, for how long?
Spa-Francorchamps - last year????????? my old time favorite circuit!!!

Monaco - the Estoril circuit and so many others had to improve a lot of things for safety reasons... WTF ???????? Monaco it the most dangerous circuit ever!! WTF??? is still races in there? Glamour? famous people? fxxx!!!! the rules are for all circuits
16th June 2009, 13:35
xpect

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiago

Silverstone is a great circuit. One of my my favorites.

they are killing all the good circuits left:

Estoril - The older one, one of the pilot's favorites - gone
Silverstone - Gone
Hockenheim the old one, very very fast circuit - gone, now they have a modified circuit - crap!
Monza - Still the same, for how long?
Spa-Francorchamps - last year????????? my old time favorite circuit!!!

Monaco - the Estoril circuit and so many others had to improve a lot of things for safety reasons... WTF ???????? Monaco it the most dangerous circuit ever!! WTF??? is still races in there? Glamour? famous people? fxxx!!!! the rules are for all circuits

I agree with you Tiago, 100%. And you named all the great ones. I only expect that Monza and Spa could survive. They are amazing tracks.

And about Estoril it is one of the least interesting tracks I've driven on a track day. 2nd- 3rd, 2nd-3rd gear almost 75% of the time.
I've never driven on old Estoril, but i've been there many times watching several races and F1. Without those f**** chicanes that now exist, heading to the parabolica at 250kmh+ was only for the brave one!!

About Monaco, only one word: mon$y
16th June 2009, 13:41
Bloodwych

So true Tiago! You just reminded me, Hockenheim.

I used to love the sight of the cars pulling 200+ MPH down that long straight with trees either side of them. A classic spectacle of F1, just like Spa and Au Rouge!

Shame. I used to know all the classics off by heart via F1GP on the Amiga! :smartass:

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpect

Without those f**** chicanes that now exist

Do you like the new temporary ones and bollards they hap-hazardly setup these days? The ones that all the F1 drivers bounce over or cut across. Horrible.
16th June 2009, 13:46
Harrison

I also used to love the long straights of Hockenheim. It was a very sad day when they changed it for the current boring nearly circular layout.

How long till we start racing on oval circuits to attract the American audience? If that ever happened I would stop watching!

Regarding Silverstone. Did you all know that the first ever F1 race was held there? Therefore it is very sad to see it go. As for a British GP. It would be madness not to have one when you consider the heart of F1 is in England, with most of the teams being based here.
16th June 2009, 13:53
Demon Cleaner

I won't be sad as I'm not watching F1 and no motorsports at all. I prefer ballsports, in both ways ;)
16th June 2009, 15:33
xpect

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bloodwych

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpect

Without those f**** chicanes that now exist

Do you like the new temporary ones and bollards they hap-hazardly setup these days? The ones that all the F1 drivers bounce over or cut across. Horrible.

You got me confused here Bloodwych :huh: I was referring the chicanes that exist in Estoril since 1994 before the Parabolica curve in particular, not chicanes that are in F1 circuits. If you remember the circuit back then was amazing with a very speedy right hander then left hander then the mighty Parabolica.

Those chicanes you refer, i do not remember being used in permanent circuits for years. But i agree with you, they were/are horrible.
16th June 2009, 16:24
Bloodwych

I realised what chicanes you meant xpect and I agree with you.

It was just the mention of chicanes immediately reminded me of these strange ones that now exist with nothing more than rasied curbs and/or plastic bollards. Or temporary ones that were added in a hurry due to safty concerns in past years. Drivers seem to overshoot them all the time because they can get away with it.

One even turned up at Monaco this year which Massa kept flying over (and getting warned however). And there are quite a few more I'm sure. Didn't Hamilton overshoot past a Ferrari last year in one of those.

Brundle always complains about them! :lol:
16th June 2009, 16:27
Harrison

Yeah, I don't like them either. A bit pointless in my view.
16th June 2009, 16:32
xpect

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bloodwych

Brundle always complains about them! :lol:

Exactly! They drive them nuts! He complained about Massa over and over in Monaco, the poor bloke. :p

I do enjoy BBC coverage. The best there is in my opinion. :thumbs:
16th June 2009, 16:53
Harrison

Definitely. A huge improvement over ITV. A much better line-up of commentators and much better uninterrupted coverage. Plus the after race red button F1 forum, which is great as I used to hate it when the program was cut off quickly on ITV, often missing the drivers press conference, just so they could put Constipation street on.
16th June 2009, 17:57
Tiago

Quote:

Shame. I used to know all the classics off by heart via F1GP on the Amiga!

Yes Bloodwych, that's right !! F1GP from Microprose. THE GAME !!!
F1 turns even more interesting after the game came out.
16th June 2009, 18:04
Bloodwych

I used to do a F1GP qualifying and race the same weekend as the real GP. I did all the car setup work too - made me so proud!

Also thought I was better than the real drivers! :smartass:
17th June 2009, 11:48
Bloodwych

Ok, I am feeling a little sorry for Silverstone now. I was watching some old races here (UK IP's only I'm afraid):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewben..._prix_hig.html

In 1987 the entire crowd swamped the track when Mansell won and nothing was thought of it. In fact Murray said it was "fantastic" and not to worry as the British crowd would return in an orderly fashion back to their seats for the next race. :lol:
17th June 2009, 11:56
Harrison

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bloodwych

I used to do a F1GP qualifying and race the same weekend as the real GP. I did all the car setup work too - made me so proud!

Also thought I was better than the real drivers! :smartass:

I still do that with Grandprix 4. :)

And I also tend to get the urge to fire up various different Tennis games when each of the mayor tournaments are being played.
17th June 2009, 15:11
Teho

I used to play F1GP a lot as well, though I was never that into the sport. Great game, Geoff Crammond sure knew what he was doing. Anyone heard what he's up to these days? After Grand Prix 4 he apparently started working on the sequel to Stunt Car Racer (which I'd love to see), but that was quite a few years ago and his publisher has since gone bankrupt.
17th June 2009, 15:22
Harrison

The Wiki page about him says no one has heard anything about him since GP4 in 2005. I wonder what he is doing these days? :unsure: