Bernie's Budget British Track Buy Up.

[Armco Bender]

Looks like Bernie's all set to buy up the British Tracks from struggling Octagon ,Pitpass is reportinghttp://www.pitpass.com/news2/news.cfm?newsid=4395and he looks set to get a budget buy,I guess if you own the F1 rights theres not going to be a lot of competition from other buyers,so the price should be bargain basement.Its interesting though because just before Christmas Bernie said he didnt care if the British GP wasn't held because he had plenty of overseas countries waiting for GPs,why the change of heart?,has $$$ something to do with it?.

[Lee Janotta]

If I may borrow a phrase from English parlance....

Bugger.

Well, now we'll get to see what Brands Hatch would look like without a single tree for miles in every direction!

[Sato san]

also , if Bernie buys them , you watch tickets prices go through the roof also .

[DNQ]

No! Remember that Bernie and Mr Hermann 'lets destory this race track' Tilke have done a lot of business in the past. Let's hope that Mr Tilke isn't hired to make 'improvements' to any of these tracks...

[JonesF1]

Armco - I think you answered your own question. This really doesnt have anything to do with the British GP (maybe a little), Octagon is in trouble and now Bernie has the opportunity to buy a lot of tracks on the cheap. Why wouldnt he go for it?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta


Well, now we'll get to see what Brands Hatch would look like without a single tree for miles in every direction!

Bernie may be a powerful man, but i don't think that even he could persuade the local residents association and Sevenoaks council to give him planning permission to change the track or surrounding area too much.

[Sato san]

i wouldnt be too sure of that one......!

[I Ate Yoko Ono]

B. Hatch is a green/brown field site in close proximity to London. It is worth far more as a potential site for a new town/village type development than it does as a racing circuit. It only amazes me it hasn't been flattened and dug up/redeveloped sooner.

[Adam43]

It is vaguely related to the British GP, but I think this is better placed in the Trackside (it's a toss up between that or National.)

[woodbine]

At least if Bernie owns the lease for Silverstone he won't be able to whinge about the facilities

[Stephen Green]

Lets make one point clear here. Brands Hatch had planning permission for the changes to the circuit had it got the GP. It was the government who at the last moment decided it should go to a public enquiry. Sevenoaks Borough Council and Kent County Council had both given the green light for the changes.

As for Bernie. Two things spring to mind...

1. If he gets the circuits from Octagon at rock bottom prices then he's got the coup of the century because at some stage, the land will be worth a fortune for redevelopment.

2. It is not clear whether he would acquire the lease to Silverstone, or whether that would automatically revert to the BRDC who own the place.

3. The CART press release mentions Brands Hatch presenting plans for next year. Could this mean that Bernie will develop Brands Hatch along the lines of the planning permission granted recently. If so, does this mean that he will once again snub the BRDC with whom he has had a long standing disagreement? If so, the British GP could well be going back to Brands Hatch!

[Stephen Green]

Of course that should have been 'three things spring to mind'

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
1. If he gets the circuits from Octagon at rock bottom prices then he's got the coup of the century because at some stage, the land will be worth a fortune for redevelopment.

For an island with so much history, you people don't seem to care much about preserving it.

[Stephen Green]

Many of us do care, passionately, but in the end the South East of the country is heavily overpopulated and land has an enormous value. It is my honest opinion that if Bernie has bought the tracks, Brands will survive. Others like Oulton Park or possibly Snetterton may not be so lucky Lets keep our fingers crossed huh Lee.

[Armco Bender]

Also stops anyone else running an F1 race in Britan unless they use Donnington doesn't it?,has that connotation too.

[Stephen Green]

You are forgetting that the BRDC own Silverstone although I have to agree with you that he would be unlikely to allow them to host it again.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
or possibly Snetterton may not be so lucky Lets keep our fingers crossed huh Lee.

The highways commission have just spend a hell of a load of money bypassing the village near snetterton and improving the A11 and other roads around the track by the way.

[bella]

to be honest.... snett needs money putting into it as a track. but no-one cares, and it won't make more people go to it. i'd say just get rid of it, but it's a great track.