If Silverstone goes - The damage to the local F1 ecomony, jobs and UK!

[Smokey 6 litre]

The UK is the PINACLE of world motorsport technoligy, numerous F1, F3000, F3 and lower formulas are based here.
its not just a 50 mile radius that will be affected, if there are no jobs colleges will stop offering motorsport enginiering course (which i hope to joing in 2 years) will stop as well, meaning the expertise will bve lost and other companies such as Racing Technolighy Norfolk, who built the Le Mans Bentleys and Audi touring cars and numerous other motorsport based companies will be lost.
IT CAN'T HAPPEN. IT MUSSN'T.

[Knowlesy]

Where are the Mansells and the Hills, drivers who were revered at the place, stepping in to help? Stuff your bloody golf-course Nige, get helping your track!

[Hugh Jarce]

Originally posted by Smokey 6 litre
if there are no jobs colleges will stop offering motorsport enginiering course (which i hope to joing in 2 years) will stop as well

Hadn't thought of that!

I used to lecture in CAD on the Industrial Design Degree at Brunel University!

Getting decent placements for students was always a nightmare, so goodness know what would happen for such an industry specific like you mentioned course if a place like Silverstone closed.

[RWC]

Appologies for saying silverstone is a crappy track.
What i was meaning to rant about was that britain has no *right* to have a GP and everyone stop whinging about it.

**Interesting developments*
-i see in articles now that the BRDC has a CONTRACT with octagon for 4 more years!!!Octagon are crying poor because of financial difficulties and bernie is trying to MAKE the BRDC pay for the upgrades(even though it's octagon's responsibility contracturally!!!!!)
Of course if bernie wasn't so ****ing sh*ty about the BRDC,this wouldn't even be an issue.
Bernies still holding a grudge with the BRDC for beating him in their last contract negotiations (the brands hatch saga)-that was when bernie tried to get more out of silverstone/BRDC by trying to sell the race to brands hatch.

Poor little feller doesn't like being beaten,LOL
The bad news is that it looks like B holds most of the aces.Brdc could sue octagon maybe for the rental fees (4years x $7mill?) but as usual mr B wouldn't care as long as he wins

[jonathanc]

At the end of the day Silverstone has to pay for itself eventually as it IS a business as well as a piece british history and not a charity.

If 40m is spent, how on earth will they ever make it back?? F1 comes only once a year and doesnt make that much cash over the period of a week, and the rest of the year us club drivers are seriously overchaged for 15 minutes of track usage. F1 are the only ones to gain from the upgrades including a 'separate F1 pit complex' realistically, so why should someone else pay?


On the flip side, I cant see why the BRDC cant lower their 5m a year rental to Octagon (that was) and let Bernie and lease holder (whatever they are now called) put the cash in. Especially as it is being offered on a plate.

Do the BRDC actually need 5m a year? Its not as if many people are allowed to join the 'exclusive' club. They should rent it for free for 5 years if they really cared about british motorsport.

[Super Tourer]

A couple of points.

Firstly, how will the British tax payer (the majority of whom have no interest whatsoever in F1) reconcile spending public money to maintain a sport where car makers are spending literally hundreds of millions running two cars each, the majority of the team owners are multi millionaires and the 'boss' is one of the richest people in the country. Public perception will view it like spending £10M on a racehorse, but asking for a handout to build a stable to put it in.

Secondly, what ever happened to Max's back to basics and full cost cutting mode, does that not extend to the circuits? Surely a circuit needs to meet all the safety standards, be accessible for the public and have reasonable facilities - from what I've read, the new access road worked a treat and even the toilets got praise - coupled with a very good race.

What exactly do the teams/F1 need in addition? Sure it would be lovely to replicate Sepang and have an IT room/office/etc,etc, attached to every garage - but look at what the teams bring with them, does McLaren need even more facilities on top of it's massive, high tech communications centre?

Surely this is just more F1 frippery, which goes completely against the cost cutting message Max has been bashing on about since pre-season.

No sane business plan would base a £40M investment around one weekend's revenue per year, you can certainly upgrade the circuit year on year within a budget, which is what has happened with the new roads and car parks.

I think F1 has had it's head turned by all the countries apparently falling over themselves to host a GP regardless of the cost, we are not in a position to do that.

[Suzy]

There are other areas that would suffer if the Grand Prix went. This year was the first time that I wasn't actually classed as a resident of Silverstone village. Instead I was a resident of Dadford but Dadford is not quite as, well, "dynamic" as Silverstone.

Now Silverstone does quite well during the year with 2 pubs and 2 shops, plus those B&B's for major events such as Superbikes, BTCC etc.

But, come Grand Prix time, the place is heaving. B&B's are full to the brim, local residents let out rooms for fans, the shops are full of people all buying and the 2 pubs are in full-flow - especially with the food being served. Even the churches get in on the act.

The campsites for the fans take in money which is classed as benefiting the local economy. I assume you have to pay to go on the funfair rides - more money into the local economy.

Silverstone and the surrounding villages do very well financially out of the Grand Prix. The charities who are authorised to collect on the side of the road also take in more money than they do at any other time of the year.

For Silverstone to lose all that would be a shame for the village.

[Peter Mallett]

A shame Suzy and as hard as I find it I think I have to agree with ST.

The fact is that it is impractical and financially unsound to spend the kind of cash Bernie wants and fund it from public coffers.

I console myself with the knowledge that when the enthusiam for spending subsides in the middle, far east and asia as it will, the powers that be will be desperate for venues but they won't be around anymore.

The point is that the sport's history is being sacrificed for the god of cash. If it loses its history what's the point of having it in the first place? Business?

[Hugh Jarce]

I know this point could have appeared on any number of Silverstone threads, but if the BRDC remain hard-nosed about shifting on the rent issue (and I not saying they are wrong to hold out against the pressure!) are they simply going to 'cut of their nose to spite their face'.

Would the BRDC actually have the same value and status if they simply met in a pub rather than being based and linked with a historically great track.

I know it's hard to back down, but I think I would IF it meant my existence was maintained.

[RWC]

I guess they could do that hugh

That rent money is all they get from the GP,so if they spend it they have nothing except facilities they may not need or want...
But it's not over yet.Sureley the truth will come out!!!!
(that it is octagons resposability to spend on any infastructure and anyway it is ONLY bernie's pigheadedness that is driving this whole thing!!!)