[Rumours] Which Circuits for FOTA championship?

[Yannick]

01 Kyalami - South African GP
02 Dubai - Gulf GP
03 Portimao - Portuguese GP
04 Imola - Italian GP (owned by Ferrari)
05 Montreal - Canadian GP
06 Indianapolis - USA East GP
07 Magny-Cours - French GP
08 Silverstone - British GP
09 Nürburgring (not on Bernie's calendar in 2010) - German GP (they have a Mercedes grandstand)
10 A1-Ring - Austrian GP (owned by Red Bull)
11 Helsinki Thunder - Finnish GP (the Finnish fans deserve a race)
12 Circuito Ricardo Tormo (for the summit of the 2 series in Valencia) - Spanish GP
13 by picking up the A1GP package, they could choose between Zandvoort and Mexico City - but are these safe enough? Not really.
14 Las Vegas - USA West GP
15 Portrero de los Funes - Argentinian GP (would they be able to lure this one away from the FIA-GT?)
16 Fuji - Japanese GP (owned by Toyota)
17 Surfers Paradise - Australian GP (that would be included in picking up the A1GP package, too)

[jab]

Montreal, Indy, Magny-Cours, Silverstone and Mugello and/or Imola are dead certs, I'd say. Also you'd have to look at Zeltweg/Spielberg, now known as the Red Bull-Ring. Monza's also said to be out of contract...

Jerez would be a shrewd choice because F1 isn't going to race there again after the 1997 podium fiasco. They'd be stupid to go to Valencia, though - the street race is all about regional politics (not going to go away just because you race at a different circuit), and the permanent circuit would be dreadful

I'd like to think we get some new circuits like Brno and Algarve, and perhaps older circuits like Zandvoort and Kyalami, but for most, if they're not up to the standard now, they're not going to suddenly come up to standard for the manufacturers - they'll still want corporate facilities as they're the ones that demanded them to start with. So some of the better tracks people will hope for, like Potrero, are just fantasies

They'll still be looking for races in the new markets - Zhuhai would be a candidate for a Chinese round, for instance. Also the financial draw of the Middle East will still gain it a round - Losail or Dubai, maybe. Maybe some of the Tilkerings like Sakhir and Sepang could wangle rounds in each series

But you're not going to see any new street races suddenly conjured up in, what, 6 months. Otherwise they'll be living on an A1ian existance where you have a calendar with half the rounds unconfirmed

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Yannick

<SNIP>

For the first year, if this even goes ahead, I don't think we'll be seeing a calendar of more than eight races, and I doubt we will see the season starting before July.

[Andy77]

I think I read one or two years ago that Monza became the subject of noise pollution regulations which ended up in the loss of FIA-WTCC round so far.

[RaceFreak]

If this break-series REALLY does hit the streets, the money-cockroach Bernie won't be far behind. Wherever there's money Bernie isn't far-off. Once he realizes CDC is dead he'll be looking to make a comeback; he's that kind of guy.

Venues for an alternate series would be easy to come by in this economy. FIA be damned, the circuit owners want butts in their seats. Given the number of Middle East investors in the series, Dubai et al will be in the mix. Not so sure about Bahrain/Turkey/KL. Lausitzring has already come out supporting a race there. You KNOW Tony George would like to break-it-off in Bernie's azz. Montreal: you bet. Magny Cours, for sure. Mugelo: does what Ferrari wants.

That's 6 circuits right off the top of my pointy little head. Only need 12 for a viable first-year series. No sweat. TV rights ? The IRL worked out their package in 3 months last year so it's not an insurmountable problem. Course workers could be a problem, but should the FOTA hire their own professional corner-workers and bring them along to each race (expensive for the first year, but do-able) they could work around the FIA all together. God knows the sport has needed professional stewards for years. No better time than now.

It would take a 24/7 schedule, but the entire shebang is do-able. Problem is they can't afford to waffle about trying to get FIA/CDC to reconsider. The longer they wait the less tenable their position is.

[Peter Mallett]

AFAIK Bahrain is part funded by Mercedes McLaren.

[ger80]

Lausitzring/Germany on the Speedway would be cool

[Marbot]

FOTA will want to go to places like China,Russia,India etc.These are the places where they can still sell road cars in big numbers.FOTA will not want to have a 'European Championship'.

[rush1]

FOTA will have to scramble to put races on the calender for next year. Putting on a major auto race requires a lot or logistical planning, implementing safety procedures, contractual details, etc - not like putting on a football match for instance.

The FIA will probably try to block any of FOTA's moves to put on races with legal challenges across the board. It may be difficult for the traditional F1 tracks to defect to another racing series because of their prior relationship with F1.

I will go out on a limb and say FOTA will have maybe 5 or 6 races next year - similar to what the IRL had in 1996 in the early stages of the civil war over here.

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by rush1

I will go out on a limb and say FOTA will have maybe 5 or 6 races next year - similar to what the IRL had in 1996 in the early stages of the civil war over here.

I think we'll be in the region of ten, perhaps twelve, races.

[RaceFreak]

I think the logistic situation would best be sub-ed out. The teams aren't into transportation details like the CDC is now. Thus a subcontractor would allow the teams to concentrate on design and racing. I think it may be as easy as a check for 80 or 100 million to ASO, the same outfit which does the logistics for the Tour de France and the Paris Dakar Rally. I think a racing series would be a piece of cake compared to dragging the entire PD circus thru the desert for 2 weeks....

time is short.

[mjolnir]

Surfer's Paradise or Adelaide? decisions decisions...

[jab]

Originally Posted by mjolnir

Surfer's Paradise or Adelaide? decisions decisions...

Eastern Creek, unless they buy A1

I doubt either Adelaide or Surfers will host a FOTA series. I'd say it's more likely that there's no race in Australia. It's not an important enough market for them

[Marbot]

FOTA decide to to 'breakaway',and suddenly everyone thinks that it's possible to have a race just about anywhere.

[rush1]

Originally Posted by Satorian

I think we'll be in the region of ten, perhaps twelve, races.

That would not be bad. If FOTA could race at tracks like Monaco, Monza and a couple other big name races it could work out well.

[mmciau]

[QUOTE=Yannick;2486614]01 Kyalami - South African GP
02 Dubai - Gulf GP
03 Portimao - Portuguese GP
04 Imola - Italian GP (owned by Ferrari)
05 Montreal - Canadian GP
06 Indianapolis - USA East GP
07 Magny-Cours - French GP
08 Silverstone - British GP
09 Nürburgring (not on Bernie's calendar in 2010) - German GP (they have a Mercedes grandstand)
10 A1-Ring - Austrian GP (owned by Red Bull)
11 Helsinki Thunder - Finnish GP (the Finnish fans deserve a race)
12 Circuito Ricardo Tormo (for the summit of the 2 series in Valencia) - Spanish GP
13 by picking up the A1GP package, they could choose between Zandvoort and Mexico City - but are these safe enough? Not really.
14 Las Vegas - USA West GP
15 Portrero de los Funes - Argentinian GP (would they be able to lure this one away from the FIA-GT?)
16 Fuji - Japanese GP (owned by Toyota)
17 Surfers Paradise - Australian GP (that would be included in picking up the A1GP package, too)[/QUOTE]

No 17 - Adelaide South Australia on the circuit used from 1985 to 1995 - it has far more room for support paddocks

The 'shortened' circuit is used by the V8 supercars but they can be raced as support on the 'long circuit





Mike

[Purist]

And the long circuit at Adelaide was used for the 2000 ALMS finale, so it's seen some use more recently than even 1995.

If there is a Spanish round, let it be at Jerez. Even with the modifications, I'd take Mugello slightly over Imola for Italy.

The 2007 CART circuit at Las Vegas was good, and would have been better without that chicane, but the tunnel is probably too narrow to be considered "safe". Caesar's Palace was pathetic back in the '90s. Since it's already equipped with the fencing and other things for Indy Cars, how about Watkins Glen for the United States?

Mexico City shouldn't be such a problem as it has been substantially upgraded, and the banking is even less of a factor (there's a reason it's called Peraltada corner now instead of Peralta).

I'll look some more at the various Scandinavian venues and get back with my thoughts there.

[jab]

The Peraltada is still a major issue due to the lack of run-off. If the A1 race hadn't been cancelled due to swine flu, it would have had 3 chicanes installed (yes, just for that one corner)

[Purist]

Then put a bloody SAFER barrier in! The Grand-Am Daytona Prototypes went through there last year without any chicane. While they are slower than A1GP cars, how much heavier are those cars, and thus what are the actual impact forces between those two series?

If they ever get the big Grand Prix circuit at Gotland Ring built, that would be the place for a Scandinavian round.

[Purist]

On second though, considering the Anderson Bridge at Singapore is just two lanes, the tunnel at Las Vegas shouldn't be a problem.

[nickyf1]

theres plenty of places to race in the USA, Long Beach for when the IRL goes t**s up, Watkins Glen, Road America (No major races other than ALMS since the CCWC went bankrupt) Sears Point, perhaps an airport circuit? Cleveland??

Hopefully the FOTA (if there will be one) series will run at some good tracks that dont have outreagous tarmac car parks and shortcuts. Anyway, my calendar of races:

Monaco GP - Monte Carlo
Italian GP - Imola
French GP - Le Mans Bugati
British GP - Silverstone
German GP - Hockenheim
Portuguese GP - Algarve
Canadian GP - Montreal
USA GP - Long Beach/Watkins Glen
Argentine GP - San Luis
Mexican GP - Mexico City
Japanese GP - Aida (is it called that anymore?) or Motegi

[MCWB]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

Aida (is it called that anymore?)

It's called Okayama International Circuit now.

[duke_toaster]

Assuming Monaco jumps ship due to a Ferrari clause and they are able to start it there, I'd be happy with this eight race calendar.

Monaco GP - Monaco
Portugese GP - Algarve
British GP - Silverstone, but if its GP contract gets terminated go to Donington
German GP - Lausitzring
Japanese GP - Motegi, or Suzuka if available
Italian GP - Valleunga, or Monza if available
Dubai GP - Dubai Autodrome
USA GP - Temporary circuit in Las Vegas or LA.

[Rombles1]

Adelaide is do-able..... run it as a night race on the same weekend as the Clipsal 500. Expand it out to the original full length circuit, as has already been discussed, and effectively all the infrastructure is in place already for the V8 Supercars. And if the fact that the grandstands for the 2010 Clipsal 500 are already 3/4 sold out bothers them, then run it a week later, and sell a whole new lot of tickets. Run the Adelaide Motor Show in the week in between, and with all the other festival stuff on in Adelaide in March, you would have a 10 day Motorsport holiday in Adelaide to blow your mind!

Obviously the night race is to put it on when someone in Europe is actually watching TV....

What would people rather do, go to dreary old Melbourne to see Williams battle Force India, or come back and see how much Adelaide loves big fast loud open-wheel cars? (was going to describe them as "Formula 1" cars, but that obviously wouldn't work!)

[pinkd56]

How About A Swedish Grand Prix on the Gothenburg Street Circuit that The STCC Ran On This and Last Year, It Looks like a good narrow Track, or would it be too tight for Formula Cars?