Brands Hatch to restrict viewing on GP circuit

[piet]

Any news?
We plan 3 trips to Brands this year and wonder if our cameras should stay home..

[piet]

and now..I know!

around the GP track few spots are simply no more accessible and fences have been installed in too many places...thanks a lot ITR

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by piet

and now..I know!

around the GP track few spots are simply no more accessible and fences have been installed in too many places...thanks a lot ITR

The loop is ****ed.

A real shame - I knew access was going to be restricted on the run into Stirlings (where the SEAT ended up in the specatator area) but I hadn't expected them to make such a mess of the whole thing. The loop is now a write off if you want to take photos really (and pretty dreadful for viewing full stop - it may improve once the fences have weathered in a bit and lost their shine).

I'm not sure how much is purely down to ITR and how much just general 'health and safety'. I'm surprised it took as long as it did to remove access from the run into Stirlings following the SEAT incident (I expected an immediate change there). It just seems like massive overkill and it really has totally altered the viewing experience - Westfield used to be a great place to watch and take photos, not any more. A real shame.

[Down F0rce]

Is the inside of Druids still a good spot?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Is the inside of Druids still a good spot?

That's currently unchanged - so high fences on the approach, low fences on the apex and exit. The only changes I spotted on the Indy part of the circuit were new bits of fencing at the first part of Paddock - not sure if that's additional fencing or just some replacement.

[Rob29]

Sad news-glad my camera has not been out for years now-seems the shape of the future? We are safer at home with TV screen -just been watching major british championship rounds at Silverstone where there appeared to not be a single spectaror on the premises-just banks of empty blue seats-used only for F1 GP?

[Sodemo]

Its a massive shame, though not unexpected. Me and my friend did a big walk around the loop section during saturday / qualifying for the BTCC in 2015. We always treated Saturday as "photo day" for the BTCC, then on Sunday we just watch the racing.

We even walked down to the outside of Hawthorns which we didn't really know if we were supposed to be there since there wasn't an obvious viewing area, just a small mud mound with a low stomach high fence (ideal for photos etc).

A shame to see Brands succumb to the 4 metre high fence plague.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Its a massive shame, though not unexpected. Me and my friend did a big walk around the loop section during saturday / qualifying for the BTCC in 2015. We always treated Saturday as "photo day" for the BTCC, then on Sunday we just watch the racing.

I've had a similar approach - using the 2 days of a meeting on the GP loop for taking advantage of the extra photo opportunities provided out on the loop. Now most of these have gone so I can condense my visits to 1 day - the Indy circuit meetings now offer better value for money for a spectator.

[chunder]

The ridiculous thing is, if anything is likely to have an accident on most of the loop corners it will go to the outside as the corners are all right other than Stirlings.

The SEAT crash was extraordinary and was a long time ago, so why has it taken them this long?

You have historic sports cars, F1 cars using it, with far less experienced drivers, yet DTM demands this?

How much do you guys think this is about PR pressure from Merc or Audi?

The pathetic thing is, DTM will get a small crowd, so why bother?

Either way, loop is now ruined for fans and photographers especially

[Greem]

I saw a comment from an MSV employee on Facebook a day or two ago, stating that the work isn't finished yet and that they intend to put a number of photo windows in like the ones around Clearways.

[chunder]

Write to MSV to voice my opinions

This might only be the start. The position I got was that there are ongoing works at Brands, opinion as sought from professionals apparently with regard to this and public safety is their main priority.

Sounds to me simply that Palmer is attempting to future proof his venues as there might be legislation coming, as this cant simply be the result of something that happened 8 years ago it would work quicker than that surely.

So you get from that what you will, Oulton, Cadwell, all could suffer the same fate.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Greem

I saw a comment from an MSV employee on Facebook a day or two ago, stating that the work isn't finished yet and that they intend to put a number of photo windows in like the ones around Clearways.

It would also be nicer (though not nice) if they use green fencing. I don't suppose there is any chance of that?

[AdrianM]

Anyone who has to write risk assessments for jobs involving the general public will be only too aware of what Brands is going through. Everything has to be done from the point of view that Joe Public is a moron who will do everything he can to get himself killed unless measures are put in place to make that as hard for him as possible.

[justracing]

I walked the whole GP circuit last weekend and the new fencing is absolutely horrendous. There is a 30 metre stretch on the exit of Hawthorns which is still camera friendly and a few spots on the other side on the approach to Hawthorns but beyond that I'm afraid it's like looking into a cage. the so called camera panels they have created are pointless, they are too small, too high and for the most part inaccessible unless you have 2 metre long arms! I'll still be there for most events as I have a season ticket but it's certainly lost the glamour unfortunately.