Articles Tagged ‘Donington’

2010 F1 Season Upon Us – What’s New?

Saturday, March 6th, 2010 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

With just over 1 week until the first Grand Prix race of the 2010 season in Bahrain, we thought it’s be a nice idea to summarise what’s happened between Jenson Button’s 2009 Championship win, and now.

Teams

Shortly after the end of the 2009 season, Japanese team Toyota announced that they would no longer take part in Formula One due to financial reasons. This left drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock without a drive. Previous to this, BMW Sauber had also announced that they were also pulling out of F1 due to BMW not wanting to take part, again leaving drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica looking for jobs.

Sauber however managed to salvage the team, bringing it to F1 in 2010 – Although the team lost both drivers in the process, as well as the BMW Engine. Sauber are still registered as BMW Sauber, despite the lack of BMW – choosing to use a Ferrari engine instead.

Constructers champions Brawn GP were also bought out by German car manufacturer Mercedes, renaming the team Mercedes GP. Ross Brawn stays in his position as Team Principal.

4 new teams were billed to join the 2010 season, Virgin Racing, Campos (Now HRT Racing), US F1, and Lotus. US F1 recently announced that they are pulling out of the 2010 season, being unable to complete their development programme in time, and now focussing on a 2011 entry. It is understood that Stefan GP attempted to take the remaining slot on the F1 grid, however the FIA rejected their entry based on the time before the first race (some 2 weeks).

Drivers

The first major scalp in the driver juggle was Kimi Raikkonen. Mid 2009 season Ferrari announced that Renault driver Fernando Alonso would be joining the team, leaving Raikkonen without a 2009 race seat. Raikkonen was understood to only want a seat in one of two available cars, the Brawn or McLaren – however neither deal was made (likely due to the high price Raikkonen was commanding) and Raikkonen left F1 (albeit maybe temporarily).

The second biggest shock of the driver reshuffle was the move of 2009 championship winner Jenson Button over to McLaren. He joins the 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton for an all British line-up. Widely seen as a risky move, time will tell if this change was a good one for Button.

The final big news was the announcement of Michael Schumacher to the Mercedes GP team. Schumacher returns out of retirement for 3 years to lead an all German lineup with Nico Rosberg as his partner. Schumacher originally planned an F1 return in 2009 when Felipe Massa pulled out after an accident, however was unable to due to suffering a neck injury after a motorbike accident.

Remaining driver positions can be seen in our Guide to 2010 driver lineups.

Important Rule Changes

  • Refuelling has been banned during the race. Drivers will only be able to pitstop with problems and tyre changes.
  • The top ten drivers to qualify for the race must start the race on the same set of tyres that quaified with.
  • A new points system is now in place (see here)
  • KERS, although not banned by the FIA, will not be used by FOTA teams in 2010.
  • A Grand Prix can now take upto 26 cars.
  • Wheel covers are banned on all cars.
  • Front tyres have been slightly narrowed in comparison to rear tyres
  • No testing rules have been slightly amended to allow any backup drivers 1 day of testing on a circuit not part of the 2010 season in order to prepare them for racing.

Circuit Changes

British GP track Donington pulled out of hosting the 2010 GP, and any future ones after they could not secure the funding for the endeavour. After weeks of speculation, and the chance of no British Grand Prix on the timetable, an agreement was placed between F1 Administration and Silverstone to host the British GP for the next 17 years.

The Canadian Grand Prix will return in 2010. Fuji Speedway was also due to host the 2010 Japanese GP, however track owners Toyota pulled out of this as well, leaving Suzuka to continue holding the race.

Finally, South Korea will host its first GP at the Korean International Circuit in the latter part of the season.

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Posted in BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Campos, FIA, Ferrari, Lotus F1, Manor GP, McLaren, Mercedes GP, News, Renault, Sauber, Toyota, US F1, Williams | No Comments »

Silverstone 17 year deal agreed for British GP

Monday, December 7th, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

Bernie Ecclestone At Silverstone

Silverstone has reached a deal to host the British Grand Prix for the next 17 years, starting in 2010.

Under the new agreement, Silverstone will be redeveloped, with work focusing on rebuilding the pits and paddock. For the past 6 weeks the team at Silverstone have been working with Bernie Ecclestone in order to reach an agreement for Silverstone to host the GP in the stead of Donington Park, who could not provide enough funding to follow through with the deal.

Ecclestone has in the past been critical of the facilities provided by Silverstone, compared to other Grand Prix in the F1 calendar. As part of this deal, Silverstone have agreed to re develop some key areas of the circuit in order for it to be more inline with newer circuits such as Singapore.

More soon.

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Donington can still happen says Ecclestone

Saturday, November 21st, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

1831815BL023_SanMarino_GP

With the flip flopping over previous weeks on the subject of a British Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone has again waded into the debate, stating to BBC Radio 5 Live that in fact, Donington could still host the GP in 2010.

“If someone comes along with the right ideas and funding, then yes [to Donington]. We are having a meeting in December to decide the calendar for next year. If nothing is in place by then, Britain will be taken off the calendar.”

Donington Ventures Leisure Limited, the holding company previously hoping to run the British GP at Donington for the next 17 years has now gone into administration, leaving them completely without hope – however that does not mean another company cannot take their place, if they have the funding – and use Donington as the venue.

The British Racing Drivers Club (BDRC) are also known to be in tough negotiations with Ecclestone for an acceptable contract to both parties to host the GP at Silverstone. Ecclestone is clear that the historic track needs to agree to significant redevelopment before he’ll sign, and the BRDC wanting an acceptable financial deal in order for the event to be viable.

There is a Twitter petition doing the rounds to save the British GP – please sign it here: http://twitition.com/zhga8

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Final Silverstone ultimatum.

Friday, November 20th, 2009 - Posted by Jack Sargeant

Bernie Ecclestone At Silverstone

Bernie Ecclestone has given Silverstone a final ultimatum to sign the contract for the 2010 British Grand Prix.

The outline of the ultimatum is that if by the time the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) next meets in Paris on 11 December to ratify the 2010 calendar, Silverstone don’t have the contract signed, Ecclestone will have no option but to scrap the race.

Ecclestone said:

“The World Council will meet and we will just pull it off — we will have to. We’ll have no other choice, if we don’t have a contract. We shouldn’t have anything on the calendar unless we have a contract in place.

“They are close and they know they are close. It’s not the terms and conditions so much, as whether the investors are prepared to bankroll them and take the risk.”

“Of course we want a British Grand Prix. I’ve been spending an awful lot of time trying to make sure it does happen, but there is no chance of an exceptional contract for Silverstone. Why should there be?”

Donington were due to hold the British Grand Prix 2010, before they failed to raise the funds required. Recently, the owners of Donington Park have gone into administration.

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Silverstone “Very Close” to Agreement for 2010

Saturday, October 31st, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

Damon Hill

Damon Hill has been speaking with BBC Sport today at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and has spoken about the hopes of a deal for Silverstone in 2010 to host the British Grand Prix,

“We are very close. It comes down to a little bit of give on the negotiation and I think we’re there. We are doing everything we can to get the grand prix. It has been non-stop.”

Hill is not directly involved in the negotiation with Bernie Ecclestone, however he is very close to what is going on. He also outlined what he sees as the future for Silverstone, stating that they’re not interested in a 1 year, or 5 year deal – it needs to be long-term,

“That is key to securing the investment we need in the circuit [a long-term deal]. We’re not there yet, but we’re optimistic we will be.”

Bernie Ecclestone is very keen to get Silverstone to sign up, however has warned that the circuit needs to observe what tracks like Valencia and Abu Dhabi have done in order to facilitate modern Grand Prix. Speaking about Silverstone specifically he said,

“It’s not just a case of signing the contract and paying. They must raise their standard”

Despite Hill stating today that there still needs to be some “give” in the negotiations, Ecclestone has previously stated that the deal is there, and it is what it is, take it or leave it. Ultimately though, Hill is keen to tell fans that they are doing everything in their power to ensure a British Grand Prix future,

“We’re doing everything we can to get the grand prix. The team has gone through the numbers. It has been non-stop. Trying to work out how we deliver on the demands for a grand prix.”

Donington was initially the circuit in line to host the British GP, however that deal collapsed earlier this week when the track announced that they were no longer able to find financing in order to complete redevelopment work on the track.

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No British Grand Prix at Donington.

Thursday, October 29th, 2009 - Posted by Jack Sargeant

Bernie Ecclestone At Silverstone

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that Donington will not hold the British Grand Prix 2010. He said:

“There’s no Donington. They’ve missed the deadline which we kept extending for them. It’s unfortunate for them. It was the credit crunch that caused them to be in trouble – because their intentions were good, that’s for sure.”

On the subject of whether there will still be a British Grand Prix but at Silverstone, Ecclestone said:

“We’re talking. A deal can be done if they want to. There isn’t [a difference of opinion] actually. As far as I’m concerned, no problems.”

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Whitmarsh: Losing British GP Damaging to F1

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 - Posted by Randhy Fazralimanda

Martin Whitmarsh

McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh has said that the loss of the British Grand Prix from the Formula One calendar would be “massively damaging to the sport”.

With the future of the race – a staple of the calendar since the World Championship’s inception in 1950 – appearing in doubt following Donington Park’s failure to secure necessary funding, Whitmarsh said the Formula One Teams’ Association would do all it could to offer support.

“I don’t think it’s just McLaren, I think any team in Formula One knows the importance of the British Grand Prix,”

Whitmarsh said in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Phone-In.

“The World Championship is 18, 19 or potentially even 20 races. I guess you couldn’t say that any of them are absolutely vital but I think to lose the British Grand Prix would be massively damaging to the sport.”

As things stand, Donington, which had secured a 17-year contract to stage the race starting from next year, looks set to lose out after missing a number of deadlines to prove it could fund necessary upgrades costing an estimated £135million.

The man who presented the deadlines, the sport’s commercial rights controller Bernie Ecclestone, has also entered negotiations with Silverstone but the two sides remain deadlocked over the terms of a deal.

Whitmarsh said that the passion of British fans was more than enough justification for the grand prix to keep its place. He added:

“I think the quality of the fan base you experience… for any of us who go around the world attending grands prix, one of the remarkable feelings that you have is inevitably you have to walk through, round and past campsites and the fans in Silverstone and they are such fantastic fans – that real grass roots enthusiasm.

“So I’m sure McLaren, all the teams and FOTA will do everything it can to preserve the British Grand Prix in the calendar.”

In the meantime, if you are a Twitter user, please sign up to this Twitter Petition to save the British Grand Prix: http://twitition.com/zhga8

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Donington Might Happen After All?

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

Donington Park

The Daily Express newspaper are today reporting that Chief Executive of Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, Simon Gillett has managed to raise the remaining £12m in order to host the British Grand Prix at Donington Park in 2010. According to the newspaper, Gillett found the funds at the last minute and has supposedly transferred the cash over to Bernie Ecclestone, albeit slightly after the given deadline.

This is exciting news indeed for British motorsports fans, after 2 days of not knowing if any future for Formula 1 in Britain would exist. Silverstone had previously said that they may be able to host the 2010 British GP in Donington’s stead, however Damon Hill has played hot and cold over the past few days on the chances of a deal being struck.

Ecclestone has yet to comment on these latest reports, however we are likely to hear in the next day or so whether or not a British GP will happen in 2010, in Donington or Silverstone.

In the meantime, if you are a Twitter user, please sign up to this Twitter Petition to save the British Grand Prix: http://twitition.com/zhga8

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Damon Hill Nervous for British GP Future

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

Damon Hill

After some positive news from Damon Hill yesterday with regards to a British Grand Prix in Silverstone next year, today he is being much more conservative about the prospects. As you may know, the future of the British Grand Prix was put into doubt yesterday after Donington failed to come through with the relevant funding.

Hill has been speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live about the issue,

“F1 can go anywhere in the world and get a huge amount of money. That’s what he’s wrestling with.”

He continued,

“There’s a whole load of reasons why it should happen here, but ultimately you are competing against countries which are able to inject public money into their infrastructure and into the contract of the Grand Prix. And that seems to be the stumbling block here.”

This somewhat disagrees with Hill’s comments yesterday where he was fairly positive a deal with Silverstone would be made. Certainly the lack of information coming out from Donington, BDRC, Bernie Ecclestone – or anyone else for that matter on the future of the British Grand Prix is worrying.

In the meantime, if you are a Twitter user, please sign the petition to save the British Grand Prix: http://twitition.com/zhga8

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Chances of a British GP Dwindling

Monday, October 26th, 2009 - Posted by Formula1Blogger

Bernie Ecclestone

The deadline looms today for Donington, who currently plan to host the 2010 British Grand Prix. The track has until 1200 GMT to provide evidence of relevant funding to redevelop the track, or risk losing everything. Last week Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd announced that their bond request had fallen through.

Silverstone, who have hosted the British Grand Prix in previous years are keen to step into Donington’s place, however Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has made clear that no such deal may be on offer to them,

“I want a British Grand Prix, of course, but we are not going to do special rates for Britain. If they can’t make it work then don’t do it. If that happens, there won’t be a British Grand Prix. Simple as that.”

Once the deadline passes, Silverstone are able to sign a new deal with Ecclestone, which according to reports by the Mirror newspaper, they already have. Ecclestone is reported as saying,

“Silverstone have a contract on their table. All they have to do is sign it, get it back to me and the race could be theirs on Tuesday if things fall over with Donington”

However, despite this promising news, there is believed to be a £2m difference in what Ecclestone wants, and what Silverstone can afford, with a spokesman recently saying that the current contract is not “commercially viable”.

BRDC President Damon Hill has expressed their wish to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone,

“We sincerely hope there is going to be a British GP and we’re doing everything we can to provide the right conditions and we would very much like it to be at Silverstone. We would be looking for more than just a stop-gap deal. There is competition out there to provide a venue but we feel Silverstone is the right place.”

9/10 these things get sorted out one way or another, but there now seems a significant risk that there will be no British Grand Prix in 2010. In June, Ecclestone said there would definitely be a British Grand Prix in 2012, and that it would be at Silverstone if Donington failed to sign the long-term deal.

Update 1640 GMT:

The British GP has been removed from the Donington website… it’s not looking good. That said, Damon Hill is apparently more positive that a Silverstone deal can be made…

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