Thetownend.com

For any F1 fans...

I'm not sure about this news.  We already have the Austin circuit for 2012.  I'm all for freshening things up, but which circuits will we lose to accommodate these?  I'm assuming Bahrain might be one, but with another circuit looking likely in Russia, are we looking at losing some of the traditional circuits?  I suppose there is an argument that two in Spain and two in Italy (Imola is not in San Marino!) but those circuits are great.  From a "little England" perspective, I'd hate to see Silverstone go.

Any thoughts, or any incoherent waffle as above?

Silverstone signed a 17 year contract in 2010.

I wouldn't be sorry to see Valencia go. That said, I'm sceptical F1 will be a success in the USA.

F1 is all about the market, and for that reason I doubt that Silverstone will ever go.  I know Ecclestone threatened it, but he's a twat and never meant it properly.  Take away the British Grand Prix and all its connections to some of the top teams, and F1 would have lost something.

Equally, I think F1 will be a success in the USA for two reasons.  Firstly, the market there is massive.  And secondly, Americans are fanatical when it comes to motorsport and really know their stuff.  With such a vast market out there, I honestly think that there is room for F1 and Indycar etc.

Not sure they really need two Grands Prix though.  That seems a little greedy.

I'm more than happy to see F1 go to new circuits, however not sure about USA though - although I did enjoy the yanks getting upset in the debacle of a race that only saw 6 cars take part.

New tracks are all well and good but you don't get the spectacle that you do at older classic tracks such as Spa, Imola, Suzuka etc - where you have a history.

I didn't realise Jersey already had a circuit.

I'll be a street circuit. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Unless you were talking about the 6 finger, practically French jersey.



Corrected for you. I don't think Bernie cares much about fans turning up, as long as the TV/Sponsorship/Circuit revenues are sufficiently high. You could argue without fans they won't be.

No problem with new circuits as long as they are in the right locations. Turkey, South Korea, etc are terrible locations at the moment, no fucker goes and watches the race and the whole thing smacks of money-grabbing.   At least New York/New Jersey is a decent area and the event will generate plenty of interest from fans as well as the money men.

F1 shouldn’t be losing circuits like Magny-Cours for places like Turkey, that’s where the problem is.

Magny-cours is a fucking shite race track. Boring as balls, and in the arse end of nowhere. Turkey was a decent track, but just not commercially viable.

Being a bit dim, I've just worked out that this is New Jersey USA, rather than a new course on the Isle of Jersey. I'd watch the latter, the roads are crazy.

I hate all the new tracks. They are so boring. The races are dull as there are no places for overtaking. What's the point in having 3 street circuit races? They will never find one as good as Monaco so stop trying. Monaco needs to remain unique. The best races always come at the old circuits like Melbourne, Silverstone, Monaco, Barcelona, Montreal, Suzuka and Brazil. Korea, Shanghai, Malaysia, China....*snore*

Losing Turkey would be a shame, although it's in the wrong place and is (apparently) a nightmare to get to, it's a modern classic in terms of its layout. It's the best, in my view, of all the Hermann Tilke designed circuits.

Turkey has already gone, not on the calender, which is is a shame as it's a great track but their just isn't enough intrest over there.

Where abouts in Turkey is the racetrack?

Edit - just checked. Istanbul. The missus has an apartment in Kusadasi but that's fecking miles away.

Istanbul (was Constantinople, Now it's Istanbul not Constantinople, Been a long time gone, Old Constantinople's still has Turkish delight, On a moonlight night)

Sort of.

http://www.istanbulparkcircuit.com/en-gb/Istanbul-Park/How-to-get-here/

I was at that race, and debacle doesn't do it justice. What it did prove is that US sports fans have an appetite for entertaining, close racing (as the event was a sell-out) - shame it failed to materialise that day as F1 lost huge momentum in the US afterwards that it will struggle to retain. Bernie recognises its a massive market to attract, and the manufacturers are as keen as mustard to go there as the US consumer market brings in huge revenues - note Toyota's efforts to win pole at that Indy race purely to boost domestic sales.....

Agree with all the points about traditional circuits though. I love Spa, a proper race track.

Having lived in NJ for the last 3 years, and knowing the area of West NY and Weehawken well, I think it will be great for the area and the F1 calendar.

However, my concern is that it may become another Monte Carlo, follow the leader with very little over taking type of race... the streets are awful and it will take A LOT of work to get a track up and running for 2013!

I've read it's going to be 4 lanes wide - so nothing like Monaco.