No Donington next year?

Just a rumour that I've heard; has anyone else?
John

Sounds like it .


FOTA venues revealed - reports Hamilton expects ‘huge improvements’ Review: RB in a class of their own read comments (1) | have your say Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has repeated his warning that if Donington Park is unable to host Grand Prix in 2010, then Britain will be left without an event on the sport’s calendar.

Work is ongoing at Donington in order to bring the venue up to the level required to take on an F1 event, but there are fears it will not be ready in time, with it set to take over from Silverstone as the home of the British GP from next year.

“They're doing a good job,” Ecclestone told The Guardian, before insisting that if the Donington work is not completed in time, Britain will lose its GP instead of the event reverting to Silverstone.

He added: "We left there [Silverstone] because I'm trying to improve facilities throughout the world and when I get people to build new circuits to the standard which we're trying to reach, how can we got back to Silverstone?

"I negotiated a deal for them many years ago to give them enough money to build what we wanted. They didn't build it."

Ecclestone explained that he will struggle to find space for Donington on the F1 calendar from 2011 calendar. He plans to have a 20-event calendar in two years’ time, after adding South Korea to the schedule next year and India the following season.

"We haven't got a spare date," Ecclestone warned. "We're in trouble. We need a date. We're going to be in trouble if we do have Donington."
Does not surprise me at all .

Eddie.

Sounds like Flavio shouldn't be the only one BANNED!!.......?
CAM

Eddie,
Where did this story come from? Are you sure it's not old news?

The Guardian hasn't run a Donington story for some time as far as I know.

I've also been talking to some very enthusiastic people at Donington within the last few weeks.

The facts:

New builders have been appointed and have achieved more in the last few weeks than the previous lot did in 12 months
The new builders are Laings
Silverstone demanded a date for 2010 by 12 Sep 2009 or they would drop out of the 'contest'


The rumours:
The builders were appointed by one Mr B Ecclestone
Mr Ecclestone has part funded many Laing projects (particularly in the Middle east)

The prediction:

The circuit will re-open in the new configuartion late May/early June
The British GP will be at Donington 11 July 2010
As this is the same day as the FIFA World Cup Football finals the race will start early (about 12.00 noon)
The footbal will be on large screen TV at Donington as soon as the F1 race finishes to avoid a mass exodus.......

Nobody at Donington has lost their job recently........

Hi Mike .
Yes that report was a some time ago but as from today the latest is from the BBC web is this.

Ecclestone also revealed that circuit bosses at Donington Park had been given an extended deadline to sort out the funding they need to hold next year's British Grand Prix.
They had been told to have everything in place by the end of September, but the date has been moved to 3 October, with Silverstone waiting in the wings if Donington is not ready.

October will be at Donington Park or back at Silverstone mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Eddie.

Any idea of the latest situation?
I've heard things about deadlines being missunderstood or not being met.

However to get back to my initial Posting; what I was really infering was that the "Club Lotus" Donington exhibition would not be at Donington but elsewhere next year.
I hope that if there's a new Venue that it gets better support than the recently held Parts Fair, which I gather was a bit of a non event.

Spent a nice day in Barmouth N.Wales on Monday. What a lovely place it is.
Don't recommend the Chip Shop's Steak & Kidney Pies though-------oooh must rush!

Cheers
John

Hi John .

I did here that there looking other venues to put the show on .
options are.

1.Three Counties Show ground.
2 Stoneleigh Show ground.

Eddie

Hi John,

A contact I know who works for one of the F1 teams said there is no way Donington can hold an F1 race there in 2010, it will be at Silverstone!

Yes, Paul Matty said to me the Three Counties Showground in Malvern looks like the favourite for the Club Lotus Show next year, he was disappointed with the new parts fair.
Glad you liked Wales, - chips, steak & kidney pie...is that all you could find to eat ...what about some nice Welsh lamb?
Cheers,
Tim

Thanks Guys,

what a shame about Donington on both counts. I hope things work out for the best.
Many have made the Annual Pilgrimage for the Show there Year after Year.
It's location, so close to the Motorway & Airport, is so convenient & Donington is also a good place to overnight it for those who've had to travel a long distance.

Welsh Lamb; well I didn't think I'd be able to run fast enough but that Pie has taught me that I can still be pretty quick on my feet if needs be.
Next time I'll take my Wellies with me.
Ooops did I say that? Freudian for Mint Sauce I think

Have a good Weekend.
I'll be nursing my Tum.
John

the83man wrote:Eddie,
Where did this story come from? Are you sure it's not old news?

The Guardian hasn't run a Donington story for some time as far as I know.

I've also been talking to some very enthusiastic people at Donington within the last few weeks.

The facts:

New builders have been appointed and have achieved more in the last few weeks than the previous lot did in 12 months
The new builders are Laings
Silverstone demanded a date for 2010 by 12 Sep 2009 or they would drop out of the 'contest'


The rumours:
The builders were appointed by one Mr B Ecclestone
Mr Ecclestone has part funded many Laing projects (particularly in the Middle east)

The prediction:

The circuit will re-open in the new configuartion late May/early June
The British GP will be at Donington 11 July 2010
As this is the same day as the FIFA World Cup Football finals the race will start early (about 12.00 noon)
The footbal will be on large screen TV at Donington as soon as the F1 race finishes to avoid a mass exodus.......

Nobody at Donington has lost their job recently........

Looks like it could be the day it fails BBC news today are saying this.

Donington Park's hopes of staging the British Grand Prix from 2010 look to be over after the operators' latest fund-raising attempts fell through.
Earlier this month, Donington launched a bond issue in an attempt to raise £135m, but that has now been withdrawn.
Silverstone is ready to step back in if guaranteed the British Grand Prix would remain at the circuit long-term.
Donington, whose operators are yet to comment, have missed several deadlines to provide financial guarantees.
In June, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said there would definitely be a British Grand Prix in 2012, and that it would be at Silverstone if Donington failed to come through.

606: DEBATE
This leaves Donington with no F1, no MotoGP and a half-built track and no money
Readbetween
But more recently he has backtracked and said it is not certain there will be a Grand Prix in Britain next year at all.
Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, the company that operates the track, has faced legal and planning problems since being given the rights to stage the race.
Chief executive Simon Gillett was initially given a deadline of the end of September to demonstrate the funding was in place to carry out the planned multi-million pound revamp of the circuit and its facilities. That deadline was extended by a few days until 3 October.
Motor racing at Donington ceased in September so work could begin to prepare the venue for next year's race.
Silverstone has hosted every British Grand Prix since 1987, while Donington, which is synonymous with MotoGP, has held only one F1 race, the European Grand Prix in 1993.

Eddie King

That just confirms what most of us really thought right from the start....so back to Silverstone then we hope in 2010.

It is a shame though.
Donington is my favourite Circuit with it's panoramic views over the Track; although I have been wondering how many of those views would be obliterated by any new Buildings & Grandstands that may have been considered necessary for an International Grand Prix venue.
I wonder if it is possible that the Commitee responsible could make a similar decision about the London Olympics & save the Taxpayer a bucket full of Money

Have a good Weekend.
Cheers
John

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/default.stm
Lets hope this happens.

Eddie