Bathurst (Mount Panorama) in F1 calendar?

[Djeeedjeee]

Hi,

Could Bathurst (Mount Panorama) track be part of the F1 calendar one day?
Is the infrastructure sufficient for F1? Is the gradient an issue for F1?
In order to keep Melbourne in the calendar, it could be a Oceana GP like there is a European GP?

Possibility or fantasy?

Thanks,

[RZS10]

Most certainly impossible due to safety reasons i guess - that part from turn 11 on with barriers next to it and no place to go when you make a mistake ... would be awesome but we all know the FIA^^

[wunderkind]

It's a fantasy for the foreseeable future, I think.

Infrastructure aside, Bathurst is just too far away from a major international gateway airport (i.e. the Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney) and it also does not have any connecting mass commuter rail link. Ticket sales, bear in mind F1 prices, will be minuscule and the local government does not have the financial resources to subsidise such an event like Melbourne can. Almost all F1 races are loss-making for the host city.

A Bathurst F1 race would be similar to the South Korean race. It's too far from Seoul and the locals dont go and it will fade into obscurity.

The only successful F1 race i think of that is held far (>100km) from a major city is the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

[RicerDude]

I wouldn't go as far to say it would be like the South Korean race. The V8 supercar race is pretty popular for spectators so why wouldn't an F1 race attract the same fans and more from around the world?
If an F1 car can get around Monaco then i'm pretty sure they could get around Mount Panorama with ease.
Button managed it...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4XVF3jJL5Q[/youtube]

[aral]

pure fantasy. it could never be brought up to the standard required for an f1 race.

[Hail22]

I'd say it would be very difficult for Bathurst to attain Grade 1 status due to the regulations outlined by the FIA.

Regulations for all category tracks include (general rule not just for Grade 1):
- No straight must be longer than 2km
- Total circuit length is recommended to be less than 7km
- the track width foreseen should be at least 12 m
- Where the track width changes, the transition should be made as gradually as possible, at a rate not greater than 1 m in 20 m total width.
- The width of the starting grid should be at least 15 m
- This width must be maintained through to the exit of the first corner
- Existing circuits requesting international recognition but which are narrower, may be approved if national events are regularly held on them
- The gradient of the start/finish straight should not exceed 2%.

The requirements for a Grade 1 track are even tougher, and they restrict even the verges, run-off areas, type of track paint used and the minimum width of a line of paint, etc. For sure, all F1 tracks need a Race Control centre, Marshal Posts, Pits, Paddock area and Medical Centre, and a Helicopter landing space.

The full rules for circuits may be found here: http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf... (this is an official FIA document).

P.S Personally I'd love to see Formula 1 at Bathurst, but the truth is the FIA wouldn't give it a Grade 1 status.

[MOWOG]

If there were a race at Bathurst, I would seriously consider attending. I would not spend the money to go to see a race in Albert Park in Melbourne.

I suppose I am part of a minority who think real racing should take place on real race tracks, rather than on silly street circuits that are located in glamorous locations. And that the self proclaimed "pinnacle of motorsports" should hold its contests at the pinnacle of racing venues around the world.

Aussies are pretty passionate about their motor racing. I would expect a race at Bathurst would be fully subscribed.

[Earnard Beccelstone]

Bathurst is a fantastic circuit, but F1 there is pure fantasy.

Bathurst is too far out of the way (200 km from Sydney) to attract much sponsor attention. It doesn't have the facilities necessary for the crowds F1 would attract and getting the circuit to Grade 1 standard has been estimated at around $50 million, at a minimum, and would totally change the nature of the track.

Basically, if you upgrade it to F1 standards, Bathurst would lose all its character and would be ruined for everything else.

[Cold Fussion]

A bigger problem than the distance is the terrible road network in Sydney. Depending on the time of day, it is a conceivable 4 hour trip for a Truck to leave Mascot Airport and arrive at Bathurst.

[jddh1]

I've often wondered about this because Mt Panorama is just a great circuit but it's on public roads and upgrading those with run-off areas and facilities will take away its character and also would be a massive fight for who'll pay for it.

[Vettel Maggot]

Having just attended the Bathurst 12 Hour, I did catch myself looking around and wondering whether the track and town could ever host F1.

Some points:

The airport is tiny. It only has a few flights a day from Sydney on 30-40 seater SAAB airplanes and the terminal is simply a counter and some seats. This means that everything would have to be freighted in from Sydney. A major headache.

There is a serious kangaroo problem up there. Even in the 12 hour race a Lamborghini GT3 car struck a roo and had to retire. The consequences of that happening in an open wheel car are not worth thinking about. They are not small animals. They tried to install temporary kangaroo fencing around the track for the 12 hour race, yet they still managed to find new ways onto the circuit. It would be impossible to guarantee the safety of drivers without spending a monumental amount of money on fencing and having spotters during the race weekend.

A lot of spectators camp on site during racing due to the limited accommodation available in town. Would international visitors warm to the idea of spending 4 days in a tent on top of a cold mountain? VIPs etc would probably stay at the Rydges Hotel next to the track, but that is not that large nor luxurious. For a race of F1 scale I think there would have to be another hotel built.

The track itself needs many safety upgrades, catch fencing and extra run off that would be very hard to provide due to the terrain.

People live on the mountain itself and racing needs to be stopped a few times a day to allow the residents access to town or to go back home. How would they react to another huge event? However the council at Bathurst does seem to spend money on the track, they just resurfaced it and spent more money putting up some more PA systems.

That's just a few things of the top of my head that I saw that would hold it back.

I would love to see it happen one day. What a track.

[Gridlock]

We can dream

Maybe if they put a marina in...

[MOWOG]

Maybe if they put a marina in...

Yup. And started it a midnight local time so Bernie's friends wouldn't have to get to their clubs too early to watch on the telly!

Having read the comments, if the circuit has to be destroyed to make is "safe" for Formula One, then that would be a tragedy. Although some of us camped at Watkins Glen back in the 60's and never realized we were suffering from a lack of 5 star hotel accommodations. Frankly, many of the tents offered far better lodgings than the ratty old Glen Motel.

Lastly, I am insanely jealous of anyone who has actually attended a race at Bathurst.

[fritticaldi]

The video of Jenson Button driving a lap of Bathurst is awesome. The track has many variations in elevation. In my opinion it is a breathtaking circuit. I think V8 supercars as well as GT cars are suited to this track. I cannot see current F1 cars there. Maybe the F1 cars of the seventies would have been ok?

[piast9]

What's the point in having Barthurst race if there are no GM's nor Fords in F1?