French Grand Prix axed

[alexbarwell]

The idea of a Paris street circuit (or a London one come to that) has real potential for exciting racing and unexpected outcomes - negotiating bendy buses, potholes, speed bumps, getting stuck in one way systems and oh so many a**ehole cabbies.

[modbaraban]

The idea of a Paris street circuit (or a London one come to that) has real potential for exciting racing and unexpected outcomes - negotiating bendy buses, potholes, speed bumps, getting stuck in one way systems and oh so many a**ehole cabbies.

That would be too dangerous. Lewis + traffic lights = danger. Remember?

Seriously though, this is not A1 or GP2 Asia. Correct me if I'm wrong but we europeans are well... longing towards traditional things. So replacing good old tracks with those tracks whose local Sheikh rolled more cash for... argh!



/rant

[alexbarwell]

But here's the killer blow that makes these city street circuits an absolute must - speed cameras and traffic wardens! If the FIA want to increase their revenue its a no-brainer. Not to mention a wheel clamping zone in the paddock, congestion-charging increases for gas-guzzlers...

[Metar]

I don't see what the fuzz is with street-races lately. Where exactly are you going to find roads in central Paris (which is the more "interesting" bit) that are wide enough for overtaking? If it's central Paris, you'll have another Monaco. If it's further outside, you might as well have it in another city..

[WhiteBlue]

I don't see what the fuzz is with street-races lately. Where exactly are you going to find roads in central Paris (which is the more "interesting" bit) that are wide enough for overtaking? If it's central Paris, you'll have another Monaco. If it's further outside, you might as well have it in another city..

not really. if you have it in Disney near Paris you would easily have three times the net revenue compared to Magny Cours from spectators.

Magny probably has 70,000 visitors with an average ticket price of € 200. Disney would probably suit 200,000 @ average € 300. we are talking real money.

[vyselegend]

This is fictionnal. You can't know if the supposed structure would be a succes or not. By the way, how healthy is the Disney Park right now? I've heard after it's difficult debut 15 years ago it grew up slowly to become more viable, but still struggles to make enough benefits to cancel it's debts. That's what a local (from "departement de Seine et Marne") told me anyway, being tired of paying astronomical charges (local taxes) to cope with the Park's deficit and the incredible price of the extention of RER (urban train like metro but for further suburbs) linking Paris to the Park. In this context the Disney idea doesn't seems very healthy to me. It is just a good contrast to Magny-cours lack of reception capacity, as it is full of hotels and parkings.

As for your prices figures, I'm very surprised, because last time I checked there was no options under 400€ for the week end at Magny-Cours.

There was an interesting interview of the responsible of the track in this week's auto-hebdo mag. He stated the track is deficitary, but the numbers he gave (sorry don't have the mag here, can't quote precisely) seemed reasonable, and was dirrectly in correlation to the lost interest following Schumacher's retreat (Most of french fans are/were Ferrari supporters, as strangely as it may seems), and Renault's disapointing form.

Notice how the drivers and technical directors are praising the layout of Magny-Cours for the second consecutive year (see driver preview quotes). It seems they choose their side the moment Bernie threatened the track...
I like Magny-Cours, as does the spectators, drivers and technical staff. Only the press isn't happy as they don't have their share of glamour and people etc, and there is certainly a need for some more hotels, parking and deserving roads. I stick with the idea of updating this track rather than building a new one, as it would cost less, and also I fear for the lack of inspiration of recent layouts (although Istanbul isn't bad).

[Ciro Pabón]

Well, 200.000 grandstands, to be used once a year, are not going to be payed by themselves, not to mention the cost of the land, right beside Disneyland. I predict much costlier tickets (or some backpedaling after more detailed financing studies or a "grand scheme" with other revenues from entertaining, like Dubai's).

I confess I will positively hate Mickeye Mouse in a Williams, with such latino intensity as you cannot imagine.

Did you watch the smiles of the kids in the Adams family movie, right after being forced to spend an evening in "Harmony Hut", watching (I imagine) Disney movies? Yeah, I have the same feeling...

[WhiteBlue]

disregard the detail. fact is that Magny attracts very few people because it has no accomodation and is in the middle of nowhere.

Paris has 10 mil ? people and international airports and Eurostar and high speed train links all over Europe. Plus they can use existing hotel capacity of Disney.

The only 100% ceratin effect would be a huge jump in demand. I reckon the demand would probably be 10 times what Magny commands. If the y tripple the admission numbers and increase price by 50% they can exploit the demand jump nicely.

The seating capacity and the facility obviously need big investment but in my view it makes more sense than financing a deficit.

The best solution would be a two year deal with Magny while requiring a committment to Disney.

[Ciro Pabón]

The best solution to which problem? It's not like we have the track managers complaining.

The figures from TV revenue are more than enough for FOM. Why should you have to kill Magny Cours? You yourself state it clearly: it's a bussiness, White, and with Disneyland, for heaven sake. Disneyland, I repeat.

I imagine the headlines. I imagine Modbaraban "Caption competition" pictures of Bernie photoshopped like one of the dwarfs (is there one named Greedy?).

Just imagine my jokes. That should be more than enough to convince you.

Camp Chippewa is coming!

[Scotracer]

disregard the detail. fact is that Magny attracts very few people because it has no accomodation and is in the middle of nowhere.

Paris has 10 mil ? people and international airports and Eurostar and high speed train links all over Europe. Plus they can use existing hotel capacity of Disney.

The only 100% ceratin effect would be a huge jump in demand. I reckon the demand would probably be 10 times what Magny commands. If the y tripple the admission numbers and increase price by 50% they can exploit the demand jump nicely.

The seating capacity and the facility obviously need big investment but in my view it makes more sense than financing a deficit.

The best solution would be a two year deal with Magny while requiring a committment to Disney.

But camping at the circuit was half of the appeal! I've been to Magny-Cours twice in the past 6 years and the atmosphere in the camping aeras (Camping Est) was brilliant. It had real feel to it...all the Germans drunk in their swimming pools was brilliant! If it turns into an upper class Parisian spectacle...it wont bring the roots fans.

Oh and plenty of people attend the race at Magny-Cours...I've been in enough traffic jams to attest to that

[Scuderia Nuvolari]

What does the Monthlery track look like these days?

I understand it's been out of racing shape for a long time though..

I have Linas-Montlhéry track at my database. Here is how it looks these days (banked track only):





http://asalm.free.fr/

Okay Juan Pablo call up your redneck buddies, we're gonna git over there an have a good old time with those nice french people, who were kind enough to invent french fries for us.


Sometimes I wonder if ANY track is good enough for F-1

[Scotracer]

What does the Monthlery track look like these days?

I understand it's been out of racing shape for a long time though..

I have Linas-Montlhéry track at my database. Here is how it looks these days (banked track only):





http://asalm.free.fr/

Okay Juan Pablo call up your redneck buddies, we're gonna git over there an have a good old time with those nice french people, who were kind enough to invent french fries for us.


Sometimes I wonder if ANY track is good enough for F-1

French Fries are actually from Belgium

[WhiteBlue]

Spa is also in the midlle of nowhere but it is such a unique track now that we don't have the Nordschleife. Plus of course the best french fries in the world.

Magny lives off the British and Germans who like camping. But they can't get the numbers that will satisfy the greedy dwarf.

Please don't let them mess with the Montlhéry track. That is a monumentg worth keeping.

[Ciro Pabón]

...
aparently it is the only existing banked oval in Europe. some people travel it with historic car of the twenties.

I think White is right about being the only used banked track (except for private test grounds, one at England and one in Italy), but I could not avoid to remember the surrealist, carved in the spanish rock track at Terramar - Sitges (that you can find at my KML database), built in 1923 by the immortal (at least while I live ) Federico Armangué, designed by Juan Mestre.

Good concrete, notice the pavement surface after 85 years


Juan could race here, with some wine instead of moonshine. You can see that the spanish "primitive" spectators have NOT the Disney spirit of "keeping their limbs inside the ride at all times"...


We also have the ghosts that live in Brooklands (not in the Continent) and the old track at Monza, which I don't know if is used once in a while. The old AVUS straights still remain, just in case White has the chance to travel them and sigh in memory of the old glories (have I mentioned that you can find them at my excellent database? ).

[Scuderia Nuvolari]

Is the Sitges track on the coast?
Those spectators remind me of a grand prix in argentina. The fans came out on the track coaxing the drivers on. Some of the borrachos were fanning the cars with thier jackets like bullfighters. A cooper shed a wheel at high speed. It went into the crowd. The drivers all pulled into the pits and refused to race.
Can't remember what year it was



Without being abrasive, I think that you guys call them "chips".
Why would we call them French fries?
Potatos and tomatos are originally from Peru and no one in Europe had either until the 1500's when the conquistadores brought them back.
Maybe you are right, Belgium people were the first ones to cut them up and fry them.
My mother-in-law is from Huanuco and she usually cuts them in half, turns the flat section down and cooks them with the meat. There are over 3000 varieties of tubers there.

OOOOOPS, off topic sorry