F1 to Donington Park

I am sure that I was not the only club competitor to receive the news that F1 was transferring from Silverstone to Donington Park with profound disappointment and the fervent hope that the idea be stillborn. You see, I like Donington Park the way it is. I know that the MRC only race at the venue spasmodically but when we do have a meeting there we are appreciative and the circuit is suitable for our and the spectator's needs. Many competitors were disappointed when we lost the 2008 round at Donington Park as they were looking forward to returning to this track.

A F1 car generates so much downforce that the current runoff areas at Donington Park will not suffice. A modern F1 circuit has asphalt and grass run off areas large enough to hold several international cricket matches and land a fair number of light aircraft. At most GP circuits the paying punter sees something that looks like a Scalextric set. They need binoculars to identify their heroes. To assist viewing, some F1 circuits have giant TV screens which enables spectators to have the complete home viewing experience with the chance of developing heat stroke, frostbite or trench foot depending on the prevailing weather. Judging by the large number of empty seats in the stands at the recent German GP many spectators seem to have decided to do without the trackside experience and stay at home with the TV. And why not? In the twenty first century this is the audience that F1 is set up for.

But is a circuit designed to satisfy the needs of a global television audience the most suitable venue for club racing? The answer may be yes. Asphalt run off areas permit the club competitor whose ambition exceeds his or her skill to continue after making a mistake. I have good memories of the run off at Raidillon at Spa, this is the corner after Eau Rouge, the corner where you used to have your accident after getting the line through Eau Rouge wrong. In the recent past you either ran into the gravel trap or spun into the armco, now there is no great need to correct the line, you just run across the white line and traverse some slightly rough tarmac. It is a similar experience to using the conventional line at Sear. As I crossed the white line at Raidillon I was initially relieved and then perversely disappointed because a large error no longer carried a significant penalty. All but the first two F1 drivers in the recent British GP had off circuit excursions and the nature of the off track area meant that many of these excursions did not even register on their lap times. It is a case of something gained (fewer retirements), something lost (the challenge being devalued).

However it may never happen. To some of us Donington Park looks an unsuitable track for conversion into a 21st century F1 facility and the current scenario could be a rerun of the later days of Nicola Foulson at Brand Hatch Leisure. According to the money men and in this case money women, Silverstone had lost the British GP to Brands Hatch. I seem to remember that the deal was said to have BE's approval. Those of us who drove at Brands and studied its crumbling facilities could not see it. The investment required was monumental and never happened., Silverstone retained the GP and facilities at Brands Hatch only started to improve when Jonathan Palmer's MSV consortium took it over.

As Monaco proves, F1 drivers are perfectly capable of using a track with minimal run off areas and will race on such a track if it is sufficiently historic. Donington Park certainly qualifies as a historic track as the British GP was held there more than seventy years ago. So Donington Park: a circuit with history and character. To maintain the character and increase the challenge it just needs to restore some of the original features. Cars used to race through an opened five bar farm gate, a feature surely worth reintroducing as Donington is refurbished! And while they are at it they could reinstate the missing arches of Starkeys Bridge.

Our next two meetings will be at two excellent club circuits, Oulton Park and Cadwell Park. Excessive runoff areas will not be in evidence, these being circuits where staying on the black stuff is preferable to the alternative. Those of us that are old enough can remember when Oulton was a F1 circuit but it did not compete for the British GP and thus has retained its charm. One fears that whatever charm Donington Park has is about to disappear.

After watching the television coverage of the German GP the thought occurs that F1 may represent the pinnacle of motor sport but we should not be aspiring to its values. When the commentator announces that Lewis will have to overtake his competitors on the track and Ron Dennis apologises to his driver for contributing to the situation where overtaking has to take place on track one sees that the goalposts have changed. These exchanges enable old fogies like myself to reminisce about the good old days when overtaking on the track was the objective. Perhaps the root of cause of F1’s problem is the introduction of pit stops that have turned races into a version of high speed chess, MotoGP has no pit stops and considerable overtaking action.

Pit stops, in many cases unnecessary pit stops have become a fashion in motor sport, fortunately, I don’t anticipate it reaching club single seaters and we can anticipate that the final race order will be determined by action on the track rather than in the pits.

Patrick Huston

Getting Eau Rouge right (S. Whippet, 2006) ....

...and wrong (J Villeneuve, 1999)

Opposite lock in an Auto Union at Donington by the great Rosemeyer, 1937

Another great at Donington who didn't seem to mind the design. Senna in 1993 passes Prost.

Schuey "crashes" at Monaco.