Alonso will join McLaren in 2007

[JFreak]

Actually, it's a little more complicated than that; agreed, should the GP move around, it in theory should increase competition between candidates and therefore make the whole experience better over time. That's idealistic, though -- remember, we're talking about multiple millions and only one event a year. So... The only way to be able to make investments is keeping the GP in one place for several years in a row.

That said, i'd be happy to see Hockenheim dropped now that it has been cannibalised. It's not unique anymore. The same can said about Nürburgring, though -- it was cannibalised so long ago not many remember the original ring.

My short list of keepers are Spa, Silverstone, Monaco and Monza. Others that I would hate to see dropped are Suzuka, Interlagos and Imola. But what can we do, it's a lot to do with politics...

(but still, to repeat myself: it's too much having two german GP's...)

 

[iGav]

While I do agree with the potential removal of the European race, I think if it continues on the calendar, it should change every year. I do apologise for drifting off topic though.

Now I might be wrong on this, but I seem to recall reading that that was the original idea behind the European GP, remember the first one in '93 was at Donnington. Personally I'd scrap the European GP, there's no need for it when there's other countries wanting to host, lets just hope that these countries have the vision to hire someone a little more inspired than Hermann Tilke though.

I'm up for Brands Hatch being on the calendar, it's one of my "local" tracks for marshalling at.

It'd need soooooooooo much work, widening especially as it's such a narrow circuit, but they'd need to do something with the GP circuit as it's so dull and lacking in any real challenges for the drivers.

That's not a bad idea. Bring back Jerez, Estoril (if possible), and Brands Hatch, and probably a few others too.

Estoril definitely... not Jerez though... it's almost as dull as Brands, instead I'd have liked to have seen Barcelona replaced by Jarama.

That said, i'd be happy to see Hockenheim dropped now that it has been cannibalised. It's not unique anymore. The same can said about Nürburgring, though -- it was cannibalised so long ago not many remember the original ring.

What they did with Hockenheim was terrible wasn't it (even if the races were usually less than spectaculer) though that said I don't think the modern Hockenheim is as bad as some circuits on the calendar, and is a massive improvment on many, it's just that it's not Hockenheim is it.

They butchered Silverstone in much the same way in '91 which at the time was quite possibly the fastest track on the calender, even more so than Hockenheim or Monza. It lost it's soul after that.

A similar tragedy occurred to the Osterreichring (now the A1 circuit)

My short list of keepers are Spa, Silverstone, Monaco and Monza. Others that I would hate to see dropped are Suzuka, Interlagos and Imola. But what can we do, it's a lot to do with politics...

Keepers for me are Suzuka, Spa, Monaco and Monza... and Imola if they'd just restore the Tamburello.

Personally I'd like to see Rio switched with Interlagos, and the return of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (with the awesome Peraltada) for a Mexican GP.

I'd also be tempted to swap Melbourne for Adelaide (or to really throw F1 a curve how about Mount Panorama??? ) and Magny-Cours for Paul Ricard.

 

[SpookTheHamster]

Long Post

Have you ever actually been to Brands? Drivers/riders in many sports love circuits like this, they're much more fun and challenging than a flat circuit like Silverstone. I was at the opening round of A1GP at Brands and the racing was excellent. It proved that the circuit doesn't need "soooooooo" much work. The track itself has already reached the point where it needs no more work to be able to host F1, but the facilities and financial backing are too poor for it to be able to get onto the calendar.

I don't mind if F1 never goes to Brands, but the sport should stop simply following the money around. Nobody likes circuits like Bahrain or Shanghai. The track layouts aren't fun to drive or easy to watch. I would like to see another street circuit on the calendar, Macau would be good.

Laguna Seca could be interesting, if a little dangerous.

 

[iGav]

Have you ever actually been to Brands?

Yep... many a time, a lot actually back in the '80's because I used to love watching Rally Cross (the only place to catch the Group B's after '86 ) which used to take in the circuit from Brabham Straight, cutting off into the infield just before Paddock, exiting at the bottom of Hailwood taking Druids and sweeping back off road before Graham Hill, rejoining the circuit at Surtees for a reverse run up Cooper Straight and then cutting through back on to Brabham... insane stuff watching the 6R4's, RS 200's and T16's

Drivers/riders in many sports love circuits like this, they're much more fun and challenging than a flat circuit like Silverstone.

I've never driven it myself, I'm sure it's fun... but I've many friends that have and they all rank Silverstone as a more challenging circuit... if not as flowing... though I have driven Cadwell Park and they also say it is better than both.

was at the opening round of A1GP at Brands and the racing was excellent. It proved that the circuit doesn't need "soooooooo" much work.

But A1GP isn't F1... and that's the problem.

The track itself has already reached the point where it needs no more work to be able to host F1, but the facilities and financial backing are too poor for it to be able to get onto the calendar.

The track itself (particularly the GP Circuit) is very narrow in comparison to modern tracks, and such is the difficulty of overtaking in F1 already, a narrow track is just going to exasperate the problem further, and the lack of decent run off's I could well imagine would be a cause for concern for F1... I'd also lay money on them having to stick a chicane somewhere between Clearways and Clark to slow the cars down also... and that'd be a shame.

Nobody likes circuits like Bahrain or Shanghai. The track layouts aren't fun to drive or easy to watch.

They lack something don't they... maybe it's history? pedigree? maybe just plain soul.

I was excited to see how Shanghai turned out, as the layout and THAT back straight looked like it was going to promote some serious overtaking... but it's been a bit of a disappointment that's for sure.

I think the main issue is that these new circuits are pretty much interchangable, sterile... lacking in uniqueness, where as older circuits seem to be more defined and shaped by the environment that they were built in, the natural amphitheater of Brands, Imola and Spa or the hills and woodlands of the Nürburgring, of course these were constructed before the days of such sophisticated earth moving machinary as we have today that can literally move mountains.

The only real successful modern F1 circuit I can think of is Turkey (which I recall being rather impressed by at the time) and that's largely due to the fact that it is shaped by the undulations of it's environment, that and the already legendary Turn 8 of course.

 

[iGav]

That said, i'd be happy to see Hockenheim dropped now that it has been cannibalised. It's not unique anymore. The same can said about Nürburgring, though -- it was cannibalised so long ago not many remember the original ring.

Actually that reminds me... you wouldn't think it, but Spa has been cannibalised from it's original form, which was second only to the might 'Ring.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I think the main issue is that these new circuits are pretty much interchangable, sterile... lacking in uniqueness, where as older circuits seem to be more defined and shaped by the environment that they were built in, the natural amphitheater of Brands, Imola and Spa or the hills and woodlands of the Nürburgring, of course these were constructed before the days of such sophisticated earth moving machinary as we have today that can literally move mountains.

I felt like Bahrain was a circuit that was designed without regards to actual racing - everything else is top notch.

So anyway, how many of you think Alonso and Raikkonen are actually going to be teammates? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and Kimi to make his big '07 switch to Ferrari.

 

[Counterfit]

Actually that reminds me... you wouldn't think it, but Spa has been cannibalised from it's original form, which was second only to the might 'Ring.

Well, it was really long back in the day.

 

[iGav]

So anyway, how many of you think Alonso and Raikkonen are actually going to be teammates? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and Kimi to make his big '07 switch to Ferrari.

A lot depends on what Schumacher decides, Ron has been quite scathing of both Kimi and Montoya judging by his recent comments... surprising considering Kimi is his blue eye'd boy and all, makes me wonder whether there is actually something in the rumours that he's signed some sort of pre-nupt with Ferrari.

Alonso and Kimi would be an incredibly strong pairing, if mainly because it seems they have similar preferences for car set-up, e.g. understeer and that then allows the teams to push in other area's... as well as having 2 competitive cars, if we consider Montoya's comments this season, then his performance has been somewhat affected by a car that was essentially designed for Kimi's style.

Personally I don't think Kimi will be at McLaren in '07 and I think that McLaren will drop down the order after the '06 season, when the full effect of Newey's departure (and possibly other key staff) will be felt during the development of the '07 car.

But as I said at the beginning... a lot depends on what Schumacher decides.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

But as I said at the beginning... a lot depends on what Schumacher decides.

He really is the keystone of the whole thing, isn't he? As long as he keeps driving at the level he does he will be a hot commodity, but there seems to be no reason for him to leave Ferrari before he retires, unless Scuderia really has a decline to the point where they keep repeating last season's fortunes.

Obviously if he retires that creates all sorts of opportunities, but he seems fit and at the top of his game so unless he loses motivation it seems he's going to be driving for awhile, with Ferrari.