Grand Prix 2017 British Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

We can only hope that Silverstone is closer in the action to Baku than to Austria, which is probably in the running for one of the dullest races this year.
The weather may well come to the rescue at Silverstone, it is often, windy, wet and frequently cold. It's also very flat and used to be very fast until the powers that be decided that fast wasn't really what F1 is about. So starting at Woodcote in 1975 started to make changes to slow the track down. In 1990-91 the tracks transformation from super fast to technical was pretty much complete, although they still tinker and tweak it from time to time. Now they may well be taking a break from 2019 until .....? But we shall know by the time the race is run next week-end.
They say that they can't afford to host the race anymore, and when you look at the other races round the world many are government backed, or at least backed by very rich oil countries, it becomes obvious that to keep pace is not easy, Silverstone does not get Government backing. Who does?
There is a suggestion that Liberty Media buy Silverstone, but that is only a suggestion. There is also a suggestion that the British GP should be run around the Docklands area of London, that might be fun. But it should all be clear soon.
As to the racing this weekend, well if it's wet, the driving conditions will be trickier, which is always good. If it's dry it could well be another Austria. Whatever the conditions, it will favour the Mercedes and the Ferrari, well the Ferrari driven by Vettel anyway, if Raikkonen can be bothered it would favour his Ferrari as well. Hamilton needs a win and I'm sure he would be happy if Vettel's car stuttered to a halt mid race. Meanwhile Bottas just goes quietly about the business of being Bottas and collecting a useful hoard of points.
The Red Bulls are getting better, but it would be brilliant if Max Verstappens car held together for a race. Danni R is doing a good job of point collecting, but two Red Bulls stealing points would be better for the championship. The rest of the field are all very close, and that includes the Williams which I was hoping would be closer to the top teams than the mid field this year, but Lance Stroll is developing which can only be a good thing.
As for McLaren, well what can you say ?
For those of you going to Silverstone I hope it's a fabulous race weekend, for those of you camping at Silverstone I hope the rain holds off.
But for the sake of an interesting race, I hope we get lots of "showers" on Sunday afternoon.
 
I Don't see an issue with the track, pitlane or logistics (hello east Midlands airport) for Donnnnnington if I'm honest. It's not exactly plush for the motorhomes, press or fans but they'd have to rough it.

Donnnnnnningtons actual problem is they Wouldn't be able to afford to host it. They've tried and it nearly ruined them. It's actually a better track than Silverstone I reckon.

Silverstone will just renegotiated because Liberty Media won't want to lose them. Then Monza, Spa and all the other tracks that the press would make a fuss at if we didn't race at (not Baku) will do the same thing. Then Liberty Media will cry as they still have to cover the money paid out in advance to shareholders by Bernie. Then Bernie will laugh until his head falls off. No one will mourn.
 
GP attendance figures are totally inconsequential here. Spectator revenue isn't even a drop in the ocean compared to TV-related exposure.
That was already the case in the eighties before the digital age, never mind now...
 
At the end of their deal fee cost is 24 million. At 120,000 spectators alone that is covered by £200 each. Once revenue from parking, camping, burger vans, helicopters, media, TV etc is taken into account Silverstone should be raking it in.

The numbers don't add up.
 
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Trackside advertising was all going into FOM's pockets though. You're also not taking into account the day-to-day running costs, maintenance, utilities, staff costs, licences (music, alcohol, etc.), paddock club fees - I can imagine the list is enormous. At the end of the day, a business has to make a profit to survive. Upping the ticket prices is not the solution, as eventually you will reach a point where sufficient people simply will not pay/be able to afford to attend.
 
I heard an interview with the bloke who runs the BRDC who muttered something about losing over £7 million on the last two races. What he didn't mention was that they make money elsewhere. There are no newer accounts than for 2015 where they made a loss for the year of £214,000. However, if you exclude exceptional items and depreciation they turned a profit of just under £3.2 million.

Suffice to say the BRDC is not "on it's uppers". If you're sad enough to want to look at these yourself here's the link: BRITISH RACING DRIVERS CLUB LIMITED(THE) - Filing history (free information from Companies House)
 
GP attendance figures are totally inconsequential here. Spectator revenue isn't even a drop in the ocean compared to TV-related exposure.
That was already the case in the eighties before the digital age, never mind now...

I didnt think that the circuit get any of the TV revenue? I thought that was all part of the commercial rights holder income, along with advertising?
 
You're right The Pits, the circuits get nothing other than the gate receipts, programme sales and from the concessions at the circuit. FOM take all the TV money, they also arrange all the track side sponsorship hence why you can barely tell one circuit from another these days. Just to show you the levels this goes to when I went to the British GP in 2003 one of the ice cream vans had had to put a cover over the Walls logo on the side as, presumably, this wasn't the "official ice cream partner" of F1 and might have been seen on the TV :o
 
I didnt think that the circuit get any of the TV revenue? I thought that was all part of the commercial rights holder income, along with advertising?

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that's what I meant. When it comes to which GP's to include in the calendar spectator revenue is just about tyhe last thing on the agenda. That's not where the big money is, otherwise we wouldn't be hosting GP's every year in countries with tracks where we see mostly empty grandstands.
 
Agreed, however, if the circuit is to make money, the spectator revenue is the only place they are going to get it, so very consequential to the hosts. If Silverstone are making a loss on the event, I cannot see how any circuit could make a profit. FOM make a fortune, as they get money from the hosts, TV rights and advertising, leaving all the risk to the circuit themselves.
 
Out of the revenue of £200/person there is VAT to pay, wages to pay, the camping and food vans may well create income but again VAT is to be paid, you need an air traffic control staff for the helicopters and light aircraft and that ain't cheap. TV and advertising revenue goes to Formula One not the circuit. Yes there is something wrong, the F1circus takes the lions share of the cash and pays out to some teams on an unfavourable points table. Remember Bernie became a multi billionaire out of F1 and half the European GP circuits are in trouble, surely that tends/person to indicate that hosting an F1GP is a loss maker without government money,
 
I'd forgotten about the "airport". If I remember rightly it is the second busiest airport in the UK, after Heathrow, at Grand Prix weekend. These are the landing fees.

Terms And Conditions

I do agree that the pendulum has swung too far from the 60's/early 70's where the teams used to have to pay the circuits to race to know where the circuit owners have to stump up multi-million dollars for the pleasure of hosting a race with little chance of turning a profit.

I wonder if the circuit makes money from The Paddock Club tickets and VIP passes? It's between $4,000 and $5,000 to join this exclusive area at Silverstone.

https://www.grandprixevents.com/f1-paddock-club/formula-one-paddock-club-prices
 
The balance of income generated by a race and dispersal of said income is wrong. BE has always made sure that a very large part of it made its way into his bank account, and into FOM's, it keeps them on side after all. But someone has to make a stand. I don't think Silverstone is being unreasonable in making the point that if FOM want to run races, they have to stop screwing the circuits that run those races.
 
So Ferrari were off the pace in FP1 but wasn't that the same in Austria? Makes you wonder if it takes a little longer for them to "dial their car in" for each race weekend.
 
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