Could London host an F1 race ? Would you want it to ?

[Easy 10]

So after yesterdays Grand Prix parade in central London, the question has been floated - could we have a London Grand Prix ?

The news last night carried an interesting proposal for a potential route, with the Mall acting as the start/finish straight, with the cars turning right at Buckingham Palace, going up Park Lane and then along Oxford Street, down Regents Street, around Piccadilly Circus, then down Charing Cross Road and back to the Mall via Trafalgar Square.

Not very straightforward to organise I grant you, as it would mean shutting down various parts of Central London for certain periods of time probably months in advance to start the preparations for the circuit, spectators, pits, garages etc. Then the race weekend itself would see the area completely shut down for the practice/qualifying/race etc (although perhaps it could be held over Easter bank holiday to minimise the impact). Everyone will probably come up with a thousand and one reasons why it would be absolutely impossible, but I reckon where theres a will theres a way. If enough people wanted it to happen then no problem is insurmountable. London is obviously a completely different kettle of fish to Monaco, which is effectively a small provincial seaside town (hmmm...familiar...), but other cities in the world have managed to host street circuits, so why not London ?

I'm not a huge F1 fan, I only really have a passing interest, but I would LOVE to see a London Grand Prix - I reckon it would be WELL COOL.

 

[Marc]

i think it'll be amazing and certainly the new Monaco of the F1 circuit. Like in those crappy arcade racing games where you race through famous cities this would actually be doing that around the sites of central London, marvelous stuff!

 

[SK1NT]

I'm not a huge F1 fan, I only really have a passing interest, but I would LOVE to see a London Grand Prix - I reckon it would be WELL COOL.

same here, does sound awsome! but cant see it happening, maybe as one off occasions! like u said the preperations would cause central london to be shut down! how would people get to work etc mental idea, awsome if it comes off! Just the rich like berny eckleston getting bored!

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'm with you, Easy.

It's time people in this country stopped thinking so much and took the plunge every now and again. Seeing F1 cars ZOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM past old Bucky Palace would be top notch. Let's not think about the impact in a negative way like we do everything else but instead be positive about it.

 

[n1 gull]

It would be brilliant. I hate it when people are negative about new ideas.
The media are bleating on about the disruption, but everyone I know who also live in London love the idea.
It would be a right laugh. Who care if a few roads are shut down for a week or so. Bring it on.

 

[beorhthelm]

At first i thought id be a good idea. it occured to me the main problem would be getting all the businesses round Oxford street and regents street to shut up shop for the race - and that aint going to happen. Then i thought east london/city/docklands would be a much better idea. probably be able to establish a permanent paddock somwhere, and its dead at the weekend... but then i realised that qualification starts on Friday, and there's practice on thursday. so there'd be 4 days where a part of London would be effectivly shut down.

It not that its impossible, but it just aint ever going to happen.

 

[Easy 10]

Chappers and n 1 gull are so right.
With any exciting new proposal, whether it be a new stadium or an F1 circuit, loads of people always throw their hands in the air and start moaning about disruption etc and focus on all the negatives, and lose sight of all the positives it would bring as well.

If we want to be seen as a forward-thinking, "happening" country, an F1 street circuit is exactly the kind of thing to show off to the whole world. Personally, I'd rather we got an annual London Grand Prix than the 2012 Olympics.

 

[Mr Popkins]

why fuckin london?!!! I hate the place!!

there are other major cities in britain, what about ,Liverpool , they would have no probs getting pit crew , some scoucers can have tyres off cars in 5 seconds flat!!!!

 

[Faldo]

I tried to go along to the f1 thing last night - couldnt even get close! The roads are simply too narrow! There wasnt enough room for the spectators last night with the "track" one car wide. Admittedly if it were to be done, stands could be put up in the mall, etc it could work. But the Regent street area just couldnt cope. People were getting crushed. There was no way for help to get to people. Pissheads swinging from scaffolding to get a better look - while I'm sure they had a great time, it was an accident waiting to happen!

Also, watching Mansell on the main screen - every time he touched the throttle on one of the manhole covers, the back would skip out as he lost traction... With all those metal covers about, breaking from 150mph+ would be a nightmare.

A great idea, which is feasible given proper consideration and funding, but unlikely.

 

[beorhthelm]

there might be a few problems with all the trafic light islands etc too.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I tried to go along to the f1 thing last night - couldnt even get close! The roads are simply too narrow! There wasnt enough room for the spectators last night with the "track" one car wide. Admittedly if it were to be done, stands could be put up in the mall, etc it could work. But the Regent street area just couldnt cope. People were getting crushed. There was no way for help to get to people. Pissheads swinging from scaffolding to get a better look - while I'm sure they had a great time, it was an accident waiting to happen!

Also, watching Mansell on the main screen - every time he touched the throttle on one of the manhole covers, the back would skip out as he lost traction... With all those metal covers about, breaking from 150mph+ would be a nightmare.

A great idea, which is feasible given proper consideration and funding, but unlikely.

What you are forgetting is that no preperation has been done for it yet. I'm sure they could organise it properly. Monaco had a few problems before they started the street circuit there, I'm sure.

It's a GREAT idea, f***ing FUDDY DUDDY STAGNANT STUCK IN THE PAST HOLD ON TO WHAT WE'VE GOT GLASS IS HALF EMPTY COUNTRY.



Let's push things forward.

 

[Easy 10]

The roads are simply too narrow! There wasnt enough room for the spectators last night with the "track" one car wide. Admittedly if it were to be done, stands could be put up in the mall, etc it could work. But the Regent street area just couldnt cope. People were getting crushed.

True, but like any street circuit, there are areas where you can have grandstands, and areas that you can't. I'd have thought the length of the Mall could host grandstands either side, maybe St James Park and Green Park, outside Buckingham Palace, around Trafalgar Square...it could be done. The narrower sections would be more limited spectator-wise, and there would be some no-go areas where there simply wouldn't be the room, but no circuit has spectators EVERYWHERE.

 

[Faldo]

Fair point - there are places to put spectators - and if the route was well thought out, it could be done in a part of london that wouldnt effect businesses. Maybe run the course through predominantly tourist areas, out of the tourist season.

The potential is amazing, but last night showed to me just how difficult it would be.

Also, the business locally wont agree to it. I doubt any of them have insurance premiums covering an impromptu visit to the shop floor by a speeding Minardi (should such a thing exist).

Basically, I think its a nice idea, but won't ever happen.

 

[n1 gull]

Bloody hell Monaco have a tunnel and they still race through that. I'm sure a few manhole covers and traffic islands can be removed, its not next week but about 3 years away.

 

[Gwylan]

why fuckin london?!!! I hate the place!!

there are other major cities in britain,

Quite. Why does everything have to be based around London? Biirmingham would be a good choice, there are plenty of major roads going through the city.

 

[bhafc99]

Or Brighton!

 

[bhafc99]

Would have loved to have gone last night, and working just 2 minutes from Oxford St/Regent St intersection fully intended to. Buit it was totally impossible. They reckon half a million people came, of whom probably 15% got to see something. After 30 mins of crowded and at times frightening chaos I had to give up any hope of getting anywhere near the thing.

 

[beorhthelm]

Fair point - there are places to put spectators - and if the route was well thought out, it could be done in a part of london that wouldnt effect businesses. Maybe run the course through predominantly tourist areas, out of the tourist season.

thats rather my point eariler - theres no such part of London that can be shut down for 4 days. There's no 'tourist' area, everyhting in the west end is mixed together, shops, theatres, museums etc. The City or Docklands could work well, but only for a two day event.

 

[goldstone]

F1 is absolute crap so even if London could host it, the answer is a great big NO.

Anyway stopping at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings and avoiding the bus lanes and one-way streets would surely present an insurmountable problem ....

 

[Easy 10]

Quite. Why does everything have to be based around London? Biirmingham would be a good choice, there are plenty of major roads going through the city.

Because it is a SHOWCASE event.
The sheer thrill of seeing F1 cars racing around some of the most famous landmarks in the world would be tremendous. A tight turn around Nelsons Column, flashing past Buckingham Palace at 180mph, maybe a nifty chicane around the statue of Eros, fantastic.

What the hell would they do in Birmingham ? A spectacular hairpin near junction 2 of the M6 ? A start/finish line outside the Delhi Tandoori ? Maybe a double-apex bend around the benefits office ? Come on.