“PeterG” Won’t Like this!
(NOTE: For those unaware
PeterG is a frequent commenter around these parts with a demonstrated dislike for Hermann Tilke and his circuit designs)
A planned $650 million formula one-style circuit near Australia’s famous Gold Coast could pose a real challenge to the status of the current GP in Melbourne.
Local media sources say the proposed 6km track at Nowell, to be penned by renowned F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke subject to a government land planning review, would be equipped with infrastructure for night racing; a concept being championed for the region by the sport’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The news of Queensland’s possible bid for the Australian GP comes after a sustained period of criticism about the cost of the Melbourne race within the rival state of Victoria.
“If Mr Ecclestone decides that Queensland is a better place to host a formula one race, then that’s where it will go,” Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker told the Herald Sun newspaper.
The Gold Coast project is being headed by Ron Brown, who intends the site to also host Australia’s round of the World Rally championship next year.
He said: “We are not about stealing events from people, but if the grand prix people want to talk then we would welcome that.”
P.S. Peter, don’t let the fact you have been “featured” in this post lead to any cranial swelling. Just stay calm, have some Vegemite and catch another wave. Please!
Gold Coast, Australia, F1, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle
Peterg LOVES the idea, firstly Albert Park Melbourne is a pretty average track & event, nowhere near as good as that road course disguised as a streetcircuit, Adelaide, South Australia
Being based in Sydney I have to fly to any F1 event,so whether it’s Victoria or Queensland I don’t mind.My gut feeling is that if this goes ahead (funding?) it will be a fantastic, modern purpose built facility.The Queensland Govt & promoters have done a outstanding job each year with the Surfers Paradise round of Champcars, one of the best attended races of that series, so a F1 GP would be of even greater magnitude.
I’m a little skeptical about $650Mil as a proposed cost, that’s the sort of coin Istanbul, Shanghai, Sepang & Bahrain threw at their facilities, however they received huge govt funding. The state of Queensland can’t possibly commit to that kind of expenditure & I doubt a promoter could recoup the investment.
As for Mr Tilke, his love of constant radius corners drive me nuts. I like many aspects of his creations, but I’m amazed that when given a clean sheet from which to start, he can produce tracks that don’t lend themselves to “racing & overtaking”. A straight leading into a hairpin should be mandatory, also some changes in undulation instead of the billard table flat layouts he prefers. If Greg Norman can make a career out of designing golf courses I see no reason as to why a Hakkinen or Schumacher etc, cant be employed to advise on corner layouts & cambers.
Sorry Marc, Peterg will like this, a F1 GP in the Queensland sun & chance to surf on the Gold Coast for the weekend….i’m in!
My remarks on any possible dislike was directed to Tilke being involved in the project.
And as expected someone is always around to toss some cold water on a race track project:
The head of Queensland’s government has poured cold water on reports that a proposed $530 million floodlit race circuit could steal the Australian grand prix from Melbourne.
Premier Peter Beattie told the Brisbane Times that planning permission for the land, which is currently used for farming, has not yet been given.
The newspaper also said Beattie has “no interest” in helping the private project to woo formula one.
“This is quality agricultural land,” he said, “(and) we’ve got to be careful what we do with it,” he was quoted as saying.
Beattie also suggested that the story had been given to the media in a bid to force the government to give planning approval in an environmentally sensitive area.