A1GP possibly coming to Ireland

TheChrisD

According to RTE, they're looking to hold an A1 race in Ireland either next season or in 2010-11. They say they're looing to hold a street race around the IFSC.

Don't get me wrong and all, but where are they expecting to put a pit lane, paddock and everything else in around there?

http://www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/2009/0517/a1gp.html

afatbollix

no chance... it would cost too much... mondello isent even good enough id say...

amacachi

I would absolutely love if this went ahead, but I can't see it happening. Think of the pissing and moaning that goes on if a road is closed for a day, so imagine that for a whole week. Would be great to see though.

afatbollix

they could do it in phinox park... build some good pits... it wouldent cost as much as to build up the IFSC...

smooch71

afatbollix wrote: »

they could do it in phinox park... build some good pits... it wouldent cost as much as to build up the IFSC...

The roads in the park would be too bumpy, a bit like Mondello!

It's do-able to have a street circuit in Dublin but they'd want to be planning now for the season after next.

riemann

LIGHTNING wrote: »

How are you making that assumption? As a Mondello employee I think its my duty to defend it. Mondello has hosted the BTCC, World Superbikes and the Euroboss series (which have cars that are quicker than A1GP cars). Its a track that is longer than some of the current Formula one tracks and it has a long history of race winners including Hakkinen and the great Senna. It is more than capable of hosting a A1GP round if you can prove otherwise feel free to let us know.

Dunno bout Mondello, never been.

As regards the city race I would say Dublin is one of the least suited cities to a street race. Just no chance that would happen.

I'd go to see a race if they came over though.

Robbo

afatbollix wrote: »

they could do it in phinox park... build some good pits... it wouldent cost as much as to build up the IFSC...

You'd have to remove a hell of a lot of trees, lamp posts and uncooked venison.

gs39t

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Mondello has hosted the BTCC, World Superbikes and the Euroboss series

And lost all of them

RTE are a bunch of muppets. The idea of an A1GP race anywhere in Ireland is laughable.

amacachi

riemann wrote: »

As regards the city race I would say Dublin is one of the least suited cities to a street race. Just no chance that would happen.

How so? Wide streets etc. aren't something that are always demanded.

zepp

With Google mpas you can have fun drawing circuits. A street circuit could be great. But the really question is where to put the pits etc.

http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/05/18/dublin-gp/

A limerick GP makes more sense. Pit straight on O'connell street
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Dublin+Rd%2FN7&daddr=Cathedral+Pl+to:Carey's+Rd+to:E20%2FLower+Mallow+St+to:52.664411,-8.628259+to:Arthur's+Quay%2FE20+to:N20%2FRuthland+St+to:Clare+St%2FN7&geocode=FbSaIwMdrqN8_w%3BFR6JIwMd3nh8_w%3BFUZ8IwMdt2F8_w%3BFXiJIwMdikp8_w%3B%3BFUCeIwMdfmB8_w%3BFa6dIwMdD2d8_w%3BFdCaIwMd0qJ8_w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=2&mrsp=4&sz=15&via=2,4,5,6&doflg=ptm&sll=52.664411,-8.623495&sspn=0.0152,0.038624&ie=UTF8&ll=52.661372,-8.629417&spn=0.015201,0.038624&t=h&z=15

riemann

amacachi wrote: »

How so? Wide streets etc. aren't something that are always demanded.

They cant just have cars racing against the walls. A couple of metres would needed each side of the track for safety fencing, crash barriers, etc along with areas for marshals.

Also there in no way this would be allowed anywhere near the city centre. Bear in mind this would cause the streets involved to be closed for at least 4 days incl thur and fri, assuming it doesn't take too long to set up. Due to the ring nature of a circuit this would also mean the streets inside would be off limits to traffic also, which would create problems for emergency services. Dublin traffic is never the most freeflowing and this would create chaos.

I just cant see it happening, if Im wrong I will happily eat my words as its something id love to see.

amacachi

riemann wrote: »

They cant just have cars racing against the walls. A couple of metres would needed each side of the track for safety fencing, crash barriers, etc along with areas for marshals.

Also there in no way this would be allowed anywhere near the city centre. Bear in mind this would cause the streets involved to be closed for at least 4 days incl thur and fri, assuming it doesn't take too long to set up. Due to the ring nature of a circuit this would also mean the streets inside would be off limits to traffic also, which would create problems for emergency services. Dublin traffic is never the most freeflowing and this would create chaos.

I just cant see it happening, if Im wrong I will happily eat my words as its something id love to see.

Those points are just as relevant on most other street tracks though and don't cause any real difficulties. I agree with you that it probably won't happen, as in my last post due to all the pissing and moaning there would be surrounding it, but I don't think there's any problem due to the streets' layout.

riemann

amacachi wrote: »

Those points are just as relevant on most other street tracks though and don't cause any real difficulties. I agree with you that it probably won't happen, as in my last post due to all the pissing and moaning there would be surrounding it, but I don't think there's any problem due to the streets' layout.

Where?

Bear in mind dublin planners love traffic islands.

steoucd

It would be a great way to promote the Competition. Especially given Adam Carroll's win this season. They're already trying to make the most of that. There's pictures of Adam at the Irish Open up on the A1 Team Ireland Facebook page and they have a competition to drive with him at Mondello on the main site. All the promotion can only be a good thing if it gets more people to support Ireland in the World Cup in Motorsport.

amacachi

riemann wrote: »

Where?

Bear in mind dublin planners love traffic islands.

<stupidly big picture>

Ever see the Macau Grand Prix? IF the will was there it would be easy enough to strip out traffic islands etc.

smooch71

LIGHTNING wrote: »

The could do a race around dublin city no problems if they wanted to. Or they could just expand the Phoenix park track that we use to race on. It wont happen though as it is much easier to have it in Mondello.

The Phoenix Park would be a fantastic setting for an event like this, with minimum traffic disruption, a beautiful setting, plenty of access roads and ready made entrance and exit gates.

But the main road is too bumpy. Surely the roads in the park would have to be resurfaced before cars as powerful as A1GP could let on it.

The current track configuration is bascially a triangle, the route the track takes would have to thought out properly

gs39t

smooch71 wrote: »

The Phoenix Park would be a fantastic setting for an event like this, with minimum traffic disruption, a beautiful setting, plenty of access roads and ready made entrance and exit gates.

But the main road is too bumpy. Surely the roads in the park would have to be resurfaced before cars as powerful as A1GP could let on it.

The current track configuration is bascially a triangle, the route the track takes would have to thought out properly

Dont forget grandstands, hospitality area and actual paved pit/paddock area. There are too many trees for any of this, hardly any decent paved areas and the park itself doesnt lend much creativity for track layout beyond super long straights with ultra tight hairpins. Location is all it has going for it.

The British F3 drivers called Mondello a 'big go-kart track'. Theres no way the track is suited to proper race cars. I dont think the area could handle the traffic either

riemann

amacachi wrote: »

Ever see the Macau Grand Prix? IF the will was there it would be easy enough to strip out traffic islands etc.

Are you comparing Macau to Dublin?

As I said I can't see it happening but if it does great. For these things to go ahead there needs to be serious motivation from both sides.

amacachi

riemann wrote: »

Are you comparing Macau to Dublin?

As I said I can't see it happening but if it does great. For these things to go ahead there needs to be serious motivation from both sides.

Just saying in Macau there are parts of the track which are ridiculously narrow, same as with most street tracks, and same as most streets in Dublin. One or two long, wide straights are all that are really needed, after that it's just a matter of ripping out traffic islands etc.

The thing is the motivation only ever comes due to money, Monaco and F1 rake in an even more obscene than usual amount during the GP weekend, and with other street tracks the cities are looking for money in/advertising. I agree that there probably wouldn't be the foresight, vision or motivation from the government which is why it would never go ahead, but it has very, very little to do with the city's terrain compared to other street tracks.

Iridium

gs39t wrote: »

The British F3 drivers called Mondello a 'big go-kart track'. Theres no way the track is suited to proper race cars. I dont think the area could handle the traffic either

I was at Mondello a couple of times for the BTCC, and loved it. It's a shame the series no longer comes to race there.

Having said that, each year I was there the races seemed to be a little bit neutered for a series that usually has so much overtaking. Did anyone watch the Donington races on Sunday? It was almost impossible to keep up with the action. Never saw that happen so much at Mondello, which I can only assume is due to the layout of the track. Plus, the grandstands would have to be significantly extended for an event as big as the A1 GP.

It would still be cool though!

enzo7

gs39t wrote: »

I dont think the area could handle the traffic either

ya that would be my worry too, havnt been in yrs but it use be a complete nightmare to get in and out off.

gs39t

Iridium wrote: »

Did anyone watch the Donington races on Sunday? It was almost impossible to keep up with the action. Never saw that happen so much at Mondello, which I can only assume is due to the layout of the track. Plus, the grandstands would have to be significantly extended for an event as big as the A1 GP.

Mondello is a stop-start track; there are no long, fast flowing sections. almost every turn is a hairpin. The layout doesnt lend for good racing. It's a club racing circuit. You dont see Oulton Park or Snetterton trying to get an A1GP race do you, and they are great race tracks.

This whole pipe dream is akin to saying "we have a football pitch, we could probably host the world cup final!"

smooch71

If you build it, they will come........

TheChrisD

While I probably shouldn't be making comparisons between video games and real life, I did race at Mondello in NFS ProStreet, and it was a great track.

Can't see why A1 couldn't possibly go there if the city isn't a viable option. Just needs a little touch-up of the paddock and pit lane. I mean, look at previous tracks such as Taupo or Eastern Creek and compare them to Mondello.