04/07/2012
FEATURE BY MIKE LAWRENCE
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Bernie's announcement that he was prepared to fund a street race in central London took most of us by surprise. The fact is the Bernie has a broad sentimental streak and apart from a few years in Suffolk when he was young, he has spent more than seventy years in London. He survived the Blitz and if you didn't you have no idea what that means, me ole cock sparrer.
He has a house in Switzerland, but he resides in London and pays British taxes. He has old friends in London, people he knew from the time before the rest of us had heard of him. He is now 81 and, believe me, there comes a time when you no longer think you may be immortal. My guess is that he is thinking about a legacy.
Bernie has a vast collection of Grand Prix cars, most stored in an aircraft hangar at Biggin Hill (I am told there are cars on stands three deep) with some in Gstaad, Switzerland. He has not bought these as investments. Open-wheeled racing cars do not appreciate at the same rate as a select few sports racing and GT cars. Over the past few years he has sold a number of desirable cars, but none of them have been single-seaters.
It is fair to assume that there will be a Bernie Ecclestone Grand Prix Museum as a lasting memorial. A London Grand Prix could be another. That great driver, Louis Chiron, is now best remembered as the instigator of a race in his native Monaco. He was aged 55 and 292 days when he finished sixth in the 1955 Monaco GP. Chiron's glittering career as a driver has been overshadowed by the race.
The idea of a London GP has been kicked around for as long as I can remember, but the proposed venue used to be Hyde Park, which is about the same size as Monaco. In 1968, the late Nick Britten tried to drum up interest. He bought a Lotus T51 Formula Ford 1600 car, added lights and mudguards, and covered it with floral decals (it was the time of Flower Power. Peace, man.)
It was a good idea back then, and it is still a good idea. Hyde Park has hosted large-scale concerts.
More recently there has been a proposal to exploit the improved infrastructure of East London, plus the Olympic Stadium, to run a race. I do not think that this has been taken seriously.
On the other hand, Bernie does not think out loud, when he makes a public suggestion, it is never idle speculation. Not only has a proposed layout been released, but it shows gearchanges. A lot of thought has gone into this suggestion. Jenson and Lewis have been hard at work on a simulator in order to finalise the circuit.
It is a very appealing idea. Monaco is special because it is always interesting to see racing cars in a different context, which is why Formula One demonstrations in cities (which have included London) have attracted large crowds. Monte Carlo itself, however, is not very interesting.
When you see coverage of Monaco, you see visiting yachts, which can anchor anywhere. There is the Casino, of course, but you only need money to get in. It is merely a gambling joint with evening dress.
Monaco achieved its position on the Riviera because of the Grand Prix. Deauville, Biarritz, Cannes and Nice were equally swanky and all have better beaches. Most also have casinos.
They are not all black tie and roulette, most operate slot machines and everyone is welcome to hand over their cash.
Of all the world's great cities, I'd fantasise about a race only in London and Rome. New York and Paris are laid out on a grid system and even Tilke would draw a line at having only ninety-degree corners.
Of London and Rome, London wins on the number of iconic landmarks the proposed route takes in. We have all formed impressions of most major cities from movies and TV coverage. If the scene in a movie switches to Paris, you get the Eiffel Tower and a bloody annoying accordion. With Rome you have the Colosseum while Amsterdam is represented by a canal and New York by the skyline. Almost every yard of the proposed London circuit is familiar.
Of course there are huge logistical problems. For a start, 800 manhole covers would have to be replaced. Parking, however, Could be resolved by using St. James's Park and there is an extensive underground train system, the tube.
I am not certain about the small print of feasibility. When Birmingham wanted a road race (the Superprix of 1986-90) it required an Act of Parliament. London now has an elected mayor, who is not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London, an honorary position.
Most of what many people perceive as London is actually the City of Westminster. The City of London, the financial area. is a square mile to the East and it maintains ancient rights and privileges. The Queen may not enter without permission. Freemen of the City are allowed to drive their geese across London Bridge.
The elected mayor of the whole conurbation is Boris Johnson, who is a bit of a scamp. He is the first British politician to ride out accusations of being a philanderer. He is also something of an eccentric, and that appeals to the English. Despite denials, there are few who do not believe that he does not want to be Prime Minister. A London GP could assist him.
Rest assured, Bernie would not have made his suggestion had not the Mayor been on board.
A race would not interrupt the main purpose of London, which is to do clever things with cash. That area is in the City of London. A spokesperson for the scheme has said it would take five days to put up a circuit, grandstands and all, and three days to take it down.
If you have ever seen a rock concert, you will know that is possible. I live close to the two Goodwood events, I see it every year.
Of course there will be objections, there always are. Surface to air missiles are being deployed around the Olympic site and there have been protests. I am sure that the protesters do not want there to be lax security, they just do not want to be involved. They somehow think that they will become targets whereas they will probably be safer than anyone.
Along the proposed London route there are few domestic residences, almost the whole route is lined with public buildings with some shops, theatres and hotels. Some people have already talked about disturbing the Queen. In fact Her Majesty spends the summer in Scotland.
I know that the Queen, Prince Philip, William and Harry have all driven the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Princess Anne and Prince Charles have both driven Silverstone. Anne's excursion, in a Williams, is well-known, Charles's was kept secret. I have seen film footage of Charles at Silverstone with Graham Hill, with the Prince of Wales wearing Graham's overalls. Since there was Embassy Racing on the back, this puts it around 1973.
Much will depend on how much the Olympic Games disrupts life and how much London benefits economically from holding the Games. It is difficult to see how London cannot fail to benefit from the Olympics, visitors spend money.
Shopkeepers in my small city complain that their takings are down when the Goodwood events are on, hoteliers and restaurants have no such complaint. The shopkeepers anyway miss a central point. Goodwood employs hundreds of young people to man the car parks, sell programmes, wait on tables and all the rest. They spend their extra cash after the events.
Bernie's proposal is inspired and it has not been made off the top of his head. A proper feasibility study has been done and Bernie must have spoken to decision-makers.
Forget Tilke's Scalextric tracks, a race through central London is the ultimate Formula One fantasy and Bernie is prepared to put up the money.
Mike Lawrence
mike.lawrence@pitpass.com
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