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Cape Town set to launch F1 Grand Prix 2013 bid


Rafa

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Cape Town F1 Bid Company

- Race proposed 2013

- 5.2km Street Race Circuit around Green Point Sports Precinct around Cape Town Stadium (Monaco 3.3km)

- Presentation to local and regional government complete

- Presentation to national government soon

- Presentation to Ecclestone in 2011

- Legacy benefit: motor racing sport academy, community linkages

5370497452_a5950b60fb_b.jpg5369890727_bc6cc7064d_b.jpg5370498940_6fae97b11c_z.jpg5369891669_f650e7f3c4_z.jpg

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Two points:

"Green Point is ideal for a street circuit like the one in Monaco because we have so many beautiful natural sights in the area,"

Monaco's nice as a one-off each season, as an exceptional challenge to the drivers and of course it has so much history behind it. But it makes for dull racing usually. I hope Cape Town doesn't try to ape Monaco too much - we need fewer, not more processional races.

"City and provincial government officials say the street race option was one of three bids for a Formula One race in Cape Town, South Africa's second largest city. The other two involve new tracks outside the city."

So this mightn't be the race S.A. gets anyway. Perhaps a new purpouse built circuit is a better idea if the alternative if a fake Monaco.

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Highly unlike they will get private investors for a new track, and highly unlikely the City will turn down a bid making full use of Cape Town Stadium, for both the actual race and support services for media, VIP's, spectators etc.

The circuit is longer than that of Monaco and it will require works to the roads, but this is a major focal point in the City so any investment will be long term investment.

Other factors are strong winds from the Atlantic, and residents complaining.

I'm not too optimistic because CT can be a bit risk-averse like Auckland at times, but I can't see it not getting the go-ahead if it gets government backing and Ecclestone's backing.

I'm meeting with the Communications Director of this bid soon.

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  • 1 month later...

phoca_thumb_l_circle.jpg

Christ on a bike, you wouldn't get me standing there! :o A little bit of artistic license going on there I think.

The cars going past table mountain and Greenpoint Stadium look great, though I have to say a lot of it looks very narrow.

I'm yet to be convinced another street circuit is what F1 needs, but some nice mockups there Mo, thanks for posting.

You watching the Aussie GP this weekend? Alarm set for 5AM for me. :D

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Cape-Town-F1-Circuit.jpg

Sorry, Rafa, but this race track does not work.

The highest seating capcity would be inside the Green Point Stadium where nothing interested is going to happen and where you have no visibility of the rest of the track. The fans are only going to see the cars passing by with a next to nothing chance of seeing something interesting like an overtaking.

There is a reason why race tracks have seats on the main straights and only the external part of the circuit. They tend to be concentrated in the areas where critical moments of the race are likely to happen, like overtaking, the start and the end. They also tend to provide a better view of the whole circuit.

Besides, the plan to use the structure of the stadium for the media and the structure of the GP doesn't seem feasible. The paddock must be placed alongside a big straight and behind it must be the media and the VIP area, which gives access to the pit lane. By looking at the picture above it seems to me that Bay Rd or Beach Rd would be the best choice for it.

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Sorry, Rafa, but this race track does not work.

The highest seating capcity would be inside the Green Point Stadium where nothing interested is going to happen and where you have no visibility of the rest of the track. The fans are only going to see the cars passing by with a next to nothing chance of seeing something interesting like an overtaking.

Just put some screens inside the stadium. B)

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Sorry, Rafa, but this race track does not work.

The highest seating capcity would be inside the Green Point Stadium where nothing interested is going to happen and where you have no visibility of the rest of the track. The fans are only going to see the cars passing by with a next to nothing chance of seeing something interesting like an overtaking.

There is a reason why race tracks have seats on the main straights and only the external part of the circuit. They tend to be concentrated in the areas where critical moments of the race are likely to happen, like overtaking, the start and the end. They also tend to provide a better view of the whole circuit.

Besides, the plan to use the structure of the stadium for the media and the structure of the GP doesn't seem feasible. The paddock must be placed alongside a big straight and behind it must be the media and the VIP area, which gives access to the pit lane. By looking at the picture above it seems to me that Bay Rd or Beach Rd would be the best choice for it.

All interesting and valid points as far as I can see. I'm also completely baffled by this suggestion:

The proposed 5,3-kilometre circuit starts and ends in Green Point Stadium

http://www.hondape.co.za/index.php/faq/35-latest-news/204-cape-firm-plans-green-point-f1-gp

OK, I can just about get my head around the idea of cars going through the stadium, but if they're going to start and finish there the hairpins obviously aren't going to be staying. And from a safety perspective a start/finish straight inside an enclosed space doesn't sound great when things like THIS can and do happen.

Reading autosport and other forums similar points are cropping up. Some have looked at the circuit on streetview and say a lot of the roads are backstreets not really wide enough or suitable for F1. So...lots of questions marks over this proposal I think, before we even get onto the question of whether another street circuit is desirable from a sporting perspective.

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Exactly. It's a proposal. All the road's are not ready, all the final details are not final. Where works need to be done they have already mentioned R100 milion + for roads alone but still less than a R3-4 billion new track which simply won't get the investment to get that going. There are certainly some narrow parts and some parts that need major work but many road have 2 lanes in each direction.

What it is for now is just a proposal.

As for seating, the bid team have researched this bid for some 10-12 years. Is the current concept perfect? No. But the I highly doubt that would propose something that does not fit withn FIA regulations and then go to the meeting with Bernie, only to be told exactly that.

As for the stadium, work needs to be done at the access points. While the entrance is 9m in height both when entering and exiting the stadium, I suspect parts of it will be too narrow.

http://www.stadiumcapetown.co.za/fac...s/stadium.html

Entrance: bottom left

Greenpoint-Stadium-Design-for-South-Africa-World-Cup-2010.jpg

Exit

image hosted on flickr

4191124072_84c5e8ce71.jpg

They City has also already visited both Shanghai and Singapore F1 companies, with the Singaporens recently visting Cape Town for busines exchange.

Lots and lots to iron out but eventhough this is a private bid, a lot of work is being done in terms of requirements and planning etc.

Here is the brief from the Asian visit

Singapore Grand Prix PTE Ltd.

The main purpose of the visits to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix and the Shanghai F1 Grand Prix was to gain a thorough understanding into how the City of Cape Town could respond to the numerous

proposals it had received over the last five years, requesting it to host a Formula One GP in Cape Town.

There are currently more than two proposals from interested parties, and these proposals fall into two main categories.

The first category relates to the construction of a F1 Grand Prix circuit that will require significant upfront investment and may become a catalyst for further industrial and economic development in the immediate surrounding location.

The other category of proposals relates to the

creation of a street race event on existing road infrastructure within the central city that will require relatively low upfront capital expenditure.

The Singapore Grand Prix PTE Ltd is the event organiser for the Singapore Grand Prix. The company is, in essence,

a public private partnership that is owned by the government and the private sector tourism industry.

The discussions with the management of Fl GP revealed that the City of Cape Town need to think carefully about the benefit it would like to extract from hosting the F1 Grand Prix.

There are two types

of benefit, namely Legacy and Destination Marketing.

  • Legacy refers to F1 infrastructure that can be used for many years after the event and even act as a catalyst for development (such as an Airport, Free Trade Zone, Motor Industry Clusters, etc).
  • Destination marketing refers to the showcasing of Cape Town as a leisure and business destination. It relates to a visitor·centred approach to the economic and cultural development of a location, which balances and integrates the interests of visitors and the local community.

The benefits of Destination Marketing will be realised under both categories of proposals but the Legacy benefits will not be as prevalent in a street race circuit event where the entire infrastructure is temporarily erected.

The Singapore GP is a night race on a street circuit. The entire event is constructed with temporary infrastructure and dismantled afterwards. The street circuit has been designed around the Marina Bay area and provides for spectacular images of Singapore. The benefits of Destination Marketing are clearly evident and hotels in Singapore have, as a result of the F1 GP, experienced much higher occupancies.

Singapore GP did not disclose its profits or losses to the Mayoral delegation.

Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit

The Shanghai Grand Prix circuit is located 45 minutes outside the central city of Shanghai. T

The cost to construct the Shanghai GP circuit is estimated at R1 billion.

In contrast to the Singapore GP, the immediate surrounding location of the Shanghai Circuit does not provide for good destination marketing material. The Shanghai GP was meant to be a catalyst for the surrounding area to be developed but this also did not materialise, ostensibly due to lack of private sector investment appetite.

It is also not clear whether the Shanghai Grand Prix is making losses or profits.

There are benefits of hosting an F1 GP. lt is important that the

City of Cape Town understand the full cost of obtaining the benefits under the various alternatives.

Therefore it is recommended that a comprehensive cost benefit analyses of the alternatives is undertaken. It is recommended that EMT identify and propose the administrative resources (cash for consultants and officials' time) to evaluate the cost and benefit of hosting a F1 event, including whether a street race VS. a stadium race option should be pursued __________________

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  • 3 months later...

http://capetowngrandprixsa.co.za/

F1 deal for SA - Bernie

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 3:41

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has exclusively told Eyewitness News that Cape Town is in line to host a Grand Prix within two years.

For over a decade, various reports have indicated a return to South Africa for the sport, but according to the F1 supremo, a deal is now weeks away from being signed.

Ecclestone was unable to give precise details, but the location of a proposed street circuit points toward the Waterfront and Green Point area.

The South African Grand Prix was last hosted at Kyalami in 1993. It was won by Frenchman Alain Prost.

According to Ecclestone, negotiations for its return are in the final stages.

"I'm hoping we can make a decision as soon as our lawyers have a good look at them... within the next couple of weeks," he said.

He said that it would be good to be back in South Africa as they were very happy when it was here in the past.

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F1 track may go through stadium

July 8 2011 at 12:42pm

2656644584.jpg .

FUTURE POSSIBILITY: An artists impression of the manner in which Cape Town Stadium could be used if the city hosts a Grand Prix Formula One race in 2013. The stadium is one of the options being considered. Picture: Salience

BRONWYNNE JOOSTE

Metro Writer

FORMULA One racing cars could be zooming in and out of the street-level entrances of Cape Town Stadium if the Mother City hosts a 2013 Grand Prix and uses the venue as a chicane to slow cars down on the seaside racecourse.

The inclusion of the stadium in the race is one of Cape Town Grand Prix SA’s ideas for the 2013 event, and it involves the use of the exit and entry points at street level as well as the use of the stadium’s seats so that spectators can watch the action at close quarters.

Esther Henderson, the company’s chief communications officer, explained that race cars would enter the stadium at one point, race through, and exit at another point.

“It (the track) will go through the stadium, and there are entry and exit points which are aligned with technical standards.

“There will be a chicane inside the stadium. The cars wouldn’t be going in at the highest speed. They would slow down as they go into the stadium. No major changes have to be made to the stadium.”

She said the stadium had a seating capacity of about 55 000, but with temporary seating it could accommodate more than 60 000.

However, the biggest adjustment would be lifting the pitch and laying tar in line with International Automobile Federation (FIA) standards, Henderson said. The FIA is the governing body for many racing events.

Once the three-day Formula One event ended, the tar would then be re-covered with the playing pitch, she explained.

Henderson said a similar idea had been applied to the Race of Champions, where the world’s best race car and motorcycle drivers compete in cities across the world.

In a DVD promoting the company’s bid to host the Grand Prix, it emerged that people favoured the idea of a street race over of a purpose-built race track.

The company claims that upgrading the city’s existing infrastructure to meet FIA standards would cost R670 million, compared with the R4 billion it would cost to a build a new track.

Another option, according to Henderson, was to have the racing route around the stadium. “Then the stadium itself becomes the grandstand,” she said.

There was renewed interest in the city hosting an F1 race this week, after comments from F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone on local radio. Ecclestone said Cape Town could host the glittering sports event within “two years”.

There are three bids in the pipeline: one aligned to a new track near the airport, another to a track on the West Coast, and the third in Green Point.

Cape Town Grand Prix SA has formally submitted a bid to F1 officials that is modelled on the Monaco Grand Prix, where the track is in Green Point, with Cape Town Stadium taking centre stage.

It is believed that this bid is the front-runner, given Ecclestone’s reference to a two-year time frame.

It is considered unlikely that tracks could be completed near the airport or along the West Coast in the allotted time.

Henderson said Ecclestone’s approach to the race was that the city should set an “amazing stage” and give spectators a “performance”.

“I’ve said that Cape Town is a very sexy location, it’s a gateway location… for broadcast. No matter where you position a camera, you will capture the city’s landmarks, marketing Cape Town,” she said.

The company had consulted with residents in surrounding areas, Henderson said “They are not averse to hosting an F1 race, so long as there is proper planning and consultation.”

She added that the residents could look forward to upgraded roads if the bid was successful.

And, since events would take place at weekends, the noise of revving cars would last for only about 16 hours over the racing weekend.

The company is set to meet Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula about the bid.

But councillor Beverley Schäfer – whose ward covers parts of Green Point, Mouille Point and Bantry Bay – said there had been no public consultation. Schäfer said some residents were concerned about noise and others had expressed concern about their safety before and after races.

Developing a track would cost a great deal of money, she said.

The city’s mayoral council member for tourism, Grant Pascoe, said hosting the event was in line with the city’s goal to “establish Cape Town as the events capital” of the country.

But he said the city had not yet been approached with a proposal to host the event, and could therefore not yet consider it.

“The proposal will have to go through all council processes, including public participation, to ensure that the views of the local residents are taken into consideration.

“We will also have to partner with the provincial and national governments to make this dream a reality.”

bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za

See Page 11

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