The circuit that never was - Circuit of Wales
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- In 2015, MotoGP was meant to relocate from Silverstone to a new purpose built track, that would be located in Wales as opposed to England. The circuit would be known as the Circuit of Wales, and it would end up being one of the biggest failures in UK Motorsport history. In this video, I go through the backstory of this circuit, and why it ended up falling through.
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I was really disappointed when the Circuit of Wales fell through, not just because I'm Welsh, love racing and especially motorcycles, but because I want to see Motorsport in the UK do well again.
We used to be such a prominent figure on the world stage for it, WRC, F1, MotoGP, WSBK, BTCC and a thousand other domestic and international championships.
I know we've got some of the most historically famous circuits, with Donington, Brands hatch etc, but we've got stuck in a rut of just falling back on this rather than innovation and development.
I was at Donington Park for WSBK this year and its just proves MotoGP needs to return to Donington Park
I agree I went to numerous 500cc and Moto GP races there in the 1990s and early 2000s. I can understand,why it had to be moved as the developers made a pig's ear of the redevelopment.
Issue is, still needs a lot of development, paddock area and other facilities. Not even full access around the track anymore. As no access to public from two thirds way around coppice to foggy esses. It's just never going happen, plus a lot of the current riders love Silverstone as a circuit to ride, think MM is only current rider in any class to actually have raced at Donington too.
Tbh I’d rather watch British superbikes
Donington needs a lot of work doing to it before that could happen.
Never going to happen. MotoGP needs F1 spec tracks these days.
As a Welshman, I would’ve loved this not just for MotoGP but for the series you mentioned it could bring here. I really do miss WRC coming here as well, but thankfully ERC is returning later this month with Rali Ceredigion 🙂 I definitely agree but MotoGP shouldn’t be at Silverstone and I’d love for it to return to Donington Park
As someone that lives near that area of wales, I couldn’t imagine their being this top of the range motorsports complex right next to towns like Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr, bc those towns are generally massive dumps, but it would’ve been cool to have a place like this 25-30 minutes from where I live
Well it could be argued that they are shit holes because they don't have things like this. It would have massively boosted the area at the head of the valleys.
I really really wanted it to happen. It's a stunning track in a stunning location.
Build it and they will come.
As a person that lives in one of the surrounding towns to these dumps of towns, at the start it wouldn’t have been the best for poverty reasons but imagine how much revenue it would have brought to the towns, it would allow them to really grown and become as great as they once was and benefit the whole community
There’s also a circuit in Wales called Llandow near Llantwit Major.
no racing though, just track days and random media events
I was the COW photographer in Wales.. The track would have been about 10 minutes drive from my front door.. Went to Silverstone for the British MOTO GP weekend for PR 'stuff' which was an eye opener.. Seems to be quite a lot of 'personal' beef between politicians, the organisers and certain aspects of MOTO GP..Also, lots of 'lesser spotted animals' were appearing out of nowhere .. Spooky
Even if they had built the Circuit of Wales, it would never have worked. Not with a 20 mph speed limit.
And 50mph motorways
😂😂😂😂
2:20 There are actually 3, Llandow Circuit as well. 15 mins from Cardiff
2:26 The British Truck Racing Championship still races at Pembrey
And speedway gp racing at the Principality stadium in Cardiff.
one of senna's favours tracks, i think i have a few pictures of him there
@@neilhoward6528 When he was testing for Lotus? 😛
@@freemenofengland2880 not sure, pictures bin put away for a good few years, i'll have to dig them out and check
Being Welsh, I'm so annoyed that this never happened. I was really looking forward to proper track racing in Wales. I didnt care if it was bikes, open wheel, touring cars, anything would have made me happy. The labour government had other ideas after millions had already been invested. It still bothers me this long after
I was based in Cardiff in 1993 for the BTCC race there. I don't recall much about the BTCC races but the funniest race was the historic touring cars - Cotrinas vs Minis. There was a section of two 90 degree right turns (which I can't see on the current track map) separated by a very short straight. The Cortinas went around the first turn in a slide and some,of them kept the slide going until the next turn. Some great car control there!
I think that you are slightly muddled, the race then was held at Pembrey, which is about 60 miles from Cardiff .
I as a person who lives and was born in Wales would love to see, a large racetrack in the country, that could host major series (one I would love to see would be WEC) also the idea and initial planning of it being in the Brecon Beacons would be amazing due to the fact that it has some relatively flat land that would be well suited for a race circuit, I think that the Welsh government should reconsider and support the installation of a new race track that could host many racing events, therefore increasing tourism and popularity for a beautiful country
I thought the whole country was one giant race track?..... 🤔🤔😇
See, I always thought the flat land aspect wasn’t thought out. A couple months ago, I was wandering around Spa for the 24h. And looking back down the valley towards La Source from the top of Kemmel, all I could think was Wales has tonnes of areas which could have amazing tracks (admittedly, it would be harder to get past the environmentalists than essentially some unused scrub land in Ebbw Vale).
Spa is my favourite track on the planet and the elevation changes are such a big part of that and what makes the racing that bit more exciting. Something we are not short of here.
Although, can’t help but think a track here would just lead to many rained off events 😂
Silverstone. 6 pounds for a small donut. 18 quid for a bag of sweets. It was a boring race this year and the amount of empty seats was unreal. Btw didn't purchase those items.
The joke is the Welsh Government backed TVR to build a new car instead of the circuit, TVR took the money with no intension of building the car! Many people paid £10,000 deposits for the car which never happened as SMEE150 ☹
The issue with things like that in Wales is unless the Welsh government are fully behind it. It won't happen. They are appalling for spending money. It's why rally GB is now gone. As for Silverstone. Yeah basically nailed it on the head. They only care for F1 these days.
They backed the event for 15 years - that's pretty long for a sponsorship contract; you can't expect them to back it forever. It's up to the sport/ event to raise the backing - that they couldn't is solely down to the sport, not the Welsh government.
Blame Tony Blair. He gave the Welsh their own power and they decided against it.
Not the government's fault really, investors pulling out surely just means that it wasn't going to be profitable?
Love this type of content!
Moto 2 is always last at British gp, it’s so main race will be same time in mainland Europe
As a Welsh person from Cardiff not to far away this hurts a lot because before seeing this I thought it was just an idea that never happened I didn’t know this much happened
There’s also the Llandow circuit
Moto2 after MotoGP is not just a British GP thing. Happens in Portugal too, I think it's a timezone thing.
I remember being excited when that come but then nobody was arsed to do it
Among the many reasons that MotoGP can't return to Donington Park is that the biggest event there is not a motorsport event & it is far, far bigger than MotoGP. Donington doesn't need MotoGP.
>talks about Wales
>only two notable circuits
>forgets about Glan-Y-Gors which hosted FKS and Super1
As someone who’s been there, it’s a shame that not many people know about this track, especially in my country. GYG is an absolute masterpiece, IMO, and is surrounded by beautiful landscape. I know that it’s a karting track, but man, I just wish more people knew about it.
Pembrey?
I think you're missing the point, he's talking about bike and car racing...
@@henryriley6333 I know, and I’ve mentioned that GYG is a karting track. I wanted to mention it because a) I think it’s underrated, b) It’s located in Wales and c) because it hosted FKS and Super1, which are considered two premiere British karting champinships, and I think that’s worth mentioning. For example, George Russel was participating in FKS before transferring to formulas, and as far as I know, he has more than one title there.
I don't remember McRae winning Wales RallyGB......The event only got that title in 2003; he won the Network Q RAC Rally: 1994, 95 & 97, when it was a proper event.
This is a shame, this would've been a welcome addition to the roster of British circuits.
It would, be nice to go to something that isn't MSV or Silverstone.
Totally agree , Donington is a much better circuit than Silverstone for the bikes and more welcoming to the bikes , I have visited Silverstone for both F1 and Motogp events and there is a world of difference as to how you are treated , I had a company car in the year we did Motogp last that had satellite tracking , we spent as much time stationary waiting to leave the circuit as we did the drive home to West Wales and my Wife vowed never again to visit the circuit
I wish this track had been built, mainly for BTCC and BritishGT for my case. It looks like it would have been a good track and would be in the perfect location for me for a weekend trip.
Wales has hosted the speedway gp seen the early 2000's at the principality Stadium Cardiff
Welsh government spent £9.3 mmillion (about $15 million dollars) towards the Circuit of Wales.
The Welsh government, as well as organisations which receive most of their funding from the welsh government, sought to stop it.
Magnitutes of competence....
It’s also criminal that there isn’t a round of the WEC in the UK anymore.
Pronounced Blaiinaah. I remember this topic at the time, as mentioned in an above comment, the surrounding towns and villages would not be equipped. But damn i would have ooved to see this happen.
You’ll find that F1 do not allow silverstone to promote any other MAJOR events such as MOTO GP, BTCC, BRITISH GT etc during the F1 race weekend
Moto2 was last in the schedule to keep MotoGP in line with the usual TV broadcast schedule in Europe.
It does not depend on Dorna, it depends on who pays for the concession. If Donington pays for it, they will be hosting the race. Silverstone can always pay more to host it and still not promote it properly.
Portugal may not have a race next year since the municipalities that were paying for it, have given up on that, and the government doesn't seem too interested also.
And, if you ask me, neither am I, since motorsport has become too dependent on electronics and corporations.
Maybe the public also want to know the race was won by human skill, and not have corporations controlling the whole show. Maybe it cannot be done, and that's why it is dying.
At least we've got the A4042
I think that if MotoGP decides to no longer go to Silverstone, I don't think there would be a British GP. They'd probably try to go back to Donington but I don't think Donington would want the hassle. There's not really a good 2nd option in the UK, it's Silverstone or nothing for international series in the UK. If Snetterton had a big revamp then maybe. Snetterton is the only British circuit that's capable of expansion whereas Brands Hatch, Cadwell, Croft & Knockhill can't. Maybe you could do something with Thruxton (which had an amazing BSB race last weekend).
Donington would love to have MotoGP back, but the place just isn’t up to it these days.
@@olemoto Exactly.
Motorsport is about money. If you don’t have enough of it, nothing happens. CoW was always dead in the water, anyone involved in the motorsport industry knew it. Dorna have been the most frustratingly disorganised and amateur company to deal with for years. Silverstone is a professionally run business and often has to clean up the mess of Dorna just to get events to run. Silverstone has the facilities all the top events want because it’s invested although it’s not the ideal circuit for every event, it’s primarily an F1 circuit and that’s not perfect for other race series although it’s very safe. Being safe also moves fans further away from the action and introduces huge catch fences, long run off areas etc etc.
If you want top class bike racing, go to the Isle of Man but also consider those who don’t come back.
There are also Llandow, Tonfanau and Aberdare Park. The first two are permenant circuits
Tonfanau is semi permanent... my uncle was the guy who found the place and i grew up working there. Racing there next weekend actually on a f2 sidecar!
@@Mohawk_Racing what they roll half of the track surface up and keep it in a shed
@@JSmith19858 no, it was an army base and it a farmers sheep field. 4 weekends a year the sheep are removed, a roadsweeper cleans up their crap, and a team if very dedicated volunteers put out all of the trackside paraphernalia and take it all down again. Watching that place turn into a racetrack over the course of a couple days and back into a farmer's field again is very impressive and if you hadn't seen it you probably don't appreciate that
@@JSmith19858 ps, no need for the sarcasm. I was enjoying the notion of sharing a chat about a little known place that is so dear to my heart.
@@JSmith19858 it's technically a road race
The same as Scotlands F1 circuit between Edinburgh and Glasgow
The contrast between this and the Principality Stadium couldn't be more stark. The Principality seemed to be built with almost German-like efficiency compared to, oh, I dunno ... the new Wembley. But this was just a show of general incompetency at its finest.
Motorcycles are doomed in the uk, too many people are anti bike ,motorsport and noise pollution. But hey let’s spend a fortune on bicycle lanes that are empty for hours on end . Just look at castle Combe , someone built 6 houses and now noise is a major problem for these households, just a few trackdays a year .
It was a shame that the circuit wasn't built. I do track days and have been at Pembrey and Anglesey, not recently, that I must admit. But the fact of having a track on the heads of the valleys on the way to see my brother who lives in Bridgend would have been ideal. I don't like Silverstone, it's a boring track to ride, too flat, they spoilt it when they constructed the "Big Wing" and did away with the infield, that was done for boring formula one. Plus it's too bloody expensive and the local community around there hate noise!, surely when you buying a house near a race track you have to expect that? I agree with you that Motogp should come back to Donnington Park, they could construct temporary grandstands, Glastonbury can do it!. But personally I think that it wasn't built there because of the weather, it pisses down with rain anytime that I go near the two tracks previously mentioned.
This was the first time I heared an Englishman have a sensible opinion about motorbikes at Silverstone. Usually it's just pig-headed, almost fetishistic worship despite the facts. Like with the battle of Skagerrak/Jutland. Great vid.
Silverstone - it's flat and a fairly boring track to spectator at. Mainly because they keep converting general admission into special enclosures and charging more to sit on concrete.
I remember going to the old track and watching the sports cars to through the Abbey Chicane. The Jaguar XJ14s would,accelerate between the two corners whilst the,other cars would go through off throttle. That corner was also good to take photos of F1 cars with the brakes glowing bright red!
@@simonkevnorrisalso Woodcote was almost on your lap instead of needing binoculars, Like you do now.
@@simonkevnorristhat’s ur problem then not Silverstone
The artists impressions of this in the papers and Autosport always looked good, but knowing where it was planned I always questioned why there, why and would the AMs really be willing to put the money in on it? As it turned out, no.
Wasn't there something about the track in the news a while ago to do with housing or something as well?really
It would have been the biggest waste of money in the whole of Wales . Look what happened to Rockingham , nobody wanted to use it .
Never mind , they gave us the 20mph speed limit instead . Utter ₩ anchors
Jonathon Palmer didn't think it was a good idea, well I am surprised.
Donington just isn’t up to hosting MotoGP and it is light years off the standard of F1.
12:07 i wouldn’t even be surprised if they weren’t actually *allowed* to mention MotoGP at an F1 event. F1 commentators are forbidden from mentioning any other racing series and when Kevin Magnussen began talking about how good Indycar is on F1TV he was interrupted and cut out. Furthermore, f1 blocked Alex Albon from competing at the 2024 Rolex 24.
It’s all just trying to keep all their fans around because if they expose themselves to other series they would realise how bad f1 is.
Totally inaccurate information about Anglesey and Pembrey. I've been to both in recent years with the 750 motor club. Pembrey also hosts truck racing, and Anglesey hosts the race of rememberance every year, a very well attended and known about event.
What about BSB? Not even a mention
Why bother they already have two circuits just improve them and start taking on bigger events and the re-improve both these circuits have great potential
There is a whole lot of anti Silverstone bias here. Particularly as Donnigton, Brands Hatch and all the rest have singularly failed to provide any sort of viable alternative and Silverstone has always stepped in. I suspect that lack of crowds is down to lack of British interest in Motogp. I was at the F1 practice this year. British 1,2,3 in practice snd a British winner. Winning formula.
Personaly i would never go back to Silverstone as like many circuits on the world championship now its totally out of scale with bike racing the bikes look lost its all to remote especialy in a sport that still hosts amazing events like the TT ,and the costs for us oldies are quite unrealistic.
Neil Hodgson brought me here! 😅
Anglesey circuit does get used by brscc and their series like the fun cup and some others
Company: imma build a tra-
Environmentalists: *N O*
Truck racing championship still visits Pembrey
The 1st half of the video talking about the Circuit of Wales was interesting but the 2nd half whining about Silverstone was not. The CoW would never ever have happened and it would not have worked in a million years and would not have magically been better than "nasty mean Silverstone".
Personally I find silverstone a boring track to drive. I prefer brands, donny and cadwell. Don’t know if it’s a liking for park circuits but it just seems a bit bland to go round and the gp layout I find a bit of a drag. It’s designed as a fast track where if it was a bit more technical I think it would do better.
We do need another exciting track over here, shame rockingham was dull as it could of been really good instead of a glorified go kart track with an oval around it to try and lure the Americans over who can only do left turns.
Circuits already struggle to make money. Building a state of the art facility in the middle of nowhere with non existent public transport and insufficient road infrastructure was a laughable idea. There is a reason why new circuits are really only built as show pieces for oil rich petrostates that are willing to spend the money to get the world's attention. The British and Welsh governments would never have given this sufficient backing and the circuit would have gone bankrupt after too long. See also rockingham.
There are plenty of existing circuits, better to spend money bringing one of them up to scratch.
Donington is awful. I’ve done 1 track day there and after 2 sessions the circuit KILLED my head gasket. Donington = head gasket killer! It should be banned
Silverstone and mugello are the best tracks on the calendar which produce the best races.there is nothing wrong with Silverstone and dosent need replacing.motogp overall has way less fans then f1 so obviously it’s not going to sell out like most tracks on the motogp calendar don’t sell out.the price of tickets is why the attendance has been lower then normal.silverstone is accessible to most of uk unlike wales.
You talk as if Wales is a town/village like Silverstone - It's a country with a 160mile border with England!!
Btcc was gonna use that track aswell
Your very much mistaken about wales not having events wales has the road race at aberdare park every year also has car and truck racing at Pembrey. Also it’s pronounced pem bray
Maybe the fact we don't have a British rider..... F1 has Hamilton, and thanks to be in the right team at the right is pretty much the most successful F1 driver ever, also Russell and Lando, both able to win on there day, not sure what the Wsbk attendance figures were, but again we have British rides on bikes that are at least good enough to challenge for the podium. We Have Jake Dixon in Moto2 who got the win this year, and Scott in moto3, who knows disrespect is not really advancing. So Jake is the only one who you can sort of pin hopes on. If you want attendance figures up you need riders on competitive bikes, and can't see that anytime soon. How many Brits have won in the MotoGP class, one Cal Crutchlow who retired 5 yes ago, last one, Barry Sheene 35yrs before Cal won his first race, at least in the late eighties, early nineties we had, a few Brits racing, and some good wildcard rides by Foggy, be it on a Honda, Yamaha or a Cagiva. Simple, you want big attendance figures, get good British riders in half decent teams.
Tbf you cant call BRITISH SUPERSPIKES BSB then, because the only not English circuit it goes is Knock Hill, o and its done a few years at Holland and at Navara this year because MSV owns the track, bit like the only not European round of Wsbk was Australia this season.
It was a scheme to get rid of the spoil from the heads of the valley road development. The welsh assembly wasted 38m on this fantasy. As if F1 would move from Surrey and close links to Heathrow, to ebbw vale. Nonsense.
It's simple, Silverstone is a Rip-off. I used to go to Donnington on the Friday from the races inception 1987 up to it leaving in 2009 and it was a great show from as little as £5 and easy parking outside the circuit. Fast forward to the current decade and on the gate price is £50 for just the Friday and if you have not been stitched up enough, they pick your pocket even more and charge for Parking !!!!!
Always fucking groups about a bloody slug or pigeon may get disrupted
No chance as long as my bum points downwards Will Moto GP come to Wales .Welsh Government couldn’t see a good investment if it slapped them on the face.And to many people with alternative agendas.
If its going to have such low attendances its probably a matter for time before it goes away from Silverstone. No Valentino Rossi and the lack of mainstream live TV coverage won't help.
BSBK and WSBK seem to do well at Donington, MOTO GP should go back there for sure.
BTCC is not really a British championship as its all in England apart from one round in Scotland! Until it visits Wales and Northern Ireland its not really British at all, sorry Alan Gow but your lack of imagination is killing your series.
Silverstone is about F1 and nothing else. They make no effort for anything else that races there. I went to the British GTs last year, they had one stand open on the whole 3 mile track, it was pathetic.
Its a shame C.O.W didn't happen but it needs a lot of money going in and you have to wonder if you'd ever get the return on the investment, the fact it hasn't happened makes you think you would not.
Thats typical of a Development in this country plenty of idea's but nothing ever comes of it !! This would have been amazing for the local area and for wales in general! Yet again no investment in the beautiful country that is wales ... would have put us on the map in the motor sport world.. keep wasting money such as millions changing speed limits and then having to put it back .. no long term vision for the future.
Think you need to do some better research of Pembrey..
Why
If you've got to ask why you obviously don't know much about pembrey either
@phillipdavies4033 I fucking don't, nor do I claim to. But why must he. Otherwise you're just another comment
petition to make this race track real!
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maybe not there but somewhere else in wales
Get to cadwell park, that would be great
😂😂😂😂😂
Awful take