Circuits that were never finished

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 02 Sep 2010, 02:09

Okay, so with all the speculation that Korea won't be making it to the calendar, I'm getting curious: what circuits have been planned, but never made it? The one I know best is the Nagatino Island circuit, to be built in Moscow. It was a tri-oval and road course (internestingly enough, the road course actually went over the oval instead of under it) that was supposed to start construction in 2001, but the Moscow authorities rejected the contract with Bernie Ecclestone and the circuit was eventually abandoned in 2003. It is now a hotel and marina complex.

Any others that we know of? I've heard of a plan to build an oval at Silverstone ...

P_Friesacher · Post by **P_Friesacher** » 02 Sep 2010, 08:32

Well, arguably, Donington Park in it's F1 configuration.
And (although I'm not sure about this) Indonesia's Lippo Village track that Tilke was contracted to bulid for A1GP. However, I think it was completed, but to a much lower standard than the one necessary to accomodate A1GP.

f1-gast · Post by **f1-gast** » 02 Sep 2010, 09:22

I got a few one's in holland.

Den Helder, Should be also a replace ment of zandvoort but never happend
Almere, should be replaced after circuit zandvoort was almost bankrupt and there would be also formula 1.
Lelystad, there will be a circuit with a big park etc on it but i think it will be never there.
Den haag, There where some plans to make also there a new circuit never camed
Zandvoort, Well yes also zandvoort they wanted to replace the circuit because of that stupid Center parcs and the stupid gold resort that tooked a lotof space.
Venray, There is already a circuit there but they wanted to make a new one never happend.

There are some more but dunno them a.t.m.

Faustus · Post by **Faustus** » 02 Sep 2010, 10:38

I remember that when the schedule for the 1984 championship was announced, there was to be a street race at Fuengirola in Spain as the last race of the season. This never happened and was replaced with the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril (which I was at - useless aside, I know, sorry). It's definitely mentioned in the season guide from L'Automobile, which I have somewhere.

Found an old link on the Autosport forum:

http://forums.autosport.com/lofiversion ... 13223.html

Faustus · Post by **Faustus** » 02 Sep 2010, 10:44

I also remember that there were different locations bidding for the United States Grand Prix in 1989, that eventually went to Phoenix.

f1-gast · Post by **f1-gast** » 02 Sep 2010, 10:49

Yes i remember somthing of New York New jersey and San fransicso i'm not sure of that.

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 02 Sep 2010, 11:23

I've read somewhere there was a plan for a GP in Las Vegas for the 2000s, that was quietly shelved.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 02 Sep 2010, 11:56

Shouldn't this thread be called circuits that were never started.

Cos there are millions.

Even monza was going to be relocated.

Debaser · Post by **Debaser** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:01

There was a race in China planned to be the 3rd race of the 1999 season, the location I believe was Zhuhai (It began with a Z anyway). The F1 race never took place, though it may have been used for other formulae.

Post by **tommykl** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:06

How about the extention to the A1-Ring?

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:11

Debaser wrote:There was a race in China planned to be the 3rd race of the 1999 season, the location I believe was Zhuhai (It began with a Z anyway). The F1 race never took place, though it may have been used for other formulae.

Correct, the circuit was first used for the original FIA Gt1 spec, But not before the series used a street layout around the town of Zhuhai, and quite possibly the only chinese street track built without any major cock ups, for instance a loose manhole cover or a hairpin than requires the use of the reverse gear.

For 1999 standards would have been very good, however sepang happened. And thus the bar was raised.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 02 Sep 2010, 16:28

I mentioned this before I think in an old thread on the Korean race, but in the 1997 Hungary race review edition of Autosport, there's a small article in the news section with a detailed map of a potential circuit design in Korea that would have been the first Asian GP had it been built. If I remember, it had a name similar to Sepang, but the track was very different. Looked a little like Catalunya if my memory serves me.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 02 Sep 2010, 18:39

AndreaModa wrote:I mentioned this before I think in an old thread on the Korean race, but in the 1997 Hungary race review edition of Autosport, there's a small article in the news section with a detailed map of a potential circuit design in Korea that would have been the first Asian GP had it been built.

I assume you mean it would be the first mainland Asian/non-Japanese Asian GP...

And what has happened to the proposed Icelandic Motopark track project? There were plans for a whole community round the track project.

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 02 Sep 2010, 19:36

The Iceland credit crash happened, I'd imagine.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 02 Sep 2010, 19:41

shinji wrote:The Iceland credit crash happened, I'd imagine.

Yeah, probably. I think they were aiming to host an A1 GP round. Pity.

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 02 Sep 2010, 19:47

dr-baker wrote:
shinji wrote:The Iceland credit crash happened, I'd imagine.

Yeah, probably. I think they were aiming to host an A1 GP round. Pity.

The A1 GP collapse probably had something to do with it too then I'd imagine.

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 02 Sep 2010, 22:55

A GP in Iceland? It has to be a lame joke. There's zero interest for motorsport in Iceland, and the circuit doesn't look too good either.

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 02 Sep 2010, 23:12

I'd guess with this type of problems, it's not too unusual that they would put that project on ice.

I'm sorry, I really am

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 02 Sep 2010, 23:15

Get out.

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 03 Sep 2010, 09:46

Original Hungaroring idea in Népliget, in a park in Budapest. Probably it was the original idea, but the Hungaroring concept was accepted later on in '85.

midgrid · Post by **midgrid** » 03 Sep 2010, 14:34

The Detroit Grand Prix was meant to move to a new circuit on Belle Isle for 1989, as the open pit complex at the downtown circuit did not meet new FISA criteria, but environmental concerns caused its delay and the race to move to Phoenix instead. The Belle Isle track was eventually completed and hosted CART races from 1992 to 2001, and IRL races in 2007 and 2008.

midgrid · Post by **midgrid** » 03 Sep 2010, 14:36

f1-gast wrote:Yes i remember somthing of New York New jersey and San fransicso i'm not sure of that.

There was a race in New York scheduled for either 1983 that fell through, so Brands Hatch hosted the European Grand Prix instead.

midgrid · Post by **midgrid** » 03 Sep 2010, 14:38

Phoenix wrote:I've read somewhere there was a plan for a GP in Las Vegas for the 2000s, that was quietly shelved.

Yes, I remember that. It was unbelievable that Bernie would consider such a thing after the debacle of the 1981 and 1982 "Caesar's Palace" Grands Prix.

Post by **tommykl** » 03 Sep 2010, 15:01

AndreaModa wrote:I mentioned this before I think in an old thread on the Korean race, but in the 1997 Hungary race review edition of Autosport, there's a small article in the news section with a detailed map of a potential circuit design in Korea that would have been the first Asian GP had it been built. If I remember, it had a name similar to Sepang, but the track was very different. Looked a little like Catalunya if my memory serves me.

You are totally right, although the track looks more like Estoril to me. Anyway, it's called Sepoong...

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 03 Sep 2010, 18:41

midgrid wrote:
f1-gast wrote:Yes i remember somthing of New York New jersey and San fransicso i'm not sure of that.

There was a race in New York scheduled for either 1983 that fell through, so Brands Hatch hosted the European Grand Prix instead.

NY was also briefly on the schedule for 1984 too at presumably the same circuit.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 03 Sep 2010, 19:05

Flushing Meadows

1985 Proposal.

Not even close to being built.

WeirdKerr · Post by **WeirdKerr** » 03 Sep 2010, 19:21

was there not plans for a track in yugoslavia in the late 80s......

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 04 Sep 2010, 01:38

There was a circuit in France named Flins-Les Mureaux... I think it was scrapped... what a shame. France has a very good autosport history.

Two questions: how do you upload your own images to be posted, and for unmade courses, does it have to be planned for F1? Can it be from other leagues as well?

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 04 Sep 2010, 01:55

JeremyMcClean wrote:There was a circuit in France named Flins-Les Mureaux... I think it was scrapped... what a shame. France has a very good autosport history.

Two questions: how do you upload your own images to be posted, and for unmade courses, does it have to be planned for F1? Can it be from other leagues as well?

For a second I thought it was Magny Cours...

On a more related note there was going to be a Street Race in Seoul in 2004 for ChampCar but it got cancelled for reasons I can't quite remember (Pretty sure it was financial issues though)

baddriving50 · Post by **baddriving50** » 04 Sep 2010, 02:28

JeremyMcClean wrote:There was a circuit in France named Flins-Les Mureaux... I think it was scrapped... what a shame. France has a very good autosport history.

Two questions: how do you upload your own images to be posted, and for unmade courses, does it have to be planned for F1? Can it be from other leagues as well?

Is it just me, or does the bottom part look a lot like Paul Ricard's short circuit?

edit: Not the short F1 circuit, but the shorter one.

cretoxyrhina · Post by **cretoxyrhina** » 04 Sep 2010, 07:05

P_Friesacher wrote:And (although I'm not sure about this) Indonesia's Lippo Village track that Tilke was contracted to bulid for A1GP. However, I think it was completed, but to a much lower standard than the one necessary to accomodate A1GP.

Ah, yes, I forgot Indonesia have another (supposedly) FIA-certified circuit. Even the original plan for Sentul was longer than what was actually build, with some parts laid at the north side of Citeureup river. If I'm not mistaken the problem was the fear of abrasion from the river.

Wizzie wrote:On a more related note there was going to be a Street Race in Seoul in 2004 for ChampCar but it got cancelled for reasons I can't quite remember (Pretty sure it was financial issues though)

2005, I believe.

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 04 Sep 2010, 11:51

baddriving50 wrote:
JeremyMcClean wrote:There was a circuit in France named Flins-Les Mureaux... I think it was scrapped... what a shame. France has a very good autosport history.

Two questions: how do you upload your own images to be posted, and for unmade courses, does it have to be planned for F1? Can it be from other leagues as well?

Is it just me, or does the bottom part look a lot like Paul Ricard's short circuit?

edit: Not the short F1 circuit, but the shorter one.

Yeah, and ... the WHOLE circuit looks like Ti Aida... :shock:

JeanDenisAlcatraz · Post by **JeanDenisAlcatraz** » 04 Sep 2010, 13:00

The first corners look like Paddock Hill and Druids.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 04 Sep 2010, 22:22

JeanDenisAlcatraz wrote:The first corners look like Paddock Hill and Druids.

That's what I thought (having just spent the past two days overlooking these two bends - DTM...).

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 04 Sep 2010, 22:27

JeremyMcClean wrote:Two questions: how do you upload your own images to be posted, and for unmade courses, does it have to be planned for F1? Can it be from other leagues as well?

Answer 1: Upload the photos to a photo-sharing website like Flickr/Photobucket/"other photosharing websites are available" then link to there.

Answer 2: My mentioning of the Icelandic Motopark was not intended for F1 but A1 GP... As was the mentioning of the Lippo Village track in Indonesia... And there was a proposed Dublin street track for A1 GP that never got drawn up due to the series's collapse.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 04 Sep 2010, 22:43

This plan was to be just outside Disneyland Paris

Definately too mickey mouse.

Pointrox · Post by **Pointrox** » 04 Sep 2010, 22:57

Great! Finally I can post something from Poland - the land of unfinished projects

This is a track that was intended to be built in Gdansk. It was designed by - that's interesting - a woman, and was presented to Claude Denis, FIM representative. Apart from F1/MotoGP track there was a karting track and... ski slope planned.
So far there's no sign of any progress - probably because of Euro 2012 preparations.

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 04 Sep 2010, 23:04

dr-baker wrote: And there was a proposed Dublin street track for A1 GP that never got drawn up due to the series's collapse.

I saw that mentioned here before... though obviously I'd have been in favour of that, I have no idea what kind of route it'd have taken. The city centre has about 2 roads that would be wide enough for racing, and other than the city centre there's nowhere that'd be a street circuit in the true sense of the term.

Unless it used the Phoenix Park, which would make sense, but wouldn't really a be street circuit. At least, it'd be less of a street track than Albert Park.

Anyway, it didn't happen, so it doesn't matter. I'd be interested in finding out what they were thinking though,

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 04 Sep 2010, 23:09

shinji wrote:
dr-baker wrote: And there was a proposed Dublin street track for A1 GP that never got drawn up due to the series's collapse.

I saw that mentioned here before... though obviously I'd have been in favour of that, I have no idea what kind of route it'd have taken. The city centre has about 2 roads that would be wide enough for racing, and other than the city centre there's nowhere that'd be a street circuit in the true sense of the term.

Unless it used the Phoenix Park, which would make sense, but wouldn't really a be street circuit. At least, it'd be less of a street track than Albert Park.

Anyway, it didn't happen, so it doesn't matter. I'd be interested in finding out what they were thinking though,

I seem to recall mention of racing through the financial district, but I don't know Dublin (I intend to one day) so don't know how viable this might have been...

watka · Post by **watka** » 05 Sep 2010, 14:51

Anyone know if the Balatonring in Hungary is ever going to get finished?