REPORT: Bernie wants F1 in NYC, 0-60 already has the plans
Formula One impresario Bernie Ecclestone has made no secret of his desire to see his series make a stop in the Big Apple – Manhattan, in point of fact. To that end, our friends at 0-60 thought they'd help him out by drawing up a suggested courses – in fact, in an oddly prescient move, they had already done so, publishing the fantasy circuits in the pages of their Winter 2008 issue.
In any case, with Ecclestone reportedly reaffirming his interest in the Big Apple today, 0-60 has decided to publish the story and the routes online. The routes through Central Park are inspired, although we suspect that more than a few of NYC's anti-car intelligenstia would take issue with that notion. No matter, you can peruse their efforts by clicking on the link below.
[Source: 0-60.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
pmalik 5:30PM (9/25/2009)
Yeah driving through central park ain't happenin...
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erik1080 5:35PM (9/25/2009)
It would be freakin awesome though.
One can dream...
MaX PL 5:37PM (9/25/2009)
driving thru central park isnt the only thing that aint happening. racing anywhere in the city aint happening.
good luck bernie because i'd be at that race in a heartbeat, but i doubt the city will allow this.
Randy 5:51PM (9/25/2009)
Storrow Drive in Boston would be funner!
Streets:
Storrow Dr, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts 02215
Science Park Boston, MA
Land Blvd Cambridge, MA
Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
(create a turn around in park directly after) Boston University Bridge , Boston, MA
To gain access to Boston University Bridge
and circle again!
Check out the map! It has turns, small slight hills and tills (turning hills) that make it outstanding to zoom through! It's an awesome drive!
HotRodzNKustoms 5:54PM (9/25/2009)
Yeah maybe if we wish really really hard. I could see a return to Long Beach or doing Las Vegas.
Glock23 6:30PM (9/25/2009)
You got that right. Never in a million years. I can see the eco-elite protesters now outraged that the squirrels and geese might be disturbed for an hour or two by the noise.
Paul 7:28PM (9/25/2009)
This ain't about "eco-elite" or some other name-calling nonsense (do you people ever think for yourself?). It's a city of SEVEN MILLION. Shutting Central Park is an enormous imposition on the people. The fact that there's an actual functioning ecosystem there (yes, really) doesn't help matters.
If Bernie wants an urban F1 race in the US -- a great thing in my opinion -- it'd be Long Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Detroit or something in a struggling midwest city.
Temple 6:20AM (9/26/2009)
>>". I can see the eco-elite protesters now outraged that the squirrels and geese might be disturbed for an hour or two by the noise."
It ain't one-two hours; its Friday practice 1&2, Saturday Practice 1&2, Qualifying, and then the race itself.
I go to every race I can, and F1 cars are insanely loud, in the narrow streets of NYC the sound of the engines will amplify off the buildings. Beyond the animals, most people, that aren't F1 fans, would be furious, and New Yorkers aren't known as the most patient people in the world.
Doing a small F1 showcase event, ala NASCAR Victory lap of Times Square, or the F1 exhibitions done around the world is likely more realistic.
Bernie, obviously has grand dreams for F1. He was famously rejected to have an F1 & Olympic tie-up. The Olympic committee deriding F1 as not a real 'sport'. Doing an F1 race in the middle of NYC, or Paris, or London, or Tokyo for that matter is impractical and is just another one of Bernie's unrealistic dreams.
Dr. Greenthumb 8:14AM (9/26/2009)
Randy: Yeah, and Nomar is better than Jeter, and Fenway Park with that idiotc wall is the best ballpark in the world, and the Bruins is better than the Devils.... Quit already. Unless you can put Boston in NYC, F1 has NO interest in Boston.
Back on topic: There are two venues that would best accommodate a GP in NYC (remember it is not a one day event):
1: Build a track in Liberty State Park. (How about that, racing in the shadow of the great lady).
2: Temporary circuit in the Financial district, especially since it's mostly abandoned on weekends. Battery park city has some of the best (newest /widest) streets in all of Manhattan.
Tourian 9:40AM (9/26/2009)
@Paul
"It's a city of SEVEN MILLION. Shutting Central Park is an enormous imposition on the people. ...If Bernie wants an urban F1 race in the US -- a great thing in my opinion -- it'd be .... Downtown Los Angeles"
Wait, so putting the 7 million people of New York at an inconvenience is unquestionable, but putting the 4 million people of LA in one is okay?
I don't think an urban course in the US is at all practical any more. It'd probably be easier to build a course in the middle of nowehere and then build a fake city with mock skyscrapers around it.
ForgedInternals 5:31PM (9/25/2009)
I'd like to see this but their's no way in hell Emperor Bloomberg will let this happen.
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Kyle 6:27PM (9/25/2009)
Hahaha pit lane on broadway. Yea right, might as well have it at new jersey motor sports pak, it's all that state can offer us
meestorgloom 5:33PM (9/25/2009)
I agree, driving in Central Park would get shot down from all sides. Plus, have you seen the effing potholes and generally horrible roads there? F1 cars would be destroyed before the first lap.
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swickardk 6:25PM (9/25/2009)
Yeah, no prep work or renovation would be done for this...
mole 9:27PM (9/25/2009)
i doubt it will be easy to do the renovation in such a higly congested city..
Franz 5:34PM (9/25/2009)
Yeah, I can't see Central Park happening but a NY GP would be awesome.
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chairman 5:38PM (9/25/2009)
I like race courses with elevation changes. Even less likely than NYC, but San Francisco or Seattle would be interesting.
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Arkz 2:02AM (9/26/2009)
I guess San Francisco would be interesting, especially the part when the cars become airborne. I can only imagine the carnage that would ensue when an F1 car went over one of San Francisco's hills at 200mph...
Patrick 5:38PM (9/25/2009)
No freaking way. The disruption to business would be extreme, the residents in their high-priced park condos would go NUTS, and Bloomberg would be dragged out and --- well bad things would happen.
Plus, camera sites would be hard. This would not be a lot of fun to watch on TV or in person.
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Bryan 5:52PM (9/25/2009)
It wouldnt be that hard... the toronto race is pretty easy on the area, ive been there a couple of times.....
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