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In response to Murray's final answer;

Here! Here! Keep F1 at Silverstone!

Apart from Silverstone, is there a track F1 no longer races on which you would like to see a return to?

Agree with Murray. Keep it at Silverstone please.

yes canada always had decent races

Do you think that the drivers' access to simulators removes the element of natural driving ability and instinct?

Murray,
Why can't we invest money on ungrading Silverstone, instead of Donnington?
Do you think that Bernie Ecclestone has too much control/power over decisions like this and the Silverstone/Donnington issue?

Hi Murray,
I have heard that there is so much downforce on a F1 car, that if it was upside down, then it could fly like an aeroplane and that if the F1 car was in a tunnel that it could drive on the roof of the tunnel without falling off.
Are these true?
Thanks
Paul

Much as I love Murray, I think he is a little biased :P Silverstone is a boring circuit to watch a GP from with little atmopshere. If I was involved with Silverstone I would change the circuit config, plant some trees, put in an Eau Rouge and a Monaco tunnel!

If Donington isnt ready and Bernie doesn't like Silverstone, why not go to Brands Hatch? It's a great circuit and it's hosted many high profile events, including F1, and the FIA seems to get on well with Johnathan Palmer and MotorSportVision, what with the relaunch of Formula Two.

I agree with bergqvistjl, if donningtons struggling and bernie doesnt want the british GP in silverstone, brands hatch is a brilliant track. I watched the last A1GP race where adam carroll took the win for Ireland, and i must admit, i was highly impressed with it, atmosphere was great, i think its a bit narrowe than silverstone so its a tricky circuit which would challenege the drivers. (Tonio Liuzzi knows how tricky it is after spinning off a few times)
So if no Donnington and no Silverstone, Take it to brands hatch!

would i be correct in thinking that Bernie Ecclestone and Donington's owner Tom Wheatcroft are friends?
murray....... you rock!

How appropriate, "The Thrill is gone" from Silverstone. But as an ardent Donington supporter, I can;t help feel a little embarrassed about the whole affair. I really do hope that the Grand Prix will be there in 2010 but doubt is starting to creep into my mind.

To answer the Brand Hatch questions, don't forget that in 2001 or 2002 the British Grand Prix was going to be held there for 5 years when it was owned by Octegon (I think) but they couldn't get planning permission to upgrade the facilities and to cut down the trees around the Grand Prix Loop due to the proximity of housing. So when that fell through, Silverstone was renting the British Grand Prix which then lead to this one year rolling deal. Octegon then went bankrupt and was bought out by Dr. Jonanathan Palmer and his company so I doubt that there will be any chance of the revival of the British Grand Prix or indeed European Grand Prix there.

hi murray, why is Lewis afraid to be in trouble? he is forced to lie and he's moaning,if he is disillusioned, why has he wasted his time,is he in F1 for money? Also, Schumi got into trouble,and he got on with it, why can't Lewis?

Are all of these rule changes coming a bit too quickly? By changing too much at once, we will have something that is completely unrecognisable and it will be a complete mess.

Also it seems the regulations have been changed to aid overtaking. However, the only person who has ever overtaken anyone has been Lewis Hamilton, this year and last.

take the british grand prix to brands hatch, bernie loves brands hatch, if you've ever read "Brands Hatch: The Definitive History of Britain's Best-loved Motor Racing Circuit" you'll see his love for it. i dont know why hes not taking it back there.....

Question for Murray:

With the possible budget caps coming into F1, are we not likely to see major manufacturer-backed/owned F1 teams simply circumvent some of the most significant costs (such as team salaries, R&D and wind-tunnel, composites, manufacturing etc) by incorporating them within the parent organisation who will in turn lease them to the F1 team at a nominal fee?

What currently costs tens of millions of dollars could potentially cost $1, and the only costs they need have in their budgets are the physical costs of manufacture, purchasing from 3rd party suppliers, and logistical costs. Fiat, BMW, Toyota, and Mercedes Benz could surely justify these costs since they're already paying anyway, and creative accountancy wouldn't see them spending any more but would allow the teams to operate in the cheaper and more liberal tier of F1 but continuing on their mega-bucks budget.

What do you think?

"Also it seems the regulations have been changed to aid overtaking. However, the only person who has ever overtaken anyone has been Lewis Hamilton, this year and last."

Mmm...I leave it to someone else to argue with that point!

There simply isnt enough ROOM at Brands Hatch. Most of the corners would need more run off area, but unfortunatley there are housing estates that prevent that! It's a real shame, but in todays F1 of 3 miles of concrete Run off at every corner Brands cant compete.

Also, Donington is a great track. I really dont know why people are so in love with silverstone. Sure, its great, but it's no better than Donington. I dont understand why all the Brits cant just get behind Simon Gillet and stop knocking Donington.

Thanks Murray, totally agree

1 word answer... now someone just needs to drill it into Bernie's head. I would love to see of the other great British race tracks visited by F1, but the reality is that there is only one upto scratch at the moment and another hopefully soon, If Donnington needs an extra year or 2 then for crying out loud keep Silverstone till then.

The British GP is hugely important to millions of us who are hardcore fans, and according to the stuff said by teams and commentators its hugely important to some teams, many drivers and the sport in general. Bernie should wind his neck back in and give some thought to us.

This also goes for getting back the Canadian GP and keeping hold of a few of the other older circuits... they maybe old and tired but they are much loved, a huge part of this sport is its history!

What do you think the loss of Ferrari will do to the sport? Why does the FIA not have the same view of the fans? I'm all for the cap but against the unlimitation which creates the the two-tier F1. I like Donington!

MURRAY,
SURELY IT WOULD BE BETTER ALL ROUND TO GIVE ONE POINT FOR POLE, AND ONE POINT FOR FASTEST LAP IN THE RACE.

Hi, I asked this on your the last blog, but I think I was probably too late for this edition. Anyway, I was wondering what you thought of the following question:

- Seeing as McLaren's and Ferrari's loss of form this season has been largely blamed on the closeness of last term's title fight, at what point will the teams decide that if results do not start going their way this season to concentrate on 2010 and try and gain an early advantage there?

Many thanks

Hi,
Can you see there being a happy ending for the sport in the ongoing FIA and FOTA disputes? I'm starting to think someone is going to lose out, and it seems like the biggest loser is going to be us who are watching.

Is there also any chance of finding out the music played during these "Your Questions Answered" pieces? It's very catchy!
Thanks.

I have never figured out Bernie's beef with the alleged poor facilities at Silverstone. If he's referring to the team/paddock facilities, then whilst they admittedly aren't world-beating, they are far superior to those of Brazil, Hungary, Belgium and a whole panalopy of other temporary circuits. If he's referring to the facilities for the spectators (who, given they fund the sport with extortionate ticket prices, are arguably the ones who really matter) then I have found Silverstone's to be infinitely better than Magny-Cours, Hockenheim and Spa combined!

So OK, Bernie wants something better, but I still don't see the answer is Donington Park. Murray, I'm with you 100%.

Murray, I have a question: Does F1 really have to be now and always the top level of motorsport? Years ago the top makers/countries/teams raced elsewhere - e.g. Brooklands, Ulster TT, Mille Miglia, Le Mans - etc. If the present row over money and money related rules took some of the best teams and the best drivers out of F1 do you think there's a new challenge out there that might be more fun (and less money)?

Murray,

Which F1 season has seen the most talented group of drivers?

Personally, I disagree with Murray on the issue of refuelling. I've never liked the system of refuelling during races - it's dangerous, wasteful and it doesn't reward good racecraft. Seeing the repeats of classic grands prix has reminded me of how important it used to be to look after your tyres, be careful with the fuel consumption, and get past your opponent by overtaking them on the track. I'm really looking forward to seeing the effect of a limited fuel load on race strategy...

Thanks for answering my question Murray. I agree that Silverstone should be on the calendar if they can't get Donnington ready but as for Brands Hatch I think they'd have to make some improvements to the track. It's very narrow and not a lot of run off areas which the FIA seems to demand these days. Also we have seen some big accidents at Brands Hatch down the years which they might be concerned with, although I admit it would definitely be more fun to watch at Brands than at Silverstone or Donnington.

I agree with Murray about the refuelling issue. With everyone on the same fuel load it'll just be down to whichever car is good with heavy fuel and which car can manage its tyres best. It'll probably make the races a bit duller too but if it saves on money then I guess it has to be implemented with the budget cap looking like coming into force next year.

I also agree with the point made above about a point being given to the fastest lap. I've been wanting this for ages and would give the fastest lap some meaning as opposed to just another stat. I'm not in favour of a point for pole though as a team could just fuel someone light and get the point for pole easily. However, with the medal system coming in next year it seems unlikely that either idea will see the light of day

The soultion about the buget cap is clear,
Reduce the buget cap to 40 or 60 million, then reduce Mosley and Eccelstones ect.. salaries by the same percentage that the cap apples to(as i'm sure their wages are depenedant from from F1 ).
Then reduce the cost of the licences for the drivers.
Most importantly reduce gate costs to the spectator by the same percentage, if we are to get 'a cheaper' product, after all;
'WE DO COUNT,DON'T WE?'.
Then i'm sure we'll ALL be happy.
Paul

It's certainly good to hear your voice again Mr. Walker.
Firstly I like the idea of points for pole and fastest lap, tweaking the point system may bring more drama to the sport, battling all the way, never giving up hope.
Secondly there must be a solution somewhere to the £40m cap problem. Maybe they need to discuss certain areas in the budget which do not fall into the cap. i'm gonna ponder this one further...

Main Question:

How do you become a passionate fan of a particular team???
I kinda like lewis hamilton but now Button's up there so i feel like i'm lacking passion for one team.

Other question:

With refueling being banned there is a need for a new way of creating disturbances during the race, can you think of any?
track splits? (dangerous?)
weapons? (just kidding)

With both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button currently winning championships and races respectively, do you think it is time for two Grand Prix in Britain?

Do you think the teams should get more control over the sport rather than it being ruled by bernie ecclestone.

And

Can you commentate one last grand prix to add some excitement to the no refueling ban next year.

Hi Murry,
I have a question for you ? Do you think Max Mosley and the FIA are cheapening F1 with this 40 million cap.

murray, please stop wasting your time answering our stupid questions and get back in that commentary box. it makes race-day literally twice as entertaining

I watched the last A1GP race where adam carroll took the win for Ireland, and i must admit, i was highly impressed with it

Hi Murray,
This is more of a history question. Did you ever meet John Bolster? I met him once when I went to his house to meet his daughter, Marilyn who I went out with for a short period a long time ago. There was a a Silver Ghost sitting on the drive and he was still wearing his dear-stalker when I was introduced to him. His other daughter had just lost her boyfriend/husband , I'm not sure which, in a motor racing accident and had become a recluse spending all her time working as a mechanic on the family cars. Did you replace him as the F1 commentator or was there someone else between him and you?

Love the music on this section!

I have been to Donington this weekend and the facilities are woeful compared to Silverstone. My question this week is "Does Murray think it will be completed on time,and to a standard as good as Silverstone's?"

Save the Brtish GP? Definitely!

Help convince our leaders to support it as they do in many other countries.

If Ferrari really believes that a 40 million cost capping will create a two-tier F1, why on earth dont they agree - or dont they think they would be in the top tier?
Im fed up with Ferraris If we cant win, we dont want to play anymore attitude.

I think there are too many gps outside the F1 heartland nowadays. Imola, Canada, France all gone, yet in East Asia and the Middle East (where there is little interest in F1, but MONEY, there are gps sprouting up everywhere. If Formula One isn't careful, they'll lose a lot of fans.

Bernie says there won't be a two tier system, so why did he think of it in the first place?

As to UK circuits - why is Brand's Hatch never mentioned? Is was staging formula 1 up till 1986.

As refuelling is not going to be allowed next year and you don't want to be carrying any more weight than you need (i.e. fuel).

Then under safety car conditions are we going to be seeing all the cars running extremely hot on fuel to reduce this weight so that they have as little as they can for the latter parts of the race?

Also if this were the case then it would not be so good for the 'green' part of F1...

Will there ever be another GP at Nurburgring?

Despite the quality of this season's racing so far, do you think Jenson's running away with the championship will harm viewing, as it did with Schumacher?

BERNIE IS A CONTROL FREAK, WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO AGREE WITH SILVERSTONE MANAGMENT.
I DO HOWEVER AGREE WITH HIM , THAT SILVERSTONE HAS NEVER HAD THE MANAGMENT TO GET THAT CIRCUIT UP TO THE STANDARD FOR SPECTATORS, THAT THE LEADING COUNTRY, FOR F1 DESERVES.

Hi Murray,
what do you think is wrong with BMW?

Dear Murray,

Firstly I just want to say it's great to be able to write to you. You made many years of watching Formula One very exciting for me. Many thanks!!

This is something of a differnet question for this blog. Since I was very young I have followed Formula One very closely. It's the sport I love and I'm quite passionate about it. In the last year or two I've felt the desire to be part of the Formula One world. I'd specifically like to write about it.
At home I've written articles following some of the races I've watched and I wrote a review of the 2008 season for the top 8 drivers.
I've sent some of my articles to Formula One magazines via E-mail but I had no response. Would you have any advice on how I may proceed towards my dream goal.

Thanks for reading Murray. All the best, Rufus

Dear Murray,
why do you think the FIA are doing this cap?I will tell you! to get rid of FOTA alltogether.If this cap goes ahead and all the FOTA teams quit mosley will have total control of F1.And nobody will be able to stand up against the FIA, and that means mosley will be god in the F1 world.

Is it just me or is Bernie more interested in the money than the racing to.