I spy rumours around the Internet that one possible future usage of the Olympic Stadium could be a Formula One race circuit. Apparently, Intelligent Transport Solutions Ltd of London have been in discussion with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone regarding the prospect of bringing the world’s most glamourous high-octane circus to town. And what a prospect it is!
The route would likely see McLarens, Ferraris et al racing inside the stadium as well as around the Olympic Park and while it wouldn’t have the added glamour of multi-million dollar yachts moored casually nearby like Astra vans parked in a supermarket car park as does Monaco or Abu Dhabi, it would have impressively modern facilities and arguably one of the more scenic circuits on the calendar . I don’t know about you but the promise of twenty or so V8s screaming around a manicured park in the East End of London is a mouthwatering one.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking – “They’ve been talking about a London street circuit for years” – and while that’s true, it seems a lot more likely to happen now that there is a suitable site that can be used without bringing the capital to a complete standstill. Although Ecclestone has elsewhere stated that plans for a London circuit that would take in such landmarks as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben were “no joke”, I find it a little harder to imagine cars racing down Whitehall, navigating the Parliament Square chicane and hitting the Birdcage Walk DRS zone than I do around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Logistically, the new site would be much less of a headache for the organisers.
Of course, Silverstone, the current home of the British Grand Prix is scheduled to host the event for the next 17 years and much investment has and is being injected into the site because of this however, this doesn’t put a lid on the Olympic Stadium proposal. It simply means the UK would host two, count them, two Grand Prix meetings each season. So, all you race fans out there, how cool would that be?
