MotoGP/Donington (Practice)

[Swiss Toni]

A couple of shots from 250 practice on Friday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/stubro2000/1444a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/stubro2000/1453a.jpg

[Lowner]

Swiss Tony,

Very nice. But it's dry! Can't possibly be Donington. I needed an aqualung on Saturday.

I missed Friday as we were driving up. Our Grandstand seats were right opposite the little silver Honda's pit. It was actually carpeted (in a mid grey to match the bike) and looked cleaner than most NHS operating theatres.

I regret not shooting during the 125cc race, it being Scotts first win. But I find trying to shoot and follow the race impossible, never mind the crowds. I bet those last 5 laps felt like 500 to him. The press seem to have overlooked him and concentrated on Bradley Smith.

Richard

[chrispons]

Good shoots Swiss Toni,sharp with good action.
Pons

[Swiss Toni]

Swiss Tony,I regret not shooting during the 125cc race, it being Scotts first win.
Richard
The youngest GP winner ever and he got very little press, a great shame. He looked lost on the podium........ bless.

Once again a section of the great British public excelled themselves by cheering someone who fell off three times in practice and then fell at the first corner of the race itself.
They then proceed to boo the winner who rode his balls off all weekend. :rolleyes:

Maybe Toseland should rename his band. :D

[steve46]

The youngest GP winner ever and he got very little press, a great shame. He looked lost on the podium........ bless.

Once again a section of the great British public excelled themselves by cheering someone who fell off three times in practice and then fell at the first corner of the race itself.
They then proceed to boo the winner who rode his balls off all weekend. :rolleyes:

Maybe Toseland should rename his band. :D

Just about sums up the whole weekend....glad I didn't go this year can't stand Donnington......sooner the moto gp moves somewhere else the better.

Steve.

[Lowner]

But not to Silverstone, anywhere but there, I hate the place.

It was my first visit to Donington and I love the track itself. The problem is years of no investment into motorway links, parking, grandstands and facilities, the same as all the other UK tracks. The rest of the world moves on, but UK.com continues to sit with its thumb in its mouth.

With some major reinvestment of profits Donington could be a jewel in the crown.

Richard

[chrispons]

Re Silverstone,
I have been once and wont mind if I never see it again.
There again with health and safety these days all the circuits are heading that way.
Pons

[steve46]

Rumour has it that it will go to Silverstone in 2010...Doningtons contract runs out in 2009....also Silverstone may not get F1 soon so they see this as second best to F1

Steve.

[Dicky]

Cadwell :lol:

Bet the mountain shots would be interesting :D

[darren h]

Good Shots Swiss Toni, like the 1st one best

[Slimsphotos]

Nice shots.

And guys, don't complain too loudly. As a brit living in Switzerland, I can tell you, having NO motor racing at all sucks. It was all banned in the 70's.

Chris

[Cadwell]

But not to Silverstone, anywhere but there, I hate the place.

It was my first visit to Donington and I love the track itself. The problem is years of no investment into motorway links, parking, grandstands and facilities, the same as all the other UK tracks. The rest of the world moves on, but UK.com continues to sit with its thumb in its mouth.

With some major reinvestment of profits Donington could be a jewel in the crown.


They rebuilt the pit lane complex a couple of years ago, not that you'd notice.

No, the problem with Donington is none of those things. The problem with Donington is the aggressive and unfriendly crowd that it attracts for nearly all of its major events. I always refused to shoot touring cars there because of Donington's uniquely unpleasant atmosphere.

[Swiss Toni]

The problem with Donington is the aggressive and unfriendly crowd that it attracts for nearly all of its major events. I always refused to shoot touring cars there because of Donington's uniquely unpleasant atmosphere.
The problem doesn't lie with Donington, the same crowd would have gone to Silverstone if the GP had been held there, and that same crowd would have vented their frustration in just the same way.

Expectations were abnormally high because James Toseland had made such a great start to his MotoGP career. In fact Toseland tat, sorry merchandise, outsold Rossi tat (damn I've said it again), and as so often happens the crowd were let down after massive hype.
I'm not defending Donington as acircuit, I just don't think one circuit attracts a crowd with a different attitude to any other and I've been going to most of them on and off since the mid seventies.

However I shan't be going back again because as a keen amateur photographer I find it almost inaccessible now. To prove my point the shots below were taken at the exit to McLeans sometime late seventies/early eighties, try that nowadays!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/stubro2000/GraemeCrosbyFrancoUncini.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/stubro2000/3.jpg