With Silverstone’s owners triggering the break clause in its British Grand Prix host contract with Formula One, Woking based F1 team McLaren has unveiled its own ambitious proposal for a Grand Prix in its home town of Woking.
The racing team’s plan was revealed in mid August with a PR push and a campaign spreading across its social platforms.
According to McLaren, who believe Working could join Monaco and Singapore as one of F1’s ‘most glamorous and iconic race locations’, the objective is to raise the town’s profile.
The new street circuit venue, which would be called the Woking International Circuit, would link the town’s commercial, industrial and residential zones to form one of the world’s quickest fastest street tracks – with a top speed of 195mph down the longest straight.
This street circuit image, track graphic and video led campaign broke socially on 14 August across the team channels – including Twitter,
Introducing the Woking International Circuit. Our ambitious plan for hometown glory: https://t.co/b8dgQliShW #WokingGP #SurreyNotSurrey pic.twitter.com/vGnAfcBn4w
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 15, 2017
Presenting our #WokingGP race lowdown. Featuring Fernando, Stoffel & key info on the Woking International Circuit: https://t.co/8D5wT5EjYm pic.twitter.com/tJEhv2rIoZ
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 16, 2017
followed by a supporting spot on 15 August in which the team explain why it thinks the Woking GP need to happen posted on YouTube
and Facebook.
The comic stunt certainly seems to generate some support.
Our #WokingGP dream definitely caught your imagination. Thanks for getting behind it, guys! #SurreyNotSurreyhttps://t.co/cD4NGSdbgr
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 16, 2017
“Why not? Why not bring Formula One to the streets of Woking?” says McLaren Technology Group’s chief operating officer Jonathan Neale.
“Obviously, aside from the huge social and financial commitment needed to set up the infrastructure, re-profile roads, re-lay tarmac, fit miles of armco, build grandstands, pay for race-hosting fees and gain approval and sign-off from the International Automobile Federation (FIA), we don’t see any barriers to our vision. In an era that’s often seen as being hemmed in by bureaucracy and narrow-mindedness, that’s actually very refreshing.”
And yet McLaren haven’t yet actually presented the plan to Woking Borough Council: commenting that they fear how the counsellors might react to the expensive road works needed to re-profile the local roads and landmarks.
Comment:
And it isn’t even April Fools’ Day…
Could this campaign, breaking on 14 and 15 August, actually be some form of teaser heralding the 16 August news of Motorsport’s McLaren Technology Group recruiting Tim Bampton (the former chief marketing officer of global sports marketing agency CSM Sport & Entertainment) as its new group communications director?
Bampton’s new role will see him take responsibility for leading its strategic, corporate and brand communications, including McLaren Racing and McLaren Applied Technologies and he will also oversee other engagement and marketing initiatives such as McLaren’s eSports ‘World’s Fastest Gamer’ project.
Commenting on the new job, Bampton added: “The opportunity to represent McLaren, its people and partners is one of the most appealing in global sport. The enduring power of the McLaren brand, the values it embodies and its heritage provide an authentic platform for the group’s rich, evolving story to be shared. Equally it’ll be great to be back at the sharp end of the sport and I’m looking forward to strengthening existing relationships, reviving old ones and forging many new. Formula One’s trajectory holds promise for all the sport’s stakeholders, not least its fans, and it will be rewarding to rejoin the sport at this time.”
Of course, the background to this social stunt liokes with the decision by the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), the owners of Silverstone, activating their British GP break clause: so there are no guarantees of a UK F1 race after 2019.
And with no other British circuits currently with the required classifications and safety codes needed to host F1 there are no credible immediate alternatives.
Of course, the campaign’s spot disclaimer says it all: “Disclaimer: The Woking Grand Prix campaign is purely fantasy and for the purpose of summer break fan engagement only. McLaren is a long time supporter of the FIA ‘Action For Road Safety’ campaign and strictly does not endorse unauthorised or unlawful racing of any kind.”
Links:
McLaren
http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/
http://mclrn.co/iOS
http://mclrn.co/Android
https://www.facebook.com/McLaren.Racing
https://twitter.com/McLarenF1
https://plus.google.com/+McLaren
http://instagram.com/mclaren/
https://uk.pinterest.com/McLarenRacing/
