Governormalfunction - the London display was a stunt pure and simple. I'm sure a lot of people would like to see a 'London GP' (there was quite a lot of excitement about Birmingham years ago as well) but I can't see it happening. Why not?
1. Yes there is Monaco, but the drivers hate it. Few run-off areas and the penalty for a moment's slip is at best the instant end of their race. The only reasons for it still being on the calendar are tradition and the glamour that brings the sponsors out in droves, bigger droves than at any other F1 meeting.
2. You can shut Monaco's roads down for most of a week without harming its economy. Who can say what proportion of its residents' wealth is earned overseas? I can't either, but I bet it's huge. Contrast this with London, where the spread of wealth is much greater, and a week's lost business would drive a lot of the smaller places down the toilet.
3. Security. The authorities will issue dire warnings about the terrorist threat.
4. The condition of the road surface. I'm sure Jarvis, Amey, Carillon etc are all doing their best. That's the problem.
5. The law. Isn't this the reason we have the Isle of Mann TT and the roadracing in Ireland, but no such thing on the British mainland?
6. The lack of a tradition - 'it's never been done before'. It would take the drive and determination of somebody even more charismatic and monomaniacal than Ken Livingstone to bulldoze it through the above.
Agree? Disagree?
Actually I'm gutted I never got to Silverstone just to watch the heli operation. I wouldn't have flown in, even if I could have afforded it - several pilots said 'go by motorbike'.