What we're missing here
The report has already been published, but my impressions of my weekend at Brands Hatch are still fresh in my mind. First of all, it was the track itself that made an impression on me. Like a one-to-one Scalextric slot car track (for our German readers: like a Carrera racetrack), the circuit lies between two hills and lets spectators experience the action up close at most of the critical points. There are also meadows—sorry—lawns that extend right up to the track and are reserved for spectators and their cars. So you drive there, park, get out, and sit down on the picnic blanket you brought along. It couldn't be more British.
And then there's the action on the track. In the Generations Trophy, fathers and sons, grandfathers and granddaughters took turns driving the same car. And how they drove—especially the younger generation. Anyone who can pull off a four-wheel drift in an MG B at Paddock Hill Bend can certainly boast a fair amount of driving skill. And every car took that corner that way. Apparently, the training of young talent in the UK really works—the level of skill completely blew me away.
Rookies with a lot of skill behind the wheel
Meanwhile, here in Switzerland, we've shut ourselves off from having a racetrack for decades. Anyone who wanted to give it a try anyway had to make arrangements abroad. That raises the bar considerably higher than when, as at Brands Hatch, you can reach excellent facilities in just under an hour from London. But it's probably not just that which we're missing here in Switzerland. It's also the culture and attitude toward motorsports.
Flabbergasting: The number of active or former race tracks in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, motorsports are much more of a normal part of life than anywhere else. There are a multitude of affordable championships for affordable race cars, and virtually every weekend there's an opportunity somewhere to race or at least attend a track day. Such opportunities are lacking in Switzerland. Although the ban on circuit racing was recently lifted, it's highly doubtful whether we'll ever have a good, safe racetrack. Not to mention that the senseless speculation in the (tabloid) daily press about possible Formula 1 races here certainly doesn't help the cause. There's no doubt the premier class will NOT be coming. What should come, however, is a greater understanding that motorsports isn't a matter of money and horsepower, but rather an attitude and the enthusiasm behind it—no matter the engine displacement. The British are showing us how it's done and are world-class at it!
