FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[darwin dali]

F1live:
Formula One's doors have not been completely closed to Silverstone, Bernie Ecclestone insists.

The F1 chief executive last year signed a contract to switch the British Grand Prix to Donington from 2010, vowing never to return to the Northamptonshire circuit owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club.

It is often suggested that, contrary to Ecclestone's argument that the Silverstone facilities are not up to date, the 78-year-old simply does not get along with those who run the BRDC.

But with reports now doubting Donington's chances of being ready for 2010, Ecclestone has denied that his mind is totally closed to the prospect of ever returning to Silverstone.


"If they were to do what they should have done, and what we've been asking them to do for five years, we'd have to have a look at it," he told London's Times newspaper. "We've got nothing against Silverstone."

However, he denied BRDC President Damon Hill's assertion that talks have already taken place.

"No, I'm not talking to them," Ecclestone told the magazine GPWeek.

[MAD MAX]

Excellent news if true

[McLaren Fan]

I'm not certain there's anything in this. It's more or less what Ecclestone was always saying: if Silverstone upgraded its facilities, it will stay on the calendar. If the facilities aren't up to scratch, he'll go elsewhere.

[McLaren Fan]

From Planet F1:

Government opens Ecclestone talks to save Brit GP
Wednesday 29th April 2009

The British government has reportedly opened talks with Bernie Ecclestone in a bid to save the nation's grand prix from the threat of the scrapheap.

According to The Guardian, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson telephoned Eccelstone this week in the wake of the race's future being plunged into fresh uncertainty when it was announced that the company contracted to host the grand prix at Donington Park from 2010 was being sued.

'A meeting had been due to take place for weeks but the business secretary made his first formal contact by telephone on Monday. The government has grown alarmed at Ecclestone's claims he will scrap the British grand prix if Donington fails to make the grade,' the newspaper reports.

Ecclestone repeated his calls last week for government funding to be provided to secure the race's future, either at Donington Park or Silverstone. The government has, so far, resisted those calls and it appears as if an agreement remains far away.

The Guardian claims that 'Mandelson pointed out that they had been willing to support infrastructure developments at Silverstone with the possibility of regional development agency cash. However, the discussions were inconclusive and Ecclestone, who has had a number of high-profile clashes with Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers Club, is likely to have been unmoved by those pledges.'

[Denthúl]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

[EwanM]

Will Ye No Come Back Again?

[McLaren Fan]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

Undoubtedly. With the possible exception of Labour's ID card scheme, the Olympics are the biggest waste of money in recent British history.

[Denthúl]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

Undoubtedly. With the possible exception of Labour's ID car scheme, the Olympics are the biggest waste of money in recent British history.

Spongers. They top that quite easily

[Frosty]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

Undoubtedly. With the possible exception of Labour's ID car scheme, the Olympics are the biggest waste of money in recent British history.

Considering how much Motorsport does for the economy the government should really wise up and fork out some money it's not like anyone is asking them to build anything like Abu Dhabi. I think the government should just give Silverstone a decent grant to renovate it's facilities up to Bernie's expectations of what a European Grand Prix facility should be like.

[EwanM]

Considering how much Motorsport does for the economy the government should really wise up and fork out some money it's not like anyone is asking them to build anything like Abu Dhabi. I think the government should just give Silverstone a decent grant to renovate it's facilities up to Bernie's expectations of what a European Grand Prix facility should be like.

The Government's hands are tied. Along the corridors of Whitehall, Formula One doesn't have the green credibilities to be given a grant of that kind. It is still viewed as a "rich man's sport." I don't agree with that, but that is how it is.

The upgrade of the A43 is all that the Government could have offered Silverstone, and personally I think that is all they should give. Even though Motorsport does offer a large boost to the economy, it shouldn't expect to come crawling to the Government for some Pocket Money, like many of the failed car manufacturers around the world - who spent spent spent.

Silverstone's Facilities have vastly improved over the eight years i've been attending. There are still a few issues for fans, but overall there is nothing wrong! The problem Bernie has of course is with the Pit complex - and i'll give him that, they do look aged. He has been given promises by the BRDC and they simply didn't meet their deadlines. What happened to that major redevelopment proposal that got passed early last year? Its been forgotten, replaced with a ridiculous looking new infield complex for the Moto GP bikes.

However in defence of the BRDC, it doesn't make a large enough profit from staging the GP to carry out such improvements, and it is here where such questions have been raised for the help from the Government.
I few years ago I believed I had found a solution to cure the cash flow problem.
Bernie could set up a sort of interest free loan with the BRDC for a term of five years. Thereby the BRDC would only need to pay around 70-80% of its race fee per year. This would leave ample profit over the 5 years to build and pay for the new facilities. After they were completed Bernie could then raise his race fees up once more to around 105% each year or so until he was paid back. Its quick a simple solution really and could be affordable, as once Silverstone has its new facilities, it could make a much larger profit, so that extra 35% a year of its race fee would be easy to pay.

It is a bit ambitious of me though of course, Bernie hates the BRDC, all because his Helecopter destroyed one of their hospitality tents one year...

[racechick]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

Absolutely right! Olympics -mega waste of money.

Ive been going to silverstone for years and the facilities for fans are fine, and have improved! Ive been to Istanbul park-new track(good track!) with im sure excellent in track facilities. However for the fans facilities were woefully behind Silverstone's

[EwanM]

Well, I think the British Grand Prix is a better investment than all the Olympic facilities...

Absolutely right! Olympics -mega waste of money.

Ive been going to silverstone for years and the facilities for fans are fine, and have improved! Ive been to Istanbul park-new track(good track!) with im sure excellent in track facilities. However for the fans facilities were woefully behind Silverstone's

It is a waste of money to us

But who are the Olympics benefitting mostly? Where will all that money go? London. - If Silverstone was located in Hyde Park there would be no questions asked...

[EwanM]

I mean let me echo what I just said there. I won't be going to any Olympic event, will anyone else on here?

[FerrariFan63]

How the *&£$ did Ecclestone get so powerful that he can bully major governments?

[EwanM]

How the *&£$ did Ecclestone get so powerful that he can bully major governments?

Cause he's a legend?