Bernie Ecclestone has criticized the British Government for refusing to pay for improvements to Silverstone.
The British Grand Prix s future is in jeopardy unless the circuit owners, the BRDC, can find around £25 million to finance a master-plan to revamp the track. Earlier this month, Gerry Sutcliffe MP, the Minister for Sport, ruled out direct financial support for Silverstone.
Ecclestone has long been a critic of the track s facilities and he has stated that without Government funding, he believes that the British Grand Prix may be lost. “Britain is supposed to be the heart of Formula One racing and out circuit is bottom of the list,†he told a reporter from the BBC. With a tiny percentage of what the government are wasting on the Olympics, they could support Silverstone. It’s not for us to say where the money comes from but it’s strange because most of the events we have now are supported by governments.â€
Ecclestone still has high hopes for holding a race on the streets of London and does not understand why there is little support for the idea. “Mayor Ken Livingstone was very helpful and we laid a plan out of what we could do,” he continued. “It would have happened, it was just a question of where the money was going to come from.
“It would cost a small amount compared to what they’re spending on the Olympics. If they look at it from a pure business point of view, all the revenue it would bring in, I just don’t understand why it isn’t happening.”
