The UK’s Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn, gave hope to Silverstone fans who had feared that Silverstone could lose Grand Prix racing at the circuit. Late in 2006, Silverstone mades the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as Bernie Ecclestone announced that he was considering sharing a round in the Formula 1 World Championship, between Britain and France. Such arrangement has already been made for the German Grand Prix in 2007, with the event alternating between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim circuits.
However at a conference in Birmingham yesterday, Caborn hinted that the government may offer it’s support to the historic track. “We really do want to see it become the international centre of excellence for performance car production,” he insisted. “As the government, working with industry and working with the sport, I believe we can develop Silverstone under the guidance of Damon Hill and his colleagues at the BRDC, into one of the finest centres in the World.”
“That will keep us at our pre-eminent position for many years to come. We have the opportunity to stay as the best in the World. It is very important, but it is part of our strategy.”
Naturally, Caborn did not state exactly what help or support the British government could potentially offer Silverstone and with the current state of the British car manufacturing industry at one of it’s lowest ebbs in a long time (with British marques TVR and Rover recently demised), this has failed to convince the cynics.
