Ecclestone: «no need for a British Grand Prix»

With the collapse of the Donnington Park project, all hopes of having a British Grand Prix next season are focused on Silverstone. However, Damon Hill and the BRDC insist that Silverstone does not want to be a stopgap while the Donnington Park circuit is being prepared.

It is now certain that Donnington Park will not be ready in time to host the 2010 edition of the British GP. The organizers are indeed short of no less than 135 million pounds sterling (around 147 million euros) to complete the reconstruction work on the circuit. British fans, as well as those from around the world who did not want to see Silverstone disappear from the calendar, are eagerly awaiting the outcome of these negotiations.

During the summer, Ecclestone, who already had concerns about Donnington, had started discussions with Silverstone, offering them to secure the British GP while Simon Gillet raised the necessary funds for the rehabilitation of Donnington. The owners of the Silverstone circuit, the BRDC, through their president, Damon Hill, feeling in a strong position, demanded a long-term contract. This is still the case at present, but Bernie Ecclestone does not agree with this.

« Silverstone has a contract in front of them. We have no commercial arrangement in place for the British GP next season. That’s why the race has an asterisk on the 2010 calendar. If they can’t do it, we won’t do it. If that happens, there simply won’t be a British GP next year. That’s business. We have made them an offer. »

Although the British Grand Prix is a historical race in more ways than one, having been on the calendar since the first championship, and particularly at Silverstone, which hosted the first F1 GP in history, Bernie Ecclestone insists that the race is not part of the historical events. For Bernie Ecclestone, only the Monza and Monaco GPs are indispensable to the calendar.

Italy is a traditional race because it has always been held at Monza, he explains. Monaco as well since it has always been the same track. The British and French GPs have been held on three different tracks. They want a favorable contract because they consider themselves historic. That’s not the case for me. That’s not how it works. Many countries want a GP. How could it be possible to make them pay more than for a major country like England?