Silverstone wins five year reprieve
British GP saved for £60m cost plus FOS 2005 clash
Silverstone has been restored to the Formula One calendar for at least the next five years. The track's owner, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), has reached a deal with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone that includes the organisation spending £60m on new facilities, starting immediately. Underpinning this is the £30m that each GP event brings to the local economy.
The BRDC has already started talking to commercial developers who will be asked to tender for 750,000 square feet of commercial space including hotel facilities on the 800-acre site. It's also talking to the East Midlands Development Agency and local authorise about its plans and how best to weave its way through the various planning regulations. This is separate from the £4m that the BRDC plans to spend on a new engineering centre for use for R&D by local motorsport businesses.
However, Ecclestone has reportedly warned that unless facilities are improved, the deal will end after the agreed five years -- there will be no more British Grand Prix. It's even mooted that the track layout will be redesigned as part of the redevelopment plan.
Meanwhile, 2005's new date for the British GP has been shifted from its original slot on 3 July to 10 July. While this doesn't clash with Wimbledon, motorsport fans may find it annoying that it forces them to choose between either an F1 race or attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which happens on the same weekend.
More on the F1 situation: www.itv-f1.com/Home.aspx
More about the Goodwood FOS: www.goodwood.co.uk/2004/fos/news.asp
More importantly the rest of us can follow some proper motorsport....maybe WSB or similar..
>> Edited by oppressed mass on Tuesday 14th December 12:56
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff