The British GP's fate rests in Ecclestone's hands...

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From planetf1.com:

British GP's fate rests in Ecclestone's hands

20/04/04

The fate of the British GP is once again looking uncertain after it was revealed that race promoters, the Interpublic Group, had paid to be released from their contract with Formula One Management (FOM).

Interpublic Group shelled out $93 million to FOM to get out of their deal to run the Silverstone race. Although that may seem like a large sum of money it pales in comparison to the estimated $460m it would cost them to continue running the British GP until the end of the original contract, 2015.

The advertising company, though, is still obliged to promote this year's race, which takes place in July, and will have to continue to honour its Silverstone lease, which runs until the end of 2007.

"This is another step forward in our turnaround," said Interpublic chairman David Bell.

"From the point at which I was asked to lead this company, I have made it clear that it is inappropriate for us to be involved in owning or operating venue-based motorsports businesses. We are pleased to have moved closer to completing our exit from the motorsports business."

As of 2005, FOM - owned by Bernie Ecclestone - will effectively be Silverstone's new race promoter.

Although the BRDC have put a positive spin on the news, it remains to be seen whether this is good news for the British GP as its fate is now in the hands of its biggest critic.

Having consistently criticised the facilities at the Northamptonshire track, Ecclestone recently said that he does not foresee Silverstone hosting a race for much longer, complaining that the home of the British GP is 'like an old house that says it only needs a few renovations'.

At the time of last year's race, Bernie complained: "It's embarrassing for me when somebody wants a new circuit and they say 'We're coming to England to look at Silverstone.' I say 'Don't do that whatever you do. If you want to come and look at what we don't want, go up to Silverstone and have a look'.

"I hope it doesn't happen but we don't have to have a race in Britain."

Now Bernie is in a position to push through the changes he wants. Or, if not, dump the race entirely.

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As a Brit I obviously want to keep Silverstone on the F1 calendar. However there are other reasons besides nationality. Silverstone is a historic venue with a rich and long F1 heritage. Silverstone hosted the very first world championship grand prix back in 1950. The venue witnessed the birth of a legend a year later when Froilan Gonzalez won Ferrari's first grand prix. The circuit shared the British Grand Prix with Aintree throughout the Fifties and with Brands Hatch throughout the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties.

Nigel Mansell became the darling of the crowd in the Eighties and early-Nineties with some fantastic wins in his home grand prix. Silverstone was altered drastically in 1991 and has undergone a range of changes since then. While Bernie Ecclestone continues to make no secret of his dislike for the track, it has continued to serve up some superb races – none more so than the incident-packed 2003 event, which was won by Rubens Barrichello.

Silverstone's ultra-quick sweepers encouraged some breathtaking races, one of the greatest being the 1969 scrap between Jochen Rindt and Jackie Stewart. Silverstone has always been a venue for making F1 history. In 1977 Renault choose the race to debut their revolutionary turbo engine while 4 years later John Watson gave Ron Dennis his first win as a team boss.

The facilities are dealt a lot of criticism, undeservingly so in my opinion, for I was at last years’ British GP and was actually impressed with what I saw. Further more, I find it ridiculous that there is even talk of dropping the sole British GP when Italy, France and Germany all have two GPs. I think it will be a great shame if we lost the British GP. Now that Bernie effectively owns Silverstone – he has two options, invest in the circuit, which is what he has suggested is required, or drop the circuit from the calendar. It really is in Bernie’s hands now…

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From Planetf1.com:

Brundle hits back at Bernie

23/04/04

Martin Brundle has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone's latest complaints about Silverstone and claimed that only one man is stopping Bernie's wish for a new paddock and pit being created - Bernie himself.

The F1 supremo, a consistent critic of the Northamptonshire track, took over the rights to host the British GP last week. He immediately warned that there could be no British GP in 2005 unless a new pit and paddock was constructed by Silverstone's owner, the BRDC.

However, Brundle, the BRDC's chairman, has responded by claiming that the project has been signed off and could be started immediately except that one signature is still required: Ecclestone's.

"I'm a bit disappointed Bernie says we need to build a new pit and paddock because it's all in place and ready to go. He's the only one who is holding that back," he told the Press Association.

"It just needs his initials on a piece of paper and it can be built, so I'm somewhat surprised at what he's saying because all the rest of it has been signed off by absolutely everybody, except Bernie.

"There's been a window of opportunity for him to do it in the past few weeks, which he has chosen not to take for reasons best known to himself.

"He could at least let it get under way because there will be a pit and paddock to match any, and with a fantastic hospitality area. It is the final phase of the masterplan and that is ready to go now, tomorrow morning even."

Brundle admits that he is anything but certain there will be a British GP next year.

"How can you be? Nobody can be confident of that. Do I think there will be one? Yes, I do. Am I absolutely confident there will be one? No, I am not.

"It's Bernie's call, so if he says it's going to be axed, he means it and obviously it's a reality.

"At any point Bernie can switch the British GP off and he has a number of devices he can use and that's always been the case."

The reason why Bernie is so anti-Silverstone, according to Brundle, is that Silverstone simply doesn't offer the F1 supremo as an attractive a deal as many of the other circuits.

"I can completely see Bernie's frustration," the pundit continued. "I remember at Monza last year, if you stood in the paddock long enough you would be mown over by different entourages from Bahrain, Turkey, India and goodness knows who else, trying to bring him a pot of gold and build a magnificent facility in an emerging market.

"And yet here we are with Silverstone saying 'if you go a third then we will go a third', but that's all we've got to work with."