British Grand Prix faces the axe

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040930/325/f3npv.html


LONDON (Reuters) - The British Grand Prix is set to be axed for the first time in Formula One history, former champion Jackie Stewart has said.

"At the moment it would seem that the calendar is not going to include the British Grand Prix for 2005," Stewart, president of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) that owns the Silverstone circuit, told BBC radio on Thursday.

"We feel that the grand prix is terribly important for the country," added Stewart. "I think it's a real disaster that this has happened."

Silverstone, a former World War Two airfield, hosted the first Formula One grand prix in 1950 and only Britain and Italy have hosted a race every year since then.

Formula One sources said the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, which earned a late reprieve this year, could also be dropped to trim the provisional calendar from an unprecedented 19 races to 17.

China and Bahrain made their debuts this year and Turkey is due to be included for the first time in 2005.

Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who draws up the calendar, told Reuters by email that the official list of races would be announced after the governing FIA's world motor sport council met on October 13.

COUNTRY FAIR

Ecclestone, who has called Silverstone an old house and the race a 'country fair masquerading as a world event', had set Thursday as a deadline for offers to promote the event.

The non-profit making BRDC made an offer to Ecclestone's Formula One Management to promote the race for the next three years, despite the likelihood that they would lose money, but it was not enough.

"Mr Ecclestone is asking an amount of money which currently we cannot afford," said Stewart, who joined the BRDC in blaming the government for failing to step in.

"The international finances of Formula One are such that almost every country around the world that hosts a grand prix is given considerable financial support by its government," said the BRDC in a statement.

"We regret that (the) government...has not been able to put together a package to help the retention of the grand prix in this country."

China, with a new $325 million (180 million pound) circuit, and Bahrain have no motor racing heritage but facilities unrivalled by any venues in the sport's European heartland.

The BBC quoted a spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as saying that the commercial negotiations were a matter between the BRDC and Formula One.

"Clearly the government supports and wants to see a British Grand Prix at Silverstone," he said.

Rob Tinlin, chief executive of South Northamptonshire Council, said the cancellation of the race would be a huge blow for the local economy with the grand prix bringing in 30 million pounds a year to the area.

A majority of the 10 Formula One teams are based in Britain, with some 40,000 people working in the local motorsport industry, and are keen to retain the race.

"I hope he gets a great deal of flak from all the British-based teams if he decides to drop Silverstone," team boss Frank Williams said of Ecclestone at last weekend's inaugural Chinese Grand Prix.

"I know that Silverstone can't afford the current rate that some of the European races pay but we do care about Silverstone, it's a traditional venue."