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As Donington gets yet another extension to find the money (what choice does Bernard have?), BRDC President Damon Hill is in a strengthening position and he knows it.
There are only nine months to go and Silverstone, quite rightly, is uninterested in 'saving' the GP for one year only - purely to give Donington more time. Bernie sounded pretty anti-Donington in his BBC comments last weekend.
It is an absolute shambles, fuelled by Bernie's disdain for the 'establishment' types of Silverstone and CVC's obsession with the bottom line.
BTW Abu Dhabi is paying $30m FOR ONE RACE! Yes, a pig did just fly past your window.
Comments
If Silverstone does then put on a great show they can just keep th grand grix.
Simples
It will stay in Silverstone, probably far beyond 2010!
Unless, for 2011-2012, Bernie finds an alternate event in Europe (Paul Ricard? Paris? Rome;)? Estoril?)
Just a thought.
DONINGTON PARK OPERATES ENTER ADMINISTRATION
Wed 18th Nov 09 - 15:08
The company which held the lease over the Donington Park motor racing circuit has entered administration.
The affairs of Donington Ventures Leisure Limited ("DVLL") are being handled by partners Nigel Price, John Kelly and James Martin from the Birmingham office of corporate recovery specialists Begbies Traynor.
DVLL had a 17-year contract with Formula One Administration to host the British Grand Prix round of the Formula One World Motor Racing Championship, signed in July 2008. It also had a 150-year lease on the circuit, with landlord, Wheatcroft & Son Limited, signed in January 2007, which also hosts the likes of pop concerts, corporate days and markets as well as motor sport.
Work has already begun to develop the circuit to Formula One Grand Prix standard.
Mr Price said: "This need not be the end of Formula One racing at Donington.
"We are certainly hopeful that a 2011 Grand Prix could take place at the site. "We are looking for a purchaser for the business and the potential opportunity to bring Formula One to this part of the Midlands by funding the work that needs to be carried out to the circuit.
"It still remains a fantastic location - next to an airport and main motorway connections.
"It needs people of vision to get the dream to the starting grid and we would be very interested in talking to interested parties."
Mr Price said Begbies Traynor was still assessing how much was owed to creditors.
I feel with the new McLaren all British lineup Bernie will be stupid not to have a British Grand Prix.
I'd much rather see a full Silverstone then a half full Abu Dhabi which has pretty lights and sod all else.
Of course, its not just McLaren's 'home race', the only race when the guys and girls in the factory get to attend. There's RBR, Williams, Renault, Brawn/Mercedes, Force India, Manor and Lotus. The few teams not based in the UK get many of their ancillaries from UK suppliers.
Plus Brawn announced they had become German with a potential all German line-up so Fleet Street healdine writers are heading straight for the file mark WWII cliches. Those two things along with all the other UK teams will mean that the tabloids will get UK masses whipped up into such a frenzy especially if Button and Hamilton are doing well that if the British GP were to be cancelled they would be calling for Bernies head.
[Edited on 20-11-09 by steamdrivenhammer]
An £11m fee to stage one race is at the thinner end of Bernie's wedge but its still ridiculous. As The Guardian reports "Silverstone made a profit of only £662,000 last year and that is a surplus which could be wiped off the balance sheet at a stroke, should the FIA, motor sport's governing body, require improvements to the Northamptonshire circuit – such as kerbing or wider run-off areas – in the interests of safety."
PS the guy who ruined Donington with his pipe dream should be shot. RIP Tom Wheatcroft.