British GP

[blacktulip]

Silverstone has scheduled a press conference for Monday amid suggestions that its deal to retain the British Grand Prix is near completion.

Damon Hill, president of circuit owner the British Racing Drivers' Club, and Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips will address the media at Monday's event.

Although Silverstone has remained tight-lipped about what Hill and Phillips will announce, it is well-known that the next few days are critical to the British GP's future.

The race was supposed to move to Donington Park from next year in a new long-term deal, ending Silverstone's long run of Formula 1 races - including every British GP since 1987.

But Donington was unable to raise the finance to complete its expensive revamp, blaming the global financial downturn, and the project stalled with the track redevelopment unfinished.

[starlightmuse]

fingers crossed here have had some great times at Silverstone to see Lewis and Jenson together will be great

[fizzycola]

It's a critical point in negotiations.......

tomorrow will tell if we have a BGP or not...

fingers and toes crossed that we do..

fizzy

[starlightmuse]

well done Damon tickets booked great christmas pressie 17 years og F1 to look forward too ;D ;D ;D

[WickedPlans]

Excellent news - and not before time!

[raikkofan]

A 17-year deal for Silverstone. That deal will outlast Bernie himself. You're in the clear, GB. Congratulations!

[blacktulip]

There charges for the British Gp are very good, even three day camping packeges

[blacktulip]

Bernie Ecclestone says he could have earned a lot more money from non-European countries keen to join the Formula 1 calendar had he not agreed a deal with Silverstone to save the British Grand Prix.

After weeks of protracted negotiations between F1’s commercial supremo and the bosses at the Northamptonshire circuit, a 17-year deal for Silverstone to stage the British event was finally announced on Monday with the circuit agreeing to update its pit and paddock facilities under the agreement.

Ecclestone – who last year signed a shock deal with Donington for the Leicestershire circuit to host the race before the venue’s plans fell through – is believed to have compromised on the terms of the new deal with Silverstone, having agreed to cut the annual escalator on the initial £12million yearly fee from seven to five per cent.

Indeed the 79-year-old admits he could have earned Formula One Management a far more lucrative deal had he turned his back on Britain, but says he agreed to the concessions after becoming "fed up" with the drawn-out talks.

“Definitely, a lot more, an awful lot more,” he told the Daily Express when asked if he could have got more money elsewhere.



“There are other places desperate for races but there was no more money in Europe.

“I got fed up with the whingeing and moaning. It has taken too long, but now Silverstone can get on with it for years to come and make a fortune.”

Ecclestone has long been a critic of Silverstone’s facilities and circuit owner the BRDC and had originally stressed that should Donington’s F1 project fail then there would be no British GP in 2010.

But after softening his stance in the summer as it became clear that Donington’s funding plans were increasingly precarious, Ecclestone now says he is pleased a British race will be remaining on the calendar – although he insisted he didn’t agree to a deal with Silverstone out of sentimentality.

“I didn’t have any special sentiment because it was Britain, but if people think I helped then that’s nice,” he said.

“I am happy, Silverstone is happy and we have a British GP for years to come unless they make a mess of it.”

[raikkofan]

Dec 8, 2009 17:29:03 GMT blacktulip said:

Bernie Ecclestone says he could have earned a lot more money from non-European countries keen to join the Formula 1 calendar had he not agreed a deal with Silverstone to save the British Grand Prix.

After weeks of protracted negotiations between F1’s commercial supremo and the bosses at the Northamptonshire circuit, a 17-year deal for Silverstone to stage the British event was finally announced on Monday with the circuit agreeing to update its pit and paddock facilities under the agreement.

Ecclestone – who last year signed a shock deal with Donington for the Leicestershire circuit to host the race before the venue’s plans fell through – is believed to have compromised on the terms of the new deal with Silverstone, having agreed to cut the annual escalator on the initial £12million yearly fee from seven to five per cent.

Indeed the 79-year-old admits he could have earned Formula One Management a far more lucrative deal had he turned his back on Britain, but says he agreed to the concessions after becoming "fed up" with the drawn-out talks.

“Definitely, a lot more, an awful lot more,” he told the Daily Express when asked if he could have got more money elsewhere.



“There are other places desperate for races but there was no more money in Europe.

“I got fed up with the whingeing and moaning. It has taken too long, but now Silverstone can get on with it for years to come and make a fortune.”

Ecclestone has long been a critic of Silverstone’s facilities and circuit owner the BRDC and had originally stressed that should Donington’s F1 project fail then there would be no British GP in 2010.

But after softening his stance in the summer as it became clear that Donington’s funding plans were increasingly precarious, Ecclestone now says he is pleased a British race will be remaining on the calendar – although he insisted he didn’t agree to a deal with Silverstone out of sentimentality.

“I didn’t have any special sentiment because it was Britain, but if people think I helped then that’s nice,” he said.

“I am happy, Silverstone is happy and we have a British GP for years to come unless they make a mess of it.”

Bernie Ecclestone is a bitter, money-grubbing (expletive). Montreal also got a race once again and for a greatly reduced cost to the city government. This has much more to do with the bad economy than any greediness on the part of Silverstone (or Montreal for that matter). Bernie just wants to skin people for as much as he can get and can't stand it when circuit owners and promoters can say "NO" to him. Then he goes on a bitter rant about Silverstone "making a fortune" and how he hopes they don't "make a mess of it." What a dispicable person.