The British Racing Drivers' Club has turned down Bernie Ecclestone's offer to share Formula One calendar time between the British and French grands prix, leaving the long-term future of the Silverstone event in question.
According to Britain's
Times newspaper, Ecclestone put the idea to the circuit owners in the belief that they were struggling to raise the finance to redevelop Silverstone in line with requirements. Under his plan, the British Grand Prix would have alternated with its Magny-Cours equivalent from as early as next season - despite the BRDC having a contract to stage a race at Silverstone until 2009. French race organisers, who face financial struggles to stage their race each year, apparently agreed to the idea, but the BRDC rejected it after board level discussion.
"We've given them the opportunity and Magny-Cours agreed," Ecclestone told the newspaper, "Silverstone had the opportunity and said they didn't want to. Silverstone stays where they are. We respect our contracts and we'll see what happens when the contract runs out."
Seeing 'what happens when the contract runs out' will send alarm bells ringing through the BRDC's Silverstone headquarters, with the club 'enjoying' a long-running war of words with Ecclestone over the state of the circuit and the terms on which its annual grand prix is run. With Ecclestone apparently having countries queuing up to stage rounds of the world championship - and favourites like Imola, Suzuka, Hockenheim and the Nurburgring all having to accept revised roles next season - the British Grand Prix cannot be considered a safe long-term bet.
"We said [the rotation plan] doesn't work for us, [but] I really can't [offer reassurance] after 2009," BRDC chairman Stuart Rolt admitted to the
Times, "To me, there is a danger that we cannot, or we are somehow unable to, find a way to fund the improvements or there may be a point where the amount of money we have to pay for hosting the grand prix becomes untenable.
Ecclestone apparently offered 'breathing space' in terms of the pressure on Silverstone to upgrade its facilities in exchange for the BRDC accepting the rotation plan.
