UK sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has said that the British government will try to convince
Bernie Ecclestone that a grand prix at Silverstone is vital to the country, and that he will also try to garner Westminster support for the overhaul of the venue.
Meeting with Ecclestone on Tuesday, Sutcliffe is alleged to have pointed to prime minister Gordon Brown's vision of a 'golden decade of sport', built around the London Olympics in 2012, and claimed that Britain's position as a sporting nation would be spoiled without an annual grand prix. According to Britain's
Financial Times newspaper, the talks were described by ministerial insiders as both 'constructive and positive', with Ecclestone and Sutcliffe reported to have agreed to continue discussing the matter.
With Ecclestone constantly criticising Silverstone and threatening to ditch the British Grand Prix in favour of another race backed by governments in developing regions of the world, the British Racing Drivers' Club has unveiled a ten-year vision to bring the circuit up to Ecclestone's standards, with images of a new pit and paddock complex released only the other week. Future plans include a new manufacture test centre, business park and hotels, as well as minor residential housing, in an effort to raise finance for the redevelopment.
While the plans have so far received the backing of the various local authorities based around
Silverstone, Sutcliffe has said that he will continue to enlist support from other members of parliament - principally those responsible for communities, higher education, competitiveness and public health - to help the BRDC achieve its modernisation plan. The government, however, insists that there will be no financial support for the project.
The minister has said that Silverstone's survival should be a government priority because the motorsport industry remains a major player in the UK economy, with an estimated turnover of £4.6bn, half of which results from exports.
