"We are talking with
Silverstone, but we have not taken any decision," Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta revealed at
Jerez during the MotoGP tests today. "Our contract with Donington goes to 2009. Donington has been our partner for many years and has priority. But at the end of this year or the beginning of next year we will talk about the possibility of staying at Donington or going somewhere else."
The 2.5-mile Donington circuit is a favourite with riders because of its sweeping curves and undulations. But it is notoriously slippery in the wet – fuel spills from aircraft operating from the nearby East Midlands airport is often blamed, rightly or wrongly – and fans frequently complain about traffic jams.
But the biggest problem with
Donington, according to Ezpeleta, is its facilities. "The boxes have been renewed, but there are problems with the size of the paddock," he said. "Maybe Silverstone will be another way for
MotoGP."
Donington is currently the only circuit homologated for MotoGP in Britain, but the Silverstone management is planning major improvements to the Northamptonshire track, including up to six million square feet of new development over the next 10 years.
The plan includes a business park, a manufacturer test centre, an extreme sport and leisure complex, two hotels with trackside suites, a university campus and a welcome centre incorporating a museum, and an arena for exhibitions and open air events.
The plans also include major upgrades to Silverstone's pit and paddock facilities and new grandstands, which are part of the conditions that must be met if a new contract is to be signed for the
Formula 1 race.
Silverstone's downside? It's flat, which means that fans on some parts of the circuit can see only one corner at a time. But a new venue could be good for MotoGP's future in Britain.
Saturday midday - Toseland Gets to Work Early
MotoGP newcomer
James Toseland got to work with astonishing speed on his Tech III Yamaha in testing at Jerez today.
By noon, only two hours after the track opened, the reigning world superbike champion had covered 23 laps of the 2.75-mile circuit, and was second fastest in 1 minute 40.909 seconds. This made him less than two-tenths slower than the quickest man on the track, the MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi!
