F1 commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone has issued Silverstone with an ultimatum – sign a deal within the next 48 hours, or the British Grand Prix will be definitively pulled from the 2010 world championship schedule.
Following the failure last week of Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) chief executive Simon Gillett’s final bid to keep alive Donington Park’s chances of honouring the 17-year deal it had agreed with Ecclestone’s Formula One Management (FOM) company to host the blue riband event on the annual UK motorsport calendar, negotiations for Silverstone to retain the race stepped up a gear.
However, the Northants circuit’s owners the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) and Ecclestone have never been the easiest of bedfellows – arguably what led to him contentiously stripping the track of the grand prix and handing it to Donington in the first place on the eve of the 2008 edition – and the stumbling block in discussions remains money, with the BRDC unable to meet the 78-year-old’s financial demands, given that in contrast to the plethora of new circuits springing up across the Middle and Far East, Silverstone is not state-funded.
Ecclestone, though, has now stepped up the pressure in the game of hardball, warning the BRDC that if they don’t agree to the offer sitting on the table – understood to be an annual fee of £12 million, subject to a yearly increment of seven per cent – by the end of the week, there will be no British Grand Prix at all, with no further room for compromise.
“They say there is not much between us and them, so they should sign,” the British billionaire told the Daily Express newspaper. “Maybe they have lost their pen, but if they don’t find it in the next day or two then that is it. I will pull the race off the calendar and there will be no British Grand Prix to argue about.”
It has been noted that whilst Gillett and Donington were granted a succession of extended deadlines, the BRDC and Silverstone – which has the almost universal support of drivers, teams and fans alike – are being treated far less generously.
Along with Monaco, Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) and Italy (Monza), the British Grand Prix at Silverstone is one of the only remaining races to have featured on the original calendar when the F1 World Championship officially began all the way back in 1950, staging the inaugural event on 13 May.
Comment 111 - 130 of 130
How strange. According to Mr Ecclestone, a week ago Silverstone had 48 hours to sign a deal. Since then, deathly silence. Anybody know what's going on?
gonna give them another 48 hours? or maybe give donington more time? make a decision.
Nobody (Other than Bernie The Poison Dwarf) want to lose Silverstone.
I can only deduce that Bernie want to free up the GB GP slot so he can sell it to the highest bidder and line his pockets even more.
He really is a loathsome creature, his early opportunities were only ever in the British Motor Sports Arena, and he repays this munificence by stabling the UK Fans in the back; betraying the Motor Sports Industries; and selling F1 heritage to Mamon
This vile little excuse for a man should go as soon as possible, and take his Napoleon Complex with him.
Well?
Is It Saved or not?
Well i am confused, where have i been???
Well that is funny. I just got in from a day out and find that I have been posting all day????
Not only that but I can't understand a word I said, how odd?
D C Mark Zak Mark s mark.swindells.indeedspanking2 U R SOLES.
Zak @ 123) Sorry you have pulled the wrong rabbit out of the hat???
paulhancock1123......I don't mean to single you out specifically as you are not the only one, I was just using your quote to make a point. I think you may be missing my point, though.
There are a few posters who's only intent is to stir people up, for what ever reason they seem to get off on it. There are people in the world that enjoy getting other people worked up, as sick as that sounds. But, some on this sight are possibly mentally ill due to the amount they post and for the length of time they have been conducting themselves in such a manor. If you engage them you are just going to drive yourself crazy as no matter how correct you are you won't win with them. They are playing by different rules and they change them to suite their position, much like heir Mosley. Continually posting at length about Hamilton and Glock in Brazil 2008 for articles that mention none involved proves this as it is insane.
The amount of time they spend with these crazy posts, is just that... CRAZY. The amount of time they spend posting shows that they have nothing else to do, this is their hobby. If they posted to further discussions and to participate with others that would be one thing, but their only intent is to rile people up. They do this in the same manor as the kid who no one pays attention to so they behave badly to get attention.
I wish people here would just thumb down and ignore the crazy posts instead of engaging them. Do it for your own sanity, as the some have already lost it. You will never win with them, they are never wrong in their mind. So please stop trying to reason with unreasonable people. Ignore the crazies on every level, even if they post something reasonable and rational, and they will eventually give it up. Seeing how sick they are it may take a while though.
Zak, are you saying that X is the dark one? I've long suspected it but really I couldnt give a rats ar$e anymore.
Chris_s '"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" - Albert Einstein.'
He believed that until he was finally won over on the concept of quantum mechanics, after that even the impossible became probable.
Oh yes Turdonroute, sorry x, he is very clever in the same way a pig or a dog are, and could be witty if he had any wits, well a half-wit anyway
TOURONROUTE,SCOOP, SCOOP, Direct from the British Grand Pix circuit, the guy from the inside says,watch this space,the British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone in 2010 and beyond.
all the best from TOURONROUTE
chris, x, .....
I've already stopped, absolutely positively beieve that this fool knows nothing, as for being clever, hes not, just sick
chris_s @115 totally agree with the post fully. Paulhancock1123 you along with a few others posters are fuelling the fire and it must stop now. I have been following some of these posts for a long while and believe me guys this Touronroute guy is very clever and very witty, now think for one moment he has a few posters going actually round in circles and printing garbage about him for well over three months, and the guy cant lose, he has made a few idiots if they only understood and admitted it. Take this post for instance............. and read it, the guy cant go wrong.... WHY.......................TOURONROUTE,SCOOP, SCOOP,the guy from the inside says,watch this space,the British grand prix will be held at silverstone in 2010 and beyond.
TOURONROUTE,SCOOP, SCOOP,the guy from the inside says,watch this space,the British grand prix will be held at silverstone in 2010 and beyond.
This whole forum has gone to @#$% and this particular thread shows the problems. I can't understand why seemingly rational people keep engaging and fueling a few obviously not well posters. I read where you state it has been going on for a couple of years That just seems insane to me, why would you stay involved with someone who drives you crazy for so long when you can very easily ignore them. You will never prove these people wrong in their mind, so stop trying. Just F'in ignore them and give them a thumbs down and they will go away. People in the forum need to grow the F up as this is totally pathetic.
paulhancock1123 "Countless times we have taken him to task, tried to get him to PROVE that what he knows is the truth and has not acomplished this once. I dont suffer fools to well and this one is definately the silverstone village idiot."
So how has all that been working out for you?? You can't be rational with an irrational person. You have TRIED to have them prove themselves, how many more times are you going to do it before you realize you will never get satisfaction from some people.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" - Albert Einstein.
guys? girls? whatever you are? get a room or preferably just shut up, you're just boring now. Do we really have to have this til the next season?
Give it a rest!
Oh of course I forgot you're hooked into everything and can see all things
Oh of course I forgot you're hooked into everything and can see all things
MoronRoute nice lot a names you've had over the past few months.
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