F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, has given his blessing to Silverstone's plans to hold a non-championship British Grand Prix in 2005.

With the relationship between Ecclestone and the circuit's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), at an all-time low, not helped by the fact that the Englishman is suing the club's Scottish president, Jackie Stewart, it appears that all that's left is to run the British GP as a non-championship race.

Speaking in Brazil, before heading off to Mexico on Monday to conclude the deal that will see the central American country back on the F1 calendar from 2006, Ecclestone told reporters: "I have suggested it, and I think it would be a cracking idea.

"The BRDC say they cannot afford to pay the prices we charge to everyone else around the world, so this would be the ideal solution for them," he added.

"They can set their own date, prices, find their own sponsors, do their own TV deal... maybe then they can get on with rebuilding and come back and talk to me in a couple of years about getting back on the official calendar."

All that remains now is for the BRDC to agree terms with the teams, which will be no easy thing. Although several teams have been most vociferous in their demands that Britain remains on the calendar, it will be interesting to see how they react to what the BRDC offers them, especially when the race doesn't count towards the world championship and many of the financial issues have yet to be resolved.