With four weeks to go until the British Grand Prix, Silverstone has confirmed that World Cup fever will rob the event of its very own hat-trick – a third successive sell out.

Tickets for the British Grand Prix have been selling well but circuit bosses have revealed that this year's event won't match the sell out crowds of 2004 and 2005.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, commented: "With just four weeks to go until the Grand Prix, ticket sales are slightly behind where we were at this time last year, and that is one hundred percent due to public interest in the football World Cup. The public's attention has been diverted away from the British Grand Prix, but we'll still have a huge crowd on 11 June. It's unlikely the event will sell out, but we'll be extremely close."

Phillips also suggested that the change of date for this year's event, moved forward a month from its traditional July date, has had an effect on ticket sales, "While we're fully prepared for our biggest event of the year, there are definitely fans and corporate guests out there who will be surprised to hear the British Grand Prix is just four weeks away. We've gone to great lengths to communicate the new date, but there are still people who think the Grand Prix is in July.

"If ticket sales soar over the next four weeks the race could, potentially, still be a sell out, which would give us a hat-trick of our own (the 2004 & 2005 British Grand Prix were both sold out). It's important people know the British Grand Prix does not automatically sell out. The last thing we want is for fans watching at home to spot an empty seat and think, 'I could have gone to Silverstone, but I thought it was sold out'."

Silverstone has even made arrangements to ensure fans don't miss a single kick of England's opening game of the football World Cup, scheduled to take place on the same day as qualifying for the British Grand Prix. 65,000 fans are expected to head to Silverstone for qualifying on the Saturday (equalling attendance for the Saturday of the 2005 British Grand Prix) and, having cheered on British drivers Jenson Button and David Coulthard through a dramatic hour of qualifying, they will then have an opportunity to roar the England football team on to success in what should be an incredible atmosphere.

The whole match will be shown 'live' on three giant screens located in prime locations around the outside of the track, including Pits Straight, Stowe and Abbey. With kick off scheduled for 14:00hrs (BST), the atmosphere promises to be electric, and by 16:30hrs Silverstone will hopefully be celebrating a British and English one-two, for both the nations drivers and footballers.

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