19/11/2004
NEWS STORY
With the fate of the British Grand Prix still undecided, as F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the British Racing Drivers' Club (seemingly) argue over a deal that will be suitable to all involved, there is still a long-term question mark over Silverstone.
Ecclestone is demanding a massive upgrade to the former airfield's facilities, and the BRDC, which owns the track, simply doesn't have the money.
Consequently, former world champion, and president of the BRDC, Jackie Stewart, is calling on the British government to give its support, by providing some of the cash needed to take the track - which hosted the first ever round of the Formula One World Championship, back in July 1950 - into the 21st century.
"We need to be assisted because every other government in the world are building facilities that provide a venue that the general public and the rest of the world admire and acknowledge," the Scot told The Sun.
"How could it have possibly have been that it should have been left for the owners of Silverstone, the British Racing Drivers Club, to save the British Grand Prix for the nation, for the economy of a large region around Silverstone and for the potential 40,000 jobs in the industry?
"This is about the prestige of our country, the racing teams and their sponsors," he added. "How could it be that the BRDC were being potentially blamed for losing the British Grand Prix?
"I think there's every justification for giving money as long as it is not going to any individual's pocket," he said, seemingly referring to Ecclestone, who recently began legal proceedings against him.
"I do think they may well eventually provide us with funds to create facilities - and that is totally justified," he continued. "Cricket got £53m one year. There's also the equestrian thing and even my love, trap shooting got a lot of money."
Stewart also took the opportunity to warn that Formula One is in financial danger, which is hardly the signal one should be sending out to the government if one is hoping for a 'hand out'.
"There's no doubt in my mind the economic infrastructure of Formula One has to change if it's going to survive for the long term," he said. "Currently the money is only going in one direction, it is not re-entering the sport and being reinvested in the sport.
"The BRDC cannot spend money on the facilities we would need because there's no profit, no return, and losses being made on every Grand Prix in the world.
"The teams spend their money on technology and facilities. Frank Williams has just built a wind tunnel for £25m and Ron Dennis' factory probably cost £270m. They need to invest that to have the facilities and the equipment they need for the long term.
"In the meantime the organisers promoters and track owners end up all losing money - so that's not going to work."
The fact is that, concentrating purely on F1, since we are talking about the British Grand Prix, major investment by the government is not going to happen. Firstly, to many, the sport remains elitist and awash with dosh, therefore hardly deserving of handouts from hard-pressed tax payers.
Furthermore, following the government's previous experience with F1, namely Bernie Ecclestone's 'contribution' to the Labour Party, Prime Minister Blair is unlikely to want to have anything to do with the sport.
Finally, while F1 still relies heavily on tobacco money, and to all intents and purposes shows no signs of giving up the weed, the government, which only this week announced tough new measures to restrict smoking, is hardly likely to want to cough up dosh.
Perhaps Brand Synergy can help.