29/07/2008
NEWS STORY
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The results of a poll carried out on the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) Members Forum, clearly demonstrate that all is not well within the Silverstone circuit's marvellous clubhouse.
The poll is the brainchild of John Fitzpatrick, a past Director of the BRDC and Silverstone Circuits Ltd, who was also the Club's membership Secretary for many years, and follows the announcement that the legendary Northamptonshire track is to lose the British Grand Prix to Donington from 2010.
Fitzpatrick recently wrote to members in an attempt to garner opinion as to where the BRDC goes from here, with particular reference to the current Board.
As previously reported, the BRDC membership was already divided over the whole issue of the Grand Prix and the ambitious redevelopment plans aimed at retaining it. However, since the Donington announcement there has been serious talk of mutiny, with many members feeling "totally exasperated".
The poll consisted of three questions, and the reaction was quite astounding.
Asked if they were happy with the way the Board have conducted the Grand Prix Contract and planning applications, 96.77% of those that voted said no.
Asked if they thought the Board should resign over the recent loss of the Grand Prix contract/ planning and whether the Board had breached the member’s mandate, as well as the unlikely outcome of the enablement brief now being approved, 96.10% said yes.
Finally, asked if the Board should be asked to resign should they fail to do so themselves, 95.45% said yes.
Reacting to the poll results, Fitzpatrick told fellow members: "I have presided over a good number of voting issues through the years; I have never seen a result like this before that is so emphatic and resounding in its outcome. It does prove one other side issue too, that being that if the members are given an anonymous vote, they are more likely to come out in their numbers in serious situations or circumstances. It may well have something to do with the current regime's recent policy of persecuting those members who have had the guts to speak out in the face of their membership's being threatened or withdrawn.
"The Board should now be fully aware of the depth of feeling within our Club and should not ignore the voice from within that has spoken in such an emphatic way these past 10 days. However one may wish to interpret this result, it signifies that some radical changes need to be made to our Club's administration. Nobody in their right mind can now say that the Board has fulfilled the membership's wishes or has accomplished anything that we can be proud of or satisfied with. Worse than that, the Board has gone against the "No high-risk strategy" mandate we empowered them with and instead, embarked on an highly expensive planning process which has, in most members eyes, now failed!"
In what might be seen as a classic case of 'divide and conquer', Robert Brooks, Chairman of the BRDC Board, has written to members, and in addition to claiming that everything is fairly rosy, despite the loss of the GP, has announced a special members forum to be held at Silverstone on September 4. Subsequently, when it was revealed that not all members might be able to attend the Silverstone meeting, Brooks announced an alternative forum at Bonhams - what one might call home soil - on September 1.
In his letter to members, sent on July 22, as the poll got underway, Brooks wrote: "Your Board was not prepared to agree to the contract price with Formula One Management which they demanded, since it was judged by both the BRDC and SHL Boards to be simply unaffordable. Since another promoter was apparently prepared to agree a higher price, FOM signed with them. There has been much speculation as to whether or not Donington will be ready to host the race by 2010, and there is also informed speculation over the commercial sustainability of a Grand Prix there over the period of their contract.
"Irrespective of this, we must now focus our efforts upon the future of Silverstone and of our Club while assuming that the Grand Prix will no longer be 'ours' after next year. Our already published plans - both detailed and ambitious - to develop facilities, real estate and services at Silverstone remain our principal focus, together with the development of a sustainable business strategy (without the Grand Prix) both for Silverstone Circuits and for Silverstone Estates.
"Our plans for the redevelopment of the circuit have been strongly supported by the two local authorities. The Planning Development Brief under consideration establishes a broad platform to secure the future development of the entire site. As part of the brief it was originally proposed that two special areas within our non-core land would be designated for an enabling consent - the funds raised from the sale of this specific land to be available for use only in connection with the development of a new Pit, Paddock and Media Centre to contemporary FIA Grand Prix standard. We are still in detailed planning negotiations with South Northamptonshire District Council on the enabling case though they have already indicated that modification to our original application will be required."
"Whatever excuses or professionally detailed explanations (if any) are given by the Board in their defence at the forthcoming forums at London and Silverstone, let there be no illusions as to the fact that the Grand Prix contract has now gone," says Fitzpatrick. "The planning issues will have to be reformulated or totally restructured; the local authorities and the Silverstone village has been left alienated and disillusioned with our administration; our business has been neglected.
"If this is all a testament to the success of this administration and a platform for us to allow them all to go forward with the Club's future in their hands, then I will stand corrected and personally throw in the towel. In my opinion and, judging by the results of the Poll, if the membership allows this Board to continue on its merry way to do as it likes and chooses, then all I see is mediocrity and potential disaster looming its ugly head in the very near future.
"It needs a totally fresh approach now," he concludes, "with new blood and a better plan to enact than has been the case for the past few years. We do have the members with the expertise within the Club to make a better future for the BRDC. They need to be sought out, given our backing and support and allow us members to contribute all the help we can give them to make us great again.
"We have done it before and can do it again … It's time that we did. We gave this Board enough rope to hang itself which it effectively seems to have accomplished in every sense."
As the squabbling continues, one can almost hear the strains of Land of Hope and Glory playing in the background.
No matter the rights or wrongs, the fact is that the Grand Prix has been lost, and millions appear to have been wasted - the BRDC Board appearing to have followed the example of our glorious British governement.
However, whatever one might think of what Bernie would describe as a "bunch of old geezers in blazers 'aving a row", the fact remains that an overwhelming number have voted a complete lack of confidence in the current board.