14/10/2009
NEWS STORY
As the Donington debacle continues, BRDC president Damon Hill prepares to stand his ground as Ecclestone seeks a deal.
There are conflicting issues as to what really happened on Monday. It is claimed by some that Simon Gillett enjoyed an uncomfortable meeting with Bernie Ecclestone at his Knightsbridge HQ, while others say the F1 supremo refused to meet with the Donington Ventures Leisure Limited boss.
Then again, Gillett subsequently claimed to have been given a further two week deadline while Ecclestone said the two weeks is a legal obligation and that the Donington boss is in breach of his contract.
Meanwhile, watching patiently from the sidelines is BRDC president and 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill, a man who knows all about taking it to the limit.
While Ecclestone is no doubt looking to Silverstone as a stop-gap once the inevitable happens and Gillett admits he's beaten, Hill is seeking a more secure deal.
"As things stand we are waiting in the wings," he told the Daily Telegraph. "We think we're the right place for it. We're ready to go but as yet we have not seen a contract which is a sustainable, affordable contract.
"We want to provide a really great venue for the fans but in order to do that we will need to have the kind of contract which provides enough scope to develop the facilities without too much risk to the company going bust."
While the BRDC must accept some of the blame for the position that British race fans currently find themselves in, it is Ecclestone who must take the lion's share.
Now is the time not only for sanity to prevail - a rarity in Formula One - but for Ecclestone to put the best interest of the sport before all else.
It is also time for Hill to stand his ground and get the future of the British Grand Prix secured once and for all.
"There is a deal that can be done," he told the Times. "Bernie's method has been very much to go to the highest bidder, but there are sporting matters, not just commercial matters, to be considered. We need to work together so there is not a question every year about the future of the British Grand Prix."
And so say all of us!