The British GP Post 2019

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So Silverstone has invoked the break clause in their contract with Liberty media which, post the 2019 race, leaves the longest running race (along with Italy and Monaco) on the F1 calendar homeless. The BRDC claim "force majeure" as they don't make any money from the event and the 5% escalator agreed when Bernie ran FOM makes this worse.

But surely when they signed the original contract they knew what level of cost they were exposing themselves to? Is this posturing on the part of the BRDC in an attempt to force FOM's new owners to drop their pants and serve up a new deal? What if ever circuit tries this? Liberty media will soon be the ones not making any money with the amount they have stumped up to buy FOM.

Jackie Stewart believes that UK Government should help to fund the race. I know motor racing is vey importnat industry here in the UK but when libraries are being closed, hospitals are struggling to care for sick people and public employees have strict rules limiting their pay rises I, for one, don't want the exchequer to spend a single pound on an entertainment event.

For those who watched the F1 live event in London you may recall a rather toe curling exchange between Eddie Jordan and Chase Cary where EJ declared "The British Grand Prix safe in the future". I don't think that was what Cary said and this article seems to support that conclusion: BRDC rejects Liberty Media proposal - Pitpass.com

So will Silverstone win this game of bluff? Silverstone needs Liberty Media far more than Liberty Media needs a British GP at Silverstone. There are rumours of two possible venues in London: London proposals lodged for F1 race . There are other circuits who could host a race, although all would require significant investment to bring them up to Silverstone's standard in terms of facilities for the teams.

I'm sure there are many other countries around the World who would stump up the money to bring a Grand Prix to their country and, I would suggest, only two European races are forever safe - Monaco (just because) and Italy (as Ferrari would leave).

Silverstone are playing a dangerous game. FOM may be "Under New Management" but they are not fools and, I suspect, won't be held to ransom by one circuit in one country with the risk of the same thing happening elsewhere in the world.

 

[vintly]

I didn't see the F1 live event but can imagine EJ blustering along in panto-horse fashion as usual. Everything he says makes my toes curl - glad I missed it! Well that bit anyway.

I really don't mind if Silverstone loses it as long as there is a British GP. It's a bloody pain to get to, and worse to get home from, and I was underwhelmed when I last went. I'd welcome a change but accept I'm in a minority there.

Could a street race in East London / docklands be viable? Hope so.

 

[cider_and_toast]

The BRDC are playing a dangerous game in my view.

I wonder if the fact that the British GP placed so highly in the 'popular gp's' section of the recent Motorsport F1 survey the BRDC may have been further emboldened and see the event as untouchable?

It would take a hefty amount of cash to make another venue (either temporary or permanent) into a viable proposition.

 

[RasputinLives]

Simple answer. Birmingham Super Prix!

No. They'll renegotiated with Silverstone. I have no doubt in my head. It's been threatened to not be there so many times.

As for a London street race. It would be brilliant but they'll never get permission. Formula E got hounded out by the local council and that was only round Battersea park!

 

[Road of Bones]

I tend to agree with RasputinLives - it will still be at Silverstone. They'll negotiate a less-punitive rate, but LM will still make just enough of a profit to justify the goodwill from not binning the British GP. Faces saved all-round, and one in the eye for his Eccleship.

 

[Titch]

It seems very wrong that fans pay such high prices for tickets to Silverstone, and yet Silverstone isn't able to make a profit. Why should FOM or Liberty media take such a huge cut ? They don't own the circuit, or the teams. They are a governing body, with very, very high wages, apparently.

 

[teabagyokel]

RasputinLives - And the noise levels of Formula One and Formula E are somewhat different. There's no area in London free of a NIMBY who'd complain.

 

[Galahad]

Anyone else who wants to use a circuit for the weekend has to pay the circuit operator. If the brilliance of Bernie can be boiled down to anything, it's how he established this ridiculous reversal of common sense.

Both sides will continue to posture, but a deal will be done.

 

[Bill Boddy]

During the TV coverage of the highlights of the MotoGP the commentators were saying how good the race was and how, for a change, welcoming everyone at Silverstone was towards the event. It sounds almost as though they are looking towards MotoGP being their primary event.

 

[Galahad]

Latest rumours are that they'll lose their WEC round as well, although TBC.

 

[cider_and_toast]

The new in-field section at Silverstone after the start / finish line was designed to make the track more appealing to Moto GP racing. It was conceived when it looked as if the British GP was going to Donnington.

The trouble with Silverstone is that as they are the only UK track to have the infrastructure to support a GP weekend they think that it puts them in the driving seat due to the popularity of British GPs. Liberty will play just as hard as Bernie in negotiations as far as money is concerned.