Silverstone Lives

[Hondavirgin]

From F1-Live.com:

Silverstone secures Grand Prix deal
New five year deal for Silverstone





Silverstone set for GP until 2009



Silverstone racing track owners agreed Thursday a five year deal with Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone to continue to stage the British Grand Prix at the central England venue.

The track owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, had to put pen to paper on a deal before Friday when the FIA will release the final version of next year's calendar.
Ecclestone and the BRDC had reached an impasse over the exact breakdown of the seven-year contract. He wanted a one-year deal with an option for six further seasons while the BRDC preferred a two- year initial period.

The future of the race, one of the oldest in the sport, was plunged into doubt when the British Grand Prix was left off the provisional Formula One calendar in October.

"I genuinely thought we were going to lose it," BRDC president Jackie Stewart told Sky News. "The Formula One teams definitely helped," he said. "Bernie Ecclestone never really wanted to lose the British Grand Prix ... and he was very cooperative in the end.

"The deal that has been struck was affordable," Stewart said. "We anticipate we will develop the land, and EMDA (East Midlands Development Agency) will help."

The most important issue was "making sure we don't lose money. We can't lose money." As for developments of the track itself, Stewart said: "In the short term we will continue where we are ... the course is one of the best. The pit and paddock facilities are good enough, although not as architecturally exciting as (those in) Shanghai, Bahrain and Malaysia."

Britain's sports minister, Richard Caborn, welcomed news of the deal. "This is a great day for the future of the motor industry in the UK. We have been working with the East Midlands Development Agency and the local authority to develop this industrial cluster at Silverstone and this should not only secure the long-term future of the all the teams operating out of the UK but will give the opportunity for others to join," he told the Press Association.

Source AFP

Great news! Always gives great races!!!

[jackosimm]

haha yes!!!!! thats made my day

[Sp3rMz]

Dam pommys :P give way for new and exciting tracks. I want to see the F1 go to VIETNAM. HAHAHAHAHHAAH. IF you pommys keep on hogging Vietnam wil neva have the chance.

[jackosimm]

Does Vietnam have a worthy track? Spose Malaysia got there, Vietnam in with a shot lol, but yeh thats best news Silverstone's back!!!

[LUD02C]

There is no money coming from Britain now, and Bernie knows that.
He wants to dump it for Russia or another one in China or even in another arab state.

Its good for history, but who wants another track where pit stops are the overtaking?

I'm sorry but i have to agree with Bernie on this and the sport needs more money to develop so broaden the horizens i say!

[Hondavirgin]

As i remember last year Silverstone was one of the best races in the season, wasn't it full of overtaking and hard racing....i reckon it is one of the few tracks that does give good racing currently.

as for more money, Bernie needs to stop pulling so much money out of it for himself.

[jackosimm]

I love Silverstone! good race for me

[McChook]

I Silverstone GPs are always the most anticpated and more reliably entertaining than any other Grand Prix of the calendar.

And maybe this year I will make it to Silverstone to see it. I personally love the place, it is definitely my kind of circuit

[kenshin]

couldnt believe it was even an option to shaft the british GP...

money talks and everything but there's so much history and races are always tight...

[Sprung Munkey]

50 odd yrs and Silverstone and they'd pull it?
Bernie just wants more cash and that was the only way to threaten it. That said, the facilities there are apparently 3rd world, and the parking on a wet english day is a mud bath!