Future of British Grand Prix in turmoil as Silverstone bosses’ pleas of poverty are rejected
THE future of the British Grand Prix hangs in the balance after Formula One’s new owners told Silverstone bosses that they will not cut the cash-famished circuit an improved deal.
As Lewis Hamilton did his bit to boost British motor racing by taking pole position in Barcelona, Chase Carey, F1’s moustachioed chief executive, was playing hard ball over the future of the oldest race in the world championship calendar.
Carey met John Grant, chairman of Silverstone’s owners, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), in the paddock over the weekend.
Grant explained that the cost of hosting the Grand Prix is so crippling that the BRDC are contemplating the unthinkable: dropping their showpiece event by triggering a break clause after the 2019 edition.
But Carey, while willing to work with Silverstone to help increase revenues, is not willing to reduce the hosting fee, which rises by five per cent each year, taking the figure from £12 million in 2010 to £26m by 2027.
‘We will not be renegotiating the contract,’ Carey told The Mail on
Sunday. ‘We value Silverstone and we want the race to be a success and will work with them to help achieve that. But we won’t be redoing agreements that were previously concluded in good faith between two parties.
‘Silverstone made money last year.’
Grant will report back to his members on the situation and wait to see what might yet be forthcoming from Carey, before a decision is taken on whether to walk away.
While Grant is keen not to negotiate through the Press, one disgruntled BRDC figure said: ‘We want to keep the race — but not if it kills us.’
The BRDC are in the strongest negotiating position they have ever been in because Carey can ill-afford to lose the British Grand Prix within months of Liberty Media’s muchtrumpeted takeover of the sport.
There is no alternative venue for the near future, with plans for a London race a long way off completion. Carey’s predecessor, Bernie Ecclestone, worked hard on the idea — and had drawings of possible circuits in his office — but there were too many logistical problems for any scheme to work.
Across the paddock, where Carey was based, Hamilton was showing great form in
his Mercedes to claim his 64th pole position. Four more and he will equal the record of Michael Schumacher — a mark he could reach as early as Silverstone this year.
More pressingly, this pole sets Hamilton up perfectly to trim Sebastian Vettel’s 13-point lead in the championship.
Ferrari’s Vettel was second quickest, having locked up on his final flying lap. He was 0.051sec behind Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas, in the other Mercedes, was third fastest. Kimi Raikkonen, of Ferrari, was fourth.
Vettel was almost pulled out of qualifying by his pit-lane boffins, who told him he had an engine problem. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked them. He continued and the programming fault was rectified.
While Mercedes celebrated, there was also jubilation at McLaren-Honda, for whom double world champion Fernando Alonso made it into the third qualifying session — a season first — with a reminder of his wonderful talent in front of his home fans.
In the McLaren garage, executive director Zak Brown was smiling all over. Joy at starting seventh is a sign of the times, after the team’s gruesome beginning to a season which has been beset by a succession of engine problems.
Alonso, whose teammate Stoffel Vandoorne was only 19th fastest, wagged his finger in celebration. But will he even start the race, let alone finish it?
Honda boss Yusuke Hasegawa was certain there would be no problems. Alonso, however, said that he ‘can’t be 100 per cent certain’.
Jolyon Palmer, of Renault, was 17th quickest. The Brit said: ‘I don’t know what happened. I was happy yesterday. Today the pace has just gone.’