Silverstone’s hopes of reclaiming British GP over

Donington Park boss Simon Gillett has told Silverstone to forget its aspirations of reclaiming the British Grand Prix after confirming that he now has a 17-year contract to host the event. Gillett, talking exclusively to AUTOSPORT, added that there was no chance that Donington Park would not be ready to host the British Grand Prix in 2010 with the investment-raising debenture scheme now due to be launched next month.

"Sitting here today, I can't see any reason for doing that," said Gillett. "What Bernie Ecclestone has done is given us a safety net. Part of the problem with our financing has been that everyone is out there saying it doesn't matter if Donington doesn't make it because Silverstone will pick it up.

"So that's a distraction for our financiers – they read in the press that Silverstone will get it back so ask why they should go with us. But what Mr. Ecclestone did was very carefully say that if Donington is there in 2010, he'll wait because it's not going back to Silverstone.

"In doing that, he has made 2010 even more viable because now finance houses understand that it is our contract. To give us one-year breathing space is an absolute show of commitment."