Donington boss has no doubts British GP will come off

Donington Park owner Simon Gillett insists he is thriving on the skepticism surrounding his ability to host the British Grand Prix from 2010.

Gillett, via his company Donington Ventures Ltd, signed a 10-year agreement with Bernie Ecclestone after Silverstone stalled over a new deal.

Speaking at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monte Carlo, Gillett said: "I don't have to convince people, and I'm not about to convince them.

"I'll convince them by building it. I'm not going to stand here and tell everyone 'you have to believe me, honest, please'.

"I'm not interested in that. They'll see when buildings come out of the ground and cars turn up on the grid.

"If they still want to sit at home not believing me, that's their prerogative, but the buildings will still come out of the ground, and the cars will still be on the grid.

"To be honest, I love the skepticism. I'd be quite disappointed if it left actually. It's what motivates me.

"I was told by a lot of experts I would never buy the circuit, that Tom (Wheatcroft) would never sell it, but I did.

"I was told if I bought it I'd never get things like the museum and I'd never be able to work with Tom, yet I have the museum and Tom and I have a flourishing, fantastic relationship.

"I was also told it would be impossible to get Formula One, that it would never happen.

"So the more the experts tell me it won't happen, the more I seem to achieve. I feed off it. It doesn't concern me at all.

"I have my goals and I know they're realistic."

Gillett is fully aware of being tagged the man who lost Britain its grand prix if his plans do not come to fruition.

Everything now hinges on planning consent, and the council meeting on January 8.

"It's fair to say I have given the British Grand Prix a chance when no-one else was prepared to," added Gillett

"I've put my money where my mouth is, stepped up to the plate and thought the British Grand Prix important enough to save.

"Bernie said 'this contract is either signed by Silverstone or Donington, and whoever picks it up has to deliver, and if neither of you pick it up, it goes out of the country'.

"Silverstone had first opportunity, and they didn't pick it up.

"We sat and waited for them to do so for six months, but they didn't, so when their time expired, which was the week before the British Grand Prix, I picked it up and signed it.

"So no, I've not risked the British Grand Prix – I was the only person prepared to save it.

"I've done all the work and risked everything to get to this point."

Gillett is also adamant there is no scam cooked up between himself and Ecclestone to get rid of Silverstone.

"Bernie is no fool. He hasn't come to me to make me some pawn in a game that will see the grand prix go to Moscow," insisted Gillett.

"He could just take it to Moscow. He doesn't have to use me as an interim step to do that. There's no benefit.

"Instead, there was a real meeting of minds. We bent and flexed, he bent and flexed to get something that works.

"We can achieve this, and that is what wakes me up in the morning to go to work, because I know we can do it."

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