No government help for Silverstone

The British government has said that there will be no funding to help the British Grand Prix, despite renewed threats from Bernie Ecclestone that the race could be axed (which he does every year to worry the promoter). This of course is idiotic and will never happen, but the British media feed on Bernie's every word.

Speaking in response to Ecclestone's calls for some of the money earmarked for the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games to be 'lent' to Silverstone in order to guarantee work needed to bring the circuit 'up to scratch', a spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told Britsport Weekly that there were conditions preventing such an arrangement.

"The government has no ownership of Silverstone so to make financial contributions would be illegal state aid," the representative explained.

"We've been talking to the government over a number of years," BRDC chairman Robert Brooks told the same report, "What I will say is that the government has been very supportive in encouraging the BRDC and the two local authorities to facilitate the changes needed. There is enormous enthusiasm from Richard Caborn to retain the British Grand Prix.

"We have business and land assets and that is the extent of the asset base. It's not just about the British Grand Prix, but taking Silverstone forward and like any business we need capital investment to help us thrive."