Silverstone off the calendar? 2019??

BRDC director says it's 'highly probable' Silverstone will activate a break clause in their F1 contract | F1 News

BRDC director says it's 'highly probable' Silverstone will activate a break clause in their F1 contract
Circuit have a deal to stage the race until 2027; However, they have until this year's race to end the deal and cease staging the race from 2019

The circuit has a contract to host the race until 2027, but with the fee to host the GP increasing each year, Silverstone has the option of ending the contract early.

However, they must exercise that clause before the grand prix weekend gets underway at Silverstone this year.

Philip Walker, a director of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), who has been involved in talks with Formula 1's new owners Liberty Media, told the Mail on Sunday: 'It is highly probable we will have to activate the break clause.'

 

British Grand Prix could be gone within two years | Daily Mail Online

Silverstone bosses are preparing to pull out of their contract to host the British Grand Prix beyond 2019.

The Mail on Sunday understands they will activate a break clause ahead of this year's race — casting the future of Formula One's oldest race into doubt.

But Silverstone will then gamble on renegotiating a new, improved deal in the next few years in an attempt to keep hold of the showpiece weekend.

 

It's funny isn't it? - Liberty Media have been publicly critical of the deals that Bernie Ecclestone made with the circuits, openly stating that he over-charged them in the first place, but they're not making any efforts whatsoever to renegotiate and change those contracts to make the cost of putting on a Grand Prix cheaper!

In fact, they say their hands are tied due to the contracts that are already in place, but that's just a load of bull:censored:t!

If they genuinely feel that the circuits are paying too much right now, and the circuit owners feel the same way, then both parties can terminate the contracts by mutual consent, and renegotiate a new contract to run with immediate effect.

The fact is, whilst publicly being critical of Bernie's deals, Liberty Media are more than happy to keep taking the money that they think is too much to pay, and keep it.

Look at Malaysia. They complained to Liberty Media that the cost of putting the Grand Prix on was too much and so wanted to terminate their contract a year early, and rather than make any effort to reduce the costs for Malaysia, or fight to keep the race on the calender, they simply said something along the lines of: "We totally agree that you were made to pay too much for the Grand Prix, along with many other circuits, but you signed the deal of your own free will, and we cannot change your contract because then every other circuit will want to do the same. Goodbye!"


Now I'm going to go a bit Eddie Jordan here:

With Silverstone, Liberty Media have little interest in holding the British Grand Prix there!

As with Malaysia, they could easily step in and reduce the costs for the Silverstone owners, but they simply have no interest in doing so.

Why? - Because they want the British Grand Prix to be a street race around London, where it would generate far more international publicity than the race around Silverstone does.

They have no real interest in Silverstone's F1 history, and they care little about what Lewis Hamilton or the British F1 fans want, they simply want to generate the most media interest possible, because that's the business that they're in.

They won't even care if a circuit and race around London is a bit mediocre, just so long as it generates large amounts of media interest, and gets a lot of tourists coming to the race. And should a race around London be a disaster, they can always go back to Silverstone a couple years later, declaring the British Grand Prix to be back where it belongs!

So mark My words, if Silverstone invoke the break in their contract (as now looks most likely), Liberty Media will make very little effort to have the race at Silverstone, and will instead, immediately start talking to the British Government about holding a race on the streets of London.

As I say, it's interesting how Liberty Media agree the costs of putting a Grand Prix on are too high for the circuit owners, but are making no effort whatsoever to do anything about it until the current contracts ends - It appears that circuit owners being put off having a Grand Prix due to the current high costs, suits Liberty Media's plans for the future quite nicely!

Of course, just like Eddie Jordan, I could be wrong, but I stand by My statement!

 

Might Silverstone activate the break clause and then renegotiate a better contract? It could be less messy for all involved than Liberty Media having to patch up existing contracts with ad hoc assistance to each venue that needs it.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I can see both sides - Keep the contract as Liberty are happy to take the money it specifies or use your wits and break it. Engage Liberty and plan a new one with a revamped format. Still it makes no sense to lose a heritage race and Liberty said those races matter. Well which will it be Liberty??

 

Move the British GP to London.

 

If you moved the British Grand Prix to the streets of London, it would immediately become a major terrorist target! - Securing Silverstone is far easier than trying to secure all the streets in London that would give access to the track.

Added to that, personally, I don't want to see F1 become so "Americanised", with loads of races being held on Indycar style street circuits - Save that s:censored:t for the Playstation/Xbox "Gran turismo/Forza racing" games!

 

I couldn't agree more with you.

A GP would be a real calamity for London, with enormous disruption to the city for close to a week.
Our public transport is at breaking point, our tourist accommodation full and our security already overworked; we just cannot take it anymore.

Beside, holding a British GP in town when we have fabulous permanent track is a sacrilege!!

Finally, the cost for creating the necessary infrastructure is likely to be picked up by the local taxpayers; people like me!!!

 

F1 in london would be horrible. F1 doesn't need to have another street track anyways, leave that for a Vegas race or something!

It's the same old story rehashed IMO, BRDC doesn't want to pay the money they do so claim they'll be out in year X.

 

The whole "London Grand Prix" idea shouts to Me that it would be more about the event than the actual race (an event that according to what liberty Media would like to see, would disrupt London for an entire week, and not just 4 days - The locals would love that! ).

Personally, I can't see London making for a great race anyway, and as a fan, I wouldn't even consider going to London as I absolutely hate the place due to it being a major pain in the backside to deal with at the best of times, with some of the most unfriendly, self-centred people I have ever encountered, and the prices for just about everything is a complete rip-off! (Have a Grand Prix in London and enjoy Ur £15 street-vendor burger, and £5 can of Coca Cola/Pepsi! )

(Silverstone can be a bit of a pain to get in and out of, and there's not much to do once you're there, but I'd much rather go to Silverstone than London!)

It's all part of liberty Media's three circus idea to generate Media interest, and to Hell with if it's going to make a great race or not.

Suddenly we are seeing the actual F1 race having to playing second fiddle to what else is going on around it - As highlighted by the qualifying session time slot being moved in Austin, for the benefit of the Justin Bieber concert afterwards.

That is what I believe they are hoping to do, but I genuinely think Liberty Media want to ditch Silverstone and run a three ring F1 circus in London.

Silverstone would be their back up circuit for the British GP if London is a no-go.

 

The danger for London is that the Mayor sees a F1 GP as a good opportunity to advertise the place, just like the previous one thought that having the Olympics here was great.

It was a nightmare, and we are still paying for it 5 years later.

 

British Grand Prix: Silverstone set to terminate contract after 2019 race - BBC Sport

British Grand Prix: Silverstone set to terminate contract after 2019 race

"So the circuit is set to end the contract and hope it can renegotiate a new one on better terms.

The BRDC knows this is a risk but it is a risk it cannot afford not to take.

So then the question becomes, what does F1 do next?"

 

That is why talk gathers about a future London GP.

 

Liberty has the choice of lowering its demand, or do away with a British GP in future.

I cannot see any other British track suitable or willing to take over the organisation of a GP a short notice.

 

A very good idea

 

Only if the circuit design offers some passing. We have Monaco and others that dont help racing as is. Id rather it be at Silverstone.

 

Baku made one of the best races in years

 

Yes with a 2km long straight. Plenty of sloppy driving. The year before it was a nice afternoon to take a nap

 

Terrible idea. Plenty of great tracks in UK, and London is already inaccessible on the best of times, with a GP it'd be impossible, and an absolute nightmare for anyone living there. Horrendous idea.

I'm all for a street track in Vegas or Miami even. Both I'd definitely visit. Both have enough space for a track wide and long enough to achieve any kind of overtaking, more than enough accommodation, crucially neither have an F1 worthy track around either. I'd be less likely to go to a London GP, despite it being closer to me than Silverstone.

 

I'm getting very frustrated with the limited choices of F1 races in the States. I'm longing for a city race in an interesting destination. Maybe next year will be the first in over a decade where I won't go to a GP.

Las Vegas would be the solution. Or NY or LA or Miami

 

Exactly

 

Isn't the London GP plan something to do with the Chinese owned land in Docklands to the North of London City Airport

 

Either of those would be good, though I'm less keen on NY if LV or MIA are options...

 

I'm good with any US metropolis

 

I guess I'm looking at it as a longer stay than just the 3 days or so for F1. Miami I'd stay for 10 days-2 weeks, due to weather. Loads of stuff to do also, nice ocean for swimming and deep sea fishing, water parks, theme parks (if that's your thing...did them and hated the lines, lol).

For LV, LA is round the corner (and vice versa) so after a few days at either spot I'd go to the other for a total of max 2 weeks also.

NY I'm sure is an exciting city and loads to do, but I'm not keen on the weather, and I'm not much of a city boy.