The British Grand Prix's future has been thrown into fresh doubt after Donington Park's owners, Wheatcroft & Son Limited, commenced legal proceedings against the track's operator - Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd - over unpaid rent.

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Autosport: British GP In Doubt

I find it quite amazing the sum of money that they are in debt by. Why would they let them get so heavily in debt, then decide to go and take legal action, it doesn’t seem quite right to me.

I hope there will be a British GP in 2010, it wouldn’t seem right if there wasn’t. Also as someone said on the BBC’s debating forum, Brands Hatch is a more than capable venue if Donnington could not hold it.

Either way it’s not looking too good for us Brits.

I don't want F1 to go around ruining all our great tracks, just keep it at bloody Silverstone, it's a great track and they are doing all the work F1 would need to go back there.

Brands Hatch would need major re-development to host an F1 race. I would hazard to say it would be impossible for them to reach FIA safety standards. Silverstone would be the most likely candidate would be Silverstone to host it again though politically this wouldn't be comfortable, and Ecclestone doesn't want to go back there! WHo knows we'll see!

Yeah I don’t see any reason why they cannot simply keep it at Silverstone. Maybe their safety standards are not up to regulation? Or was it because they were late in renewing the contract they had. I cannot remember to be honest.

On the times online website I found a very interesting article. “Bernie Ecclestone linked to Donington Park takeover”

The Formula One commercial rights-holder, who is in Bahrain for the fourth grand prix of the Formula One season on Sunday, pointedly did not rule out taking up the lease himself on the circuit where the British Grand Prix is supposed to be staged from 2010 for ten years, in place of Silverstone.

“Let's see what happens, shall we,” he said, when it was put to him that he could take control of developing the track on the Derbyshire and Leicestershire border near East Midlands airport. “At the moment, it's all speculation. I haven't thought about it.”

“I've been in talks with Simon Gillett today and we've been talking through the money situation,” Ecclestone said. “I'm trying to help him sort things out. What he really needs is an investor. That's the best hope of saving the race.”

Full Article:
Times: Bernie Ecclestone linked to Donning Park Takeover

Quote from wild :

Yeah I don’t see any reason why they cannot simply keep it at Silverstone. Maybe their safety standards are not up to regulation? Or was it because they were late in renewing the contract they had. I cannot remember to be honest.

Certainly nothing wrong with the track, it's exceptionally safe, equally rubbish for spectators and totally characterless with a sea of tarmac run off area. The reason why Silverstone lost the Grand Prix is it is owned by the BRDC, who Bernie hates, he's been going on for years about getting rid of Silverstone (all the nonsense about a GP at Brands or in the centre of London). Donnington was the first feasable proposal Bernie has come up with but it is evident that there has been no serious work started yet, other than digging a tunnel and knocking a couple of buildings down nothing has been done and I see no way its on track for 2010.

It would have needed a lot more investment and commitment, none of the landscaping/changing the layout and acceptance that current pit complex, whilst not great could be expanded to cope.

The race will be removed from the calendar rather than returning to current venue Silverstone.

why!!

Even if they do Move it to Donington park, the venue will taken out of many Championships due to them building the track.. Which is going to cause a lot of fuss..

I dont see why they just keep Silverstone.. maybe change that a bit?

Or atleast find a track which is already built, big enough and has enough funds to host F1 (I Dont think there is)

Why even use a racetrack when you can always use the london roads? Epic..

No Money needed !

Lydden Hill perhaps.

although seeing as it's owned by Mclaren, I very muchly doubt it.

Jackie Stuballs wants to get the govt involved with the British GP, unlikely though seeing as the govt is currently waging full scale war against the car.

I'm a bit worried for Donnington though, I really hope the place doesn't end up shutting indefinately, although Wheatcroft is a racing enthusiast and had the track rebuilt in the first place, so if he terminates the lease I'm sure he won't let the track rot.

No big loss, F1 is pants now anyways. I'd absolutely hate it they decided to go to Brands - that's a fantastic circuit and they'd just ruin it with all their.. ruining.. ness...

Oh good, Bernie pissing up more stuff....

Quote from MAGGOT :

No big loss, F1 is pants now anyways. I'd absolutely hate it they decided to go to Brands - that's a fantastic circuit and they'd just ruin it with all their.. ruining.. ness...

Indeed, they'd have to cut up Brands pretty badly to get it up to required standard, also there are people's garden fences backing onto the spectator areas, thats how close the track is to housing estates, Brands already has enough trouble with noise complaints, if F1 came to town again people would have a fit.

Well i have one thing in common with F1 'They only think about theirself'..


They cant let it go to brands hatch.. Lol @ How small everything is there..

They can just about fit Spectators in for A1GP So i would laugh at how F1 Spectators would fit.

Well they used to have a lot more stands, but they knocked 'em all down in the 90s.

I would be sad if they messed up Brands, love it there, its like driving up and down a half pipe.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74731

"It's a disgrace that the British government don't step in to help. They are throwing billions at the London Olympics. They could do what is needed to save the race by putting in a fraction of it - 0.002 per cent."

Guess who said this?

Haha, what he's really saying is "I care really, honest, I do, but there's nothing I can do, get the government to sort it out. Naah, I don't care really". I want to punch him.

maybe that idea from Montreal isn't such a bad one?

all the tracks that Bernie has screwed over with his personal agenda's should get together and form a racing series of their own..

magny-cours, indianapolis, montreal, silverstone...

Why should tax payers money go towards the BritishGP?

We shot ourselves in the foot with the Olympics.

Quote from deggis :

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74731

"It's a disgrace that the British government don't step in to help. They are throwing billions at the London Olympics. They could do what is needed to save the race by putting in a fraction of it - 0.002 per cent."

Guess who said this?

It wasn't hard to guess. But I've done, and redone the math, and can't come up with any other answer than it's dead cheap to hold F1 races according to Bernie!

Quote from blackout :

it wasn't hard to guess. But i've done, and redone the math, and can't come up with any other answer than it's dead cheap to hold f1 races according to bernie!

£186 000 ?

I’m quite appalled at the current situation Formula One is in regarding the tracks.

Bernie and co shouldn’t need this excessive amount of money, for someone to host a Grand Prix. I think it would make more sense if they could pretty much pay what they can afford in this current economic state.

I think it’s such a shame that they are making a lot of the historic tracks pretty much redundant. I would like to see them going back to a few of the old ones once again!