BRDC Responds to Silverstone Bypass Report

The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) said on Friday that the British government's £8 million pay-out to speed up work on the Silverstone bypass was not kept a secret.

The Independent newspaper claimed on Friday that they had received documents about the emergency pay-out, which they claimed was sanctioned despite expert advice in order to ensure Britain did not lose its Grand Prix from Silverstone.

But the BRDC, who along with Octagon Motorsports and Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Administration (FOM) have invested in Silverstone, rubbished the report and said that the Highways Agency had made the emergency work public by issuing a press release.

"This morning's Independent article is old news," the BRDC said in a statement. "The fact that this was an accelerated programme was the subject of a press release by the Highways Agency.

"The decision to stand by Government commitments to complete enough of the A43 in time for the smooth running of the British Grand Prix has been vindicated by events and has received widespread support from the industry, sporting enthusiasts, British and international media and from across the political spectrum."

The Independent claimed that the intervention of prime minister Tony Blair would be repaid with a pledge by the sport's ruling body, the Federation International de l'Automobile, that they would not pursue threats to scrap the British Grand Prix after being unhappy with traffic flow around Silverstone in previous years.