Brundle doubts Brit GP future

Commenting on recent developments which saw Interpublic pay to be released from a commitment to promote the British Grand Prix at Silverstone until 2015, Brundle said: "First of all I think it's good that Interpublic are going. In many respects it's good riddance. They have not served British motorsport well. They are a reluctant promoter and, by and large, a reluctant tenant, and that's another situation that needs addressing."

Although out of their commitment to promote the race, Interpublic is still a Silverstone lessee until 2007 and there is speculation that a further deal to be released from that commitment could be forthcoming.

On the subject of Bernie Ecclestone's recent comments that Silverstone needs to come up to scratch to retain the GP in 2005, Brundle added: "I'm a bit surprised at what Bernie is saying because there is a plan completely in place that is waiting for his signature and we can have that all that work done (the new pits and paddock) for 2005."

The fact is though, that as of 2005, the British GP does not have a promoter and the BRDC has long said that such has been the increase in fees since the days that the club did promote the race, that it is not in a position to perform the role.

"I think a lot of the newspapers have made a mistake to say that Bernie is the new promoter of the GP," Brundle went on. "That's not correct. It's just that Interpublic are no longer the promoters. And the BRDC does not have deep enough pockets to be the promoter of a modern day GP. The numbers we were paying the last time we ran a race were one-quarter to one-third of the minimum fee now. While I'm sure the BRDC would like to be involved, Interpublic were just about the last entrepreneurs running a Grand Prix.

"Today, it's about states and nations. You need tens of millions per year and in three years time the BRDC would be flat broke and selling the circuit. And who's going to sign that off?

"Bernie said to me that if the government is putting lots of money into trying to get the Olympics, and into Wembley, then why won't they put money into the Grand Prix? And that's a very difficult question to answer."

For some though, the answer is all too obvious. Tony Blair and the British government were made to look daft over Bernie's £1 million donation and the tobacco exemption issue and will naturally be wary of involving themselves in other projects in which the commercial rights holder is a factor. Ecclestone might have to wait until post-Blair.

Brundle, whose tireless work for the BRDC is held in high esteem throughout the club, did make another valid point.

"I'll never forget Monza last year," he said. "If you stood in the middle of the paddock you got mown down by entourages from Bahrain, Turkey, two lots from India and God knows where else -- all queuing up to give Bernie a pot of gold and build wonderful facilities. And there's me knocking on his door saying, look Bernie, if I go a third, you go a third and Interpublic goes a third, can we try and get this pit and paddock together...

"I can understand Bernie's frustrations completely, but he's also been less than helpful on some issues."

As to where this all leaves Silverstone and the British GP now, Brundle concluded: "I think it leaves plenty of discussion for the future and the BRDC will try to play a role where they can. I'm no longer the Chairman (Brundle has been succeeded by Ray Bellm) so it's no longer my call. But it's a mess and the tragedy is that it needn't have been a mess. It's been driven into the corner really and that's all a little bit sad."

One solution could be a deal for a joint promotion involving the BRDC, Ecclestone, if he's interested, and perhaps eventually, the government.