Have your say on the British GP

Although Ecclestone has made it clear that no final decision about the race's fate will be made until a meeting of the World Council of motor racing's governing body, the FIA, on October 13 - sources claim that there is now almost no way for agreement to be reached in that period and that Ecclestone has decided to write the event off the 2005 schedule.

Silverstone's owners, the BRDC, had offered to become promoters of the race in a cut-price deal for Ecclestone that is understood to be around £2 million below the usual price for European events. Ecclestone did not accept that offer and only this week he warned that he would be playing 'hardball' over the issue.

BRDC chief executive Alex Hooton told autosport.com that, although there was little that the club could do to help put the race back on the 2005 schedule, it would continue its dialogue with the government and try to get the British Grand Prix back in 2006. Club president Jackie Stewart has described the situation as "a real disaster" - but what do the paying public think? And who is to blame for the demise of the British Grand Prix?