Mosley: Silverstone Must be 'Completely Rebuilt'

FIA president Max Mosley said today that the Silverstone circuit must be "completely rebuilt" if it wants to keep hold of its long-term contract to host the British Grand Prix.

The Northamptonshire circuit has come under fire from Mosley and Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, with the former describing it as the "worst circuit in Europe" in recent weeks.

Circuit owners, the British Racing Drivers Club, race organisers Octagon, and Ecclestone himself have all put in £15 million (Pounds) to fund developments and circuit access has been improved for this year's event.

But Mosley strolled into the Silverstone paddock on Thursday and warned: "The plans exist to do a wonderful job and they should get on and do it."

Octagon revealed a plan, several years ago, to completely re-develop the circuit, including moving the pits to Hangar Straight and creating a dramatic banked corner and a brand new complex.

Those plans were sidelined by Ecclestone's demands for better circuit access and improved signage after he got lost when he was heading into the circuit last year after his helicopter was grounded due to fog.

But Mosley insisted those plans must be resurrected if Silverstone wishes to hold onto its place on the calendar and added: "I think there is every possibility that it will continue but we need to get the circuit completely rebuilt.

"They have got the money to do that and the outside, the roads, have been improved so I am optimistic that it will all get sorted out. I think for the Formula One facility there is a plan to do pits down on the hangar straight.

"We can leave the current pits and paddock to the support races and just have a really nice facility. So you are not pulling down some things that are perfectly good for certain purposes. That's detail. I shouldn't get involved in that.

"They want to keep the Grand Prix, this is the home of racing, they are the BRDC, which is supposed to be the club for racing drivers in British motor racing.

"They should have the interests of British motor racing at heart and what more could they do for British motor racing than to build the best circuit in the world as a demonstration that it can be done. It's their job."

Sir Jackie Stewart, the president of the BRDC said last week that Ecclestone and Mosley were being "vicious" in their anti-Silverstone comments and said he was baffled by their reason for doing so.

But Mosley was quick to defend his actions and explained: "We have always been very nice. We just want to see a proper circuit. At the moment it is completely unproductive to say we are being vicious.

"We are just saying what ought to be said, that we want to see the best circuit in the world in what some people would say is the home of Formula One.

"I can't, and I think the same goes for Bernie, go along with the idea that as long as Silverstone is not demonstrably the worst circuit in the world then everything is alright. I believe it should be demonstrably the best circuit in the world."

Mosley said that claims from the BRDC that they could not raise the money were "unimaginative" and insisted that the revenue they receive from race organisers Octagon should be enough to create a "spectacular" facility.

He denied the suggestion that such continued uncertainty over the future of the race would prevent potential investors from wanting to put in the funding through fear of failure.

"Quite the reverse," he said. "The person putting up the money would say we have got to have a firm commitment for everyone concerned that this race will go on for 10 to 15 years.

"The quid pro quo of building the place properly would be irrevocable long-term commitment but I think everyone, starting with Bernie, is prepared to do that. What you can't do is do that when you have got a very dodgy facility.

"They have got a contract at the moment but there are all sorts of clauses in it, you would have to talk to Bernie about that, which might mean it would come to an end. But that could be changed."