Mosley Supports Non Championship GP at Silverstone

FIA president Max Mosley supports running an unofficial British Grand Prix at Silverstone next season, if the teams fail to agree on including the event on the 2005 calendar.

Silverstone owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, failed to come to terms with F1's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and the event is now likely to be scrapped from the 2005 World Championship despite efforts this weekend to include it in a cost-cutting package, supported by nine of the ten teams.

But Mosley said the sport's governing body would be supportive of holding a non-Championship event at Silverstone as an alternative.

"They could run a non-Championship event and the British teams would go anyway," Mosley told reporters at Interlagos yesterday. "The continental teams would probably go too.

"They could have two days of practice and race on Sunday, and they could run three cars. They could even call it the British Grand Prix because the RAC [Royal Automobile Club] owns the title," Mosley added. "We would agree if they asked to stage such a race."

The suggestion has gained wide support, including from Ecclestone himself. However, Williams's technical director Sam Michael said the idea may not be plausible after all.

"It would be difficult because of the extra expense involved in a race that would not be part of the World Championship," Michael told reporters at Interlagos this weekend.

"I'm not sure that could be justified and that's why we no longer have the Race of Champions or the winter Tasman series," he added.