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No Deal with Silverstone, Says Ecclestone

Silverstone will not host a Formula One Grand Prix and no deal will be made with the track's owners, Formula One's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone said.

Silverstone will not host a Formula One Grand Prix and no deal will be made with the track's owners, Formula One's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone said.

Ecclestone has been holding negotiations with the British Racing Drivers' Club, owners of the Silverstone circuit, for a new contract that will see the British Grand Prix continue to run at the Northamptonshire venue, which has hosted the first World Championship Grand Prix in 1950.

But Ecclestone told The Times that he has broken off negotiations with the BRDC after what the newspaper described as a series of nit-picking disputes with Ecclestone's terms. According to The Times, Ecclestone - who wanted a long term contract with the BRDC - could not come to terms with the club over the length of the new contract.

Ecclestone was also said to have felt that the BRDC did "not really want the race", which was underlined by the BRDC's demand that its members would have their exclusive parking access protected during the Grand Prix weekend.

"You can't sell something to people who don't want to buy," Ecclestone told the newspaper. "I don’t think the BRDC wanted to take the risk of having a Grand Prix. As much as I would like to have a British Grand Prix, I have done more than I have for any other race in the world to try to keep it on. But I cannot make a deal without the other side and I have to move on. This is not the British Formula One Championship, it is a World Championship."

Ecclestone further claimed that he broke off negotiations with the BRDC after receiving a new offer from another country who wants to host a Grand Prix.

"What could I do?" Ecclestone said. "I have got an offer from another country who are looking to build a lovely venue and invest a lot of money in Formula One - and they will pay the going rate.

"I have to give them a year's notice to go ahead. If I miss that because I am still messing about with the BRDC, I would be keeping out a country that desperately wants to be in the Formula One World Championship."

The 2005 provisional calendar released by the FIA's World Council last week lists The British Grand Prix as pending a commercial agreement. The World Council are set to ratify the final calendar on December 10th.

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