Silverstone gears up for GP fightback

Officials have refused to react to the latest criticisms by FIA president Max Mosley, in which he described Silverstone as one of the least attractive venues in the Formula 1 championship. But the track will strike back by unveiling radical revisions of the parking and road systems in the next few days.

The event is provisionally on next year's calendar pending approval of a raft of changes by the sport's governing body, the FIA, following April's chaotic, rain-lashed event. The race was blighted by 15-mile tail-backs, road chaos, flooded car parks and questions over track procedures. Car parks were closed for Saturday qualifying and on raceday, thousands of cars were bogged down in the mud.

Until now the circuit has ruled out alternatives, such as a park-and-ride system, claiming it could actually increase road chaos because they would be forced to implement a two-way traffic system. Work is expected to start in the autumn on the Silverstone by-pass, which is effectively a dual carriageway linking the M1 and M40 motorways.

Construction will take 18 months to two years and is unlikely to be finished for the races in 2001 or 2002. But there are suggestions the semi-constructed road could be used for parking.