Stewart lobbies Government for Silverstone cash

Stewart has already visited Downing Street to underline to Prime Minister Tony Blair the importance of improving facilities at the home of British motor racing.

The Northamptonshire track, which is owned by the British Racing Drivers Club, will be the venue for the British Grand Prix for the next 15 years. The long-term future of the home of British motor racing was secured through a deal struck between the BRDC - of which Stewart is president - and Octagon, the owners of Brands Hatch, which holds the rights to the race.

But Stewart, who is a Director of the Jaguar Formula 1 team, is concerned that unless the government invests more money into Silverstone - and British motorsport in general - the UK may be toppled from its place at the top of world motorsport.

"British motor racing is now a well developed industry, and should not be without a top international circuit," Stewart told Autosport's sister magazine Autocar. "It employs around 60,000 people and I do not think that the Government would want any further depreciation of the automotive industry.

"When we see that Toyota has chosen Germany as the base for its F1 team, we have to ensure that we protect our industry. We can't risk Benetton, for example, being moved to France now that the team has been purchased by Renault."

Major changes are planned for the Northamptonshire track including a new pit lane and paddock complex on the Hangar Straight and an extra link road to the east of the circuit.

The Jaguar F1 squad is also set to relocate to a purpose built state-of-the-art facility next to the track, but the former Stewart outfit is believed to be facing some opposition over the proposed building work due to certain Green issues.

Problems with the local council objecting to an on-site, four-storey car park for Jaguar employees appear to be wide of the mark. However, a family of Great Crested Newts - an endangered species - is in residence on the proposed factory site and will have to be relocated before building can start.

Although preliminary planning permission has been granted, the project is still at the planning stage and a start date for building has yet to be decided.