Silverstone awaits approval of £17m scheme

The plans include a 5000-capacity Paddock Club facility that would be the largest in the world.

Brundle added that he was glad to see the back of former promoter Interpublic from 2005: "First of all, I think it's good that Interpublic are going. In many respects it's 'good riddance'. They have not served British motorsport well. They are a reluctant promoter and, by and large, a reluctant tenant, and that's another situation that needs addressing."

Brundle reiterated the fact that the BRDC is not in a position to perform the role of promoter due to the increase in fees: "I think a lot of the newspapers have made a mistake to say that Bernie is the new promoter of the GP. That's not correct. It's just that Interpublic are no longer the promoter. And the BRDC doesn't have deep enough pockets to be the promoter of a modern GP. The numbers we were paying the last time we ran a race were one-quarter to one-third of the minimum fee now. While I'm sure the BRDC would like to be involved, Interpublic were just about the last entrepreneurs running a Grand Prix."

As to where this all leaves Silverstone and the British GP, Brundle concluded: "I think it leaves plenty of discussion for the future and the BRDC will try to play a role where they can. I'm no longer the chairman [Brundle has been succeeded by Ray Bellm] so it's no longer my call. But it's a mess and the tragedy is that it needn't have been a mess. It's been driven into the corner really and that's all a little sad."