Silverstone not ruling out MotoGP bid

Although last weekend's race at Donington Park attracted a record-breaking 85,000 spectators on Sunday, disquiet about the track surface in the wet and criticisms of some of the paddock and spectator facilities prompted speculation that the circuit could have a fight on its hands to retain the event longer term.

Sources have suggested that Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), are seriously considering making an offer to MotoGP's commercial chiefs Dorna to try and recapture the race it last hosted in 1986.

BRDC president Damon Hill told autosport.com this week that Silverstone was always interested in holding top level world championship events like MotoGP.

"The ambition is to have good events at Silverstone, whatever they are," he said. "We want to have premier events, and the more premier events the better.

"The more we can make better facilities at Silverstone, then the more chances we can have. So that is the nature of the business."

Silverstone's managing director Richard Phillips added: "In recent years Silverstone's superb spectator facilities have been popular with bike fans at rounds of both World and British Superbikes.

"If the opportunity to host a round of MotoGP should arise then Silverstone would embrace it."

Donington Park bosses have admitted that there is room for improvement with their track, despite the huge progress they have made since the heavily criticised 2005 event.

Simon Gillett, Donington Park's CEO, said after last weekend's event: "We made improvements to various facilities of the circuit in time for this year's event (and) we know there are still further steps to be made ... Overall, we were thrilled with this year's MotoGP, and are now looking forward to hosting an even bigger and better event in 2008."