Despite an uncertain Formula 1 future, Silverstone will not be sold to former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who reportedly put in an offer for the home of the British Grand Prix in a bid to keep the iconic venue on the calendar beyond 2019.
When Ecclestone was asked by Eurosport to comment about the future of the grand prix at Silverstone, he replied, "It would be nice to have one. They could do a deal there, but I think they'll have to come up with some sort of an idea of sharing the losses. Or profits, or whatever."
"They must be comfortable, Silverstone. I asked them if they wanted to sell, because I would have bought it, and they didn't want to sell. They were not interested."
"We could have had the race, obviously. Anyway, they don't want to sell, so they're comfortable. They're not desperate, but they've got to have an F1 race."
The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) who own the venue are lobbying for a reduced fee to host the grand prix, while F1 chief Chase Carey has suggested London as a possible alternative venue.
But Ecclestone scoffed at the London street race idea, "We looked at it. We looked at the whole thing, about eight or 10 years ago. It's too complicated, with too many restrictions. I had the whole thing laid out for the centre of London, past Buckingham Palace, everything was done."
"During the meetings, I tried to explain to the City of Westminster and the mayor at the time that we've got to find the money to do this. And in the end, let's see how much money you're prepared to put in.
"Between the two people that made a difference, it was £3-million ($3.7-million) I said: That will probably cover the cost of the mineral water for the hundreds of meetings we'll have to have. So I think we'll forget that," added Ecclestone.
The first ever British Grand Prix in 1950 was a significant occasion in that it was the first ever Formula 1 World Championship race. Since then the venue has hosted 52 grands prix, with Brands Hatch hosting the race 12 times and Aintree having the honour on five occasions.
Ecclestone has previously, on several occasions, offered to buy Silverstone but the BRDC is not keen to sell, but at the same time they need to try and secure the race for 2020 and beyond, fans will know it is not the first time that the race has been in 'jeopardy' and perhaps not the last.
Big Question: How important is Silverstone as British Grand Prix venue for Formula 1?
https://www.grandprix247.com/2016/02/02/plans-for-london-grand-prix-back-on-the-agenda/
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