Despite a change of venue for 2010, the ongoing issues surrounding the long-term future of the British Grand Prix haven't gone away, as rent issues and funding means the Donington Park track's place on the calendar is under threat.
The issues surrounding the long-term upgrade work required to bring the track up to Grand Prix standard has largely been forgotten about recently, as the more tedious problem of financial infighting took hold of the headlines. The owners of the track, the Wheatcroft family, have commenced legal proceedings after it transpired that the operator, Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, owed nearly £2.5 million in rent arrears, dating back to September last year."It is with great reluctance that we have taken this decision," said Kevin Wheatcroft with great reluctance, "Despite receiving numerous reassurances over a number of months they have consistently failed to meet their financial obligations under the terms of the lease. We have held off taking legal action for as long as possible but have been left with no choice but to commence proceedings to recover the outstanding rent and forfeit the lease."
This latest bickering follows problems earlier in the year regarding the track attaining a safety certificate following alterations to the run off areas after modifications to access tunnels began. The delay in attaining the required safety levels has led to the costly cancellation, or reorganisation of many national UK championship events.
The fuss over the unpaid rent has led Bernie Ecclestone, the pantomime villain in the annual British GP saga, to reiterate that it was Donington or bust for 2010, despite Damon Hill indicating that the Silverstone track would be willing and able to host the race for another year should Donington seek to delay their first event until 2011.
Bernie indicated his anger that the UK government has not stepped in to help Donington pay both the rent owed and for the upgrade work required, ignoring the idea that they might have slightly more important things on their collective minds than a car race these days.
"If Donington can't put on the British Grand Prix then that's it," he reiterated uselessly in Bahrain. "We will be leaving Britain. There is no question of us going back to Silverstone. They have had enough chances and have not delivered what they promised.
"It's a disgrace that the British government don't step in to help. They are throwing billions at the London Olympics. They could do what is needed to save the race by putting in a fraction of it - 0.002 per cent."
Sir Jackie Stewart, ever able and willing to shout about the British GP without doing anything that useful to help it, was also in angry form against the UK powers that be, citing that it would be irresponsible for the GP to be allowed to leave.
"We were the first to hold a world championship grand prix in 1950 and we've never missed it since," Stewart ranted feebly during the BBC's practice coverage. "To lose that now would be irresponsible for the sport itself, maybe for the commercial rights holder and for the British government. They have supported many other sports far and beyond anything that they have ever given to motor-racing. It's no good any MP telling me that motor-racing is a rich sport and that the government could not be seen to be rescuing it. That is wrong."
Despite all this shouting, the message from the UK Government is clear, after the matter was brought up for debate in the House of Lords yesterday, and it the gist of the message was "Sod off, there's a recession on".
"We certainly stand by to help - not directly financially," sniffed the Labour deputy chief whip Lord Davies about the situation, "Motorsport is an independent operation in this country, as most sports are. The government can give degrees of support and help, as with Silverstone in the past. However, no-one in this debate or in the industry argues for direct state support.
"We do not want a state-sponsored motor industry, but the government can give necessary assistance and support in judicious ways, particularly by emphasising how important the industry is to the development of our society and economy."
Lord Davies did, though, say that the government would continue to help the Donington track secure the investment needed to complete the upgrade work.
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