British GP future a little more stable

The uncertain future of the British Grand Prix is looking a little more stable, according to Martin Brundle, chairman of the British Racing Drivers Club that owns the Silverstone circuit. Parent company Interpublic put Octagon Motorsports, which currently owns the rights to run the British GP, up for sale and the future of the race was thrown into some doubt. However, former F1 driver Brundle is now a bit more optimistic.

"It is not correct to say that the future of Silverstone is secure, but I would say things are heading in the right direction on a number of fronts," Brundle told the BBC. "But there are still some significant hurdles to clear in terms of all the things that need to happen to make Silverstone the right facility for everybody."

"I'm probably more confident than a month ago. I wouldn't say everything is done and dusted, but a number of things that are happening look quite promising."

Octagon, now renamed as Brands Hatch Circuits Limited, recently stated that although it is looking to sell some of its business holdings, it still intends to support the Silverstone event. "This will not affect the commitments made to the British Grand Prix and a key objective is to complete the development of Silverstone."

While Silverstone works towards keeping its Grand Prix, another circuit uncertain to be on next year's F1 calendar is Imola. At the San Marino GP yesterday, Bernie Ecclestone said the future of that race is under review: "It's something we're looking at," he said. "There's other new races we have to make room for. We will see."