British GP Not Secured by the FIA

FIA president Max Mosley insisted the international body can do nothing about the potential scrap of the “traditional races” from the F1 calendar. While confirming the FIA and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone do have an agreement to keep the aforementioned events on the F1 schedule, the 78-year old Englishman said his hands are tied when it comes to under-developed F1 venues.

“The FIA's deal with Bernie means he cannot present a calendar without the traditional grands prix. However it is not our role to insist that a grand prix takes place in a sub- standard venue,” Mosley was quoted as saying to British newspaper The Guardian.

“Just like people who want the World Cup or the Olympic Games have to pay the going rate, what we cannot do is to force Bernie to race below the going rate,” added the FIA president.

His comments referred clearly to the potential axe of the British Grand Prix from the 2010 F1 calendar. While Donington Park seems unlikely to attract the necessary funds to develop their circuit to the F1 standards by September this year – the deadline imposed by Ecclestone – Silverstone is also unlikely to step in and return as host of the British race.

Silverstone circuit has lost out to Donington Park for the organization of the British GP on the same argument, which is the poor infrastructure and lack of development work. Ecclestone insisted he will not trade Donington Park for Silverstone unless the latter makes the necessary adjustments for the 2010 season.

What this means is that, if neither of the two circuits – the only one who can host grand prix races at the present times – manage to convince Bernie that they are ready to host the British Grand Prix in 2010, nothing will stand in his way to scrap the race from the F1 calendar despite its “traditional” status.