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MotoGP Close Silverstone Deal

Silverstone may be losing Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen from 2010 onwards, but they will get some other world champions in return. The fans will be getting more of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner or Dani Pedrosa in the near future, following a 5-year deal signed by the circuit officials with MotoGP's promoter Dorna.

Silverstone will host the British Grand Prix of the FIM Road Racing World Championship starting 2010, as announced by Dorna's boss Carmelo Ezpeleta. The venue used to host an FIM round in the past, but hasn't been on the series' calendar since 1986.

“We are delighted that the MotoGP World Championship is returning to Silverstone as of 2010. The venue has excellent facilities and a circuit with a great heritage, having hosted some superb grand prix racing in the 1970s and 1980s. We are sure that MotoGP's visits to the UK will continue to be highly successful when we make the historic move back to Silverstone next year,” said Ezpeleta.

The circuit officials were also delighted with the deal, as they certainly found a good replacement for the Formula 1 round, due to be hosted by Donington Park starting the same year.

“Silverstone is the UK's premier motor racing venue and we are thoroughly looking forward to hosting the world's premier motorcycle racing event from 2010. We have worked closely with Dorna Sports to bring MotoGP to Silverstone and both parties are extremely excited about the opportunity to take this world-class event to another level,” said Silverstone's managing director, Richard Phillips.

“Silverstone is a unique UK race circuit; rich in heritage and unrivalled in terms of what we are able to offer fans, championships and teams. The Grand Prix circuit offers a combination of high-speed straights and technical corners, presenting a real challenge to the riders, while the facilities for teams and spectators are second to none,” added Phillips.
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