Donington to Host British Grand Prix After £100m Pledge

The British grand prix will be held at Donington Park from 2010 after the circuit's owners promised a £100m investment over five years, ambushing their rivals at Silverstone, which has hosted the showpiece race since 1987.

The grandees of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which runs Silverstone, said that they were "considering our position following in-depth and ongoing contract negotiations" after the announcement yesterday that next year's race would be their last. They believed that the renewal of their own contract was only days away and little more than a formality.

The BRDC president, Damon Hill, said: "The BRDC is passionate about motorsport and proud of our contribution to the sport we love and of our very own circuit, Silverstone. Naturally, the British grand prix is a special event for all British grand prix drivers and motorsport fans. Above all, the British grand prix's future is very important to all of us. Anything which indicates a secure future for the British grand prix must be welcomed.

"Nevertheless, the timing of this announcement is disappointing and a blow to the excellent and hard-working staff of Silverstone, and to the local and national government authorities who have supported us in our development plans to deliver the demanded improvements from FOM [Formula One Management]. It is my opinion that it is not through any lack of effort on behalf of the BRDC and Silverstone that we have been denied the opportunity to see those plans though to the concluding of a contract beyond 2009."

Bernie Ecclestone, formula one's commercial rights holder, blamed the government for not giving financial backing to Silverstone. "I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run formula one," he said. "The government should have supported them, which would have cost probably less than 0.002% of the government's commitment for the Olympic Games."

The FIA's president, Max Mosley, hinted that the pair had run out of patience with the BRDC after several years of protracted talks and suggested that Silverstone had still not reached the standards demanded of them.

"After many years of patient but fruitless negotiation with the British Racing Drivers' Club we are delighted that Bernie had nevertheless been able to ensure that the British grand prix will keep its place on the formula one world championship calendar," he said. "We understand that the development program planned for Donington will achieve the very high standards we and formula one expect from a modern F1 circuit. Finally, British formula one fans will get the grand prix venue they deserve."

The veteran BRDC member Tim Parnell, whose late father Reg drove a factory Alfa Romeo 158 in the inaugural world championship British grand prix at Silverstone in 1950, said that he was aghast at the prospect of Donington Park taking the race. "I am shocked and disappointed," he said. "They will have to do a great deal of work, particularly on traffic access. The congestion at the recent MotoGP motorcycle meeting had to be seen to believed."

However Mark Blundell, a former BRDC board member who raced a Ligier at Doningtron Park in the 1993 European grand prix, said he was not totally surprised by the decision. "I don't know how many board meetings we sat through while trying to finalize the last grand prix contract. I always wondered whether we were not sufficiently decisive in closing the deal."

Frank Williams, whose formula one team won their first grand prix at Silverstone in 1979, appeared as sanguine as he was unsentimental. "I am delighted that the British grand prix will still have a place on the calendar," he said. "I would prefer Silverstone, but if it is to be Donington, then we'll be there."

Donington Park's owners, Simon Gillett and Lee Gill, said: "We are delighted and extremely proud to have acquired the rights to bring formula one back to Donington Park. At the beginning of last year when we acquired the circuit and its substantial lands, we made clear our commitment towards realizing the full potential of the Park by making the necessary investments in current and future events that will see Donington revitalized, ensuring its leading position as one of the most iconic racing circuits in the world.

"We have now entered a new and exciting chapter in the development of the Park and one that will bring significant investment and regional development while securing the future of one of the most important and significant sporting events in Britain."