Formula One: The Sport That Lost Its Soul

In the midst of this bitter war of words, money and personal enmity over the future of the British Grand Prix, who is going to listen to Zheng Jie? Mr. Jie paid 3,800 yuan (£250) to watch last Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. According to Monday's Shanghai Daily, the 26-year-old white-collar worker is unlikely to return next year, despite it being one of the most eventful races of the season.

'I spent another 1,000 yuan [£65] on souvenirs,' said Jie. 'In total, that's as good as one month's salary. I was impressed by the circuit and the fast cars. But everyone is stealing from my wallet. It is too commercial and lacks participation from the fans. It is not cost effective.'

Maybe not for the fans, but formula one is cost effective for Bernie Ecclestone. In the light of the reasons put forward by the F1 boss for the loss of the British Grand Prix, that is the principle driving force behind F1. The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), owners of Silverstone, have not come up with enough money to promote the event. In which case, it is removed from the calendar and F1 marches grandly on, crushing the sport's core value as it does so. Furthermore, on the basis of Ecclestone's complaints about Silverstone, a spotless paddock and an immaculate pit structure would appear to have become more important than the activity - known as motor racing - on the track.

It is true that some aspects of Silverstone require a facelift. Plans were put in place a few years ago and a financial package agreed. But, according to BRDC insiders, it was Ecclestone who refused to sign off his share of the promised finance. The Northamptonshire track may look shabby in parts, but it is superior to the Hungaroring, Montreal and Imola, and a gleaming edifice when compared with Interlagos in Brazil, where the season ends on 24 October and about which Ecclestone is noticeably less vocal because, as a BRDC member noted, the financial arrangements are more in his favour.

The BRDC's biggest mistake was to open a lavish clubhouse in 2000 when Silverstone was literally in the mire thanks to Ecclestone mischievously switching the date of the British Grand Prix from July to a rain-soaked weekend in April. Since then, however, the BRDC and the local council have improved access and done much to tick off Ecclestone's complaints on a list that F1's guru appeared to want to keep running for as long as it took to kill the grand prix and hurt the BRDC. Or, more to the point, mortally wound the reputation of Sir Jackie Stewart, the BRDC president for whom Ecclestone has developed a considerable dislike.

Now that Ecclestone has achieved his mission, the sport is left without a classic race track, one that is much appreciated by drivers and spectators alike. But those views mean little in the euphoria sweeping west from Shanghai as Ecclestone leads the songs of praise for a track that enjoyed £150m of government money.

There is no argument that the facilities are of an exquisite standard. But steel, glass and concrete, no matter how sumptuous and cleverly executed, have no soul. Unlike the vibrant city 20 miles down the road, this venue was clinically correct, but bland and lifeless; a place of business rather than a theatre of sport. Thanks to an intelligent design, the circuit promoted close racing, but it could have been Malaysia or Bahrain or the revised section at Hockenheim: modern circuits embracing vast areas of asphalt and nothing else.

The argument that the crowd needs to be pushed far from the action for safety reasons is valid for as long as the performance of the cars is allowed to climb. But this provides yet another example of how F1 has lost its focus as self-interest continues to prevent the teams from agreeing on any of the restrictive measures put forward as an urgent means of curbing cornering speeds in particular.

This egotism is a product of having major manufacturers view F1 as a marketing exercise rather than a sport. Being seen to finish first is the end game; never mind how you get there. Ford proved it recently by not spending enough on Jaguar in the first place and then putting the team up for sale and walking away when faced with failure. If monoliths such as Ford cannot afford to go F1 racing, then independent teams such as Jordan and Minardi have little chance of surviving, never mind moving away from the back rows of the grid.

This, combined with the loss of the British Grand Prix, paints a bleak picture for the immediate future of F1 in this country. Britain has arguably the best grass-roots motor racing structure in the world, but, thanks to the efforts of the BRDC and Ecclestone, there is no longer an opportunity for seven of the 10 F1 teams based in Britain to showcase their technical excellence on a challenging and unique race track.

China has underscored the truth that a bottomless budget cannot buy aura and a sense of history. The Shanghai circuit may be Ecclestone's yardstick, but it actually proves that there should be a place on the calendar for Silverstone, if only the sport's dictator would put personal issues to one side. There is about as much chance of that as there is of anyone taking time to stop and listen to the valid comments of Mr Jie.