Saving the British Grand Prix is more important than saving the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Ross Brawn has suggested.
The race is one of five under threat of not being part of the 2020 calendar after the Northamptonshire circuit activated a release clause making this the final year of their current contract.
However, the chances of a deal being agreed appear to be 50/50 at best as talks between Silverstone and Liberty Media continue.
“We want to find a solution with Silverstone, but we are differing in our views of what’s reasonable,” Brawn, F1’s motorsport director, told the BBC.
“We’re not far apart. It’s frustrating that we can’t find a solution.”
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It is raising the prospect of alternative venues being sought to keep the race on the calendar and Brawn did point out F1 has travelled around the country before.
“I don’t think it will be the final British Grand Prix. Whether that’s at Silverstone or not is another matter,” he stated.
“Racing in the UK is important to us and obviously Silverstone has been the home of the British GP for the last few years, but most of us here can remember it being held at Brands Hatch.
“It [also] didn’t seem that strange that we had a race at Brands Hatch one year and Silverstone the next.
“We are determined to make sure we keep a British Grand Prix, and hopefully at Silverstone, but there’s no certainty.”
If Liberty had their dream scenario, a race on the streets on the London would be the eventual outcome and with Formula E announcing a new race in the Docklands area of the city this week, the same location is reportedly being looked at for F1 suitability.
“London would be a different race than the British GP. It is a city race, there is a place for both, it would be the London GP,” Brawn claimed.
“I don’t think it’s feasible to have a London race in the middle of London, unfortunately. The chaos and impact it would have would be too severe.
“But on the periphery of London, there are a number of areas that could work.”