Amid growing uncertainty over the race’s future, Motorsport UK chairman David Richards believes Silverstone is the “only place” a British Grand Prix can be held.
Recent comments by Liberty chiefs have suggested a deal to keep the event at its historical home post-2019 may not be likely with commercial boss Sean Bratches pointing to how the race has moved before and CEO Chase Carey saying “unattractive” GP’s will be dropped.
There is a thought that Formula 1’s owners are pushing for a London Grand Prix, based on a similar model to the recent race announced in Vietnam, but Richards, a former F1 team boss, doesn’t think it would properly represent the country’s motorsport history.
“Silverstone is the only place in my view that can host the race,” he told Autosport.
“Putting anything on in a different place like a street circuit is inappropriate because it doesn’t leave a legacy and use the infrastructure we have built over the years.
“It’s critical in my view, to this country, to motorsport’s good health in this country, that we have an F1 race.”
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The UK’s motorsport body does play a logistical role in the organisation of the British GP and would like to be more greatly involved, but Richards admits it is a little complicated.
“Obviously we are a little bit on the sidelines because the commercial relationship is between the F1 and the BRDC,” he explained.
“We can help enable that as best as we can. I attend a number of meetings with politicians at the moment and it’s ongoing.
“We are hopeful and feel positively that it will come to a strong conclusion, we certainly don’t take it for granted and we [Motorsport UK] have to play our part.
“We have to provide the infrastructure for the race, we provide the officials and the marshals.”