Formula One British Grand Prix - Silverstone

The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire.

Grand Prix motor racing was first established in Britain by Henry Segrave at the Brooklands course in 1926 after his winning of the French Grand Prix in 1923 and the following year at the Spanish Grand Prix which raised interest in the sport. The first ever British Grand Prix was won by the French team of Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal driving a Delage 155B. During the 1930s, the race was known as the Donington Grand Prix, in reference to the host track Donington Park.

Silverstone has hosted the race regularly since the start of the F1 championship in 1950 (in which it was the first race of the first ever official World Championship) and every year since 1987; it alternated with Brands Hatch between 1964 and 1986, and with Aintree (better known as a horse-racing course) between 1955 and 1962.

Before track was heavily modified in 1991, Silverstone was one of the fastest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar. The drivers loved the challenge of the sweeping and extremely demanding Copse, Stowe and Club corners. 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg held the all-time Formula 1 qualifying lap record for 16 years after posting fastest time for the 1985 British Grand prix with an average speed of 258.983km/h(160.92mph).

In recent times Silverstone has produced some fine race wins by British drivers. Notably John Watson (1981), Nigel Mansell (1987, 1991, 1992), Damon Hill (1994) and David Coulthard (1999, 2000). -- source www.wikipedia.org

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No state bailout to safeguard British GP - minister

From: afp.com

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson on Sunday urged motor racing chief Bernie Ecclestone to safeguard the future of the British Grand Prix, but said no state funds would be used to broker a deal.

Silverstone is back in pole position to host the 2010 race after rival circuit Donington missed a final deadline to show that funds for redevelopment were in place.

Ecclestone said on Friday it was now up to Silverstone to prove it could find the 12 million pounds to host next year's race.

But Mandelson said he was not prepared to use taxpayers' money to "bail out" such a wealthy sport.

He told BBC radio: "The British Grand Prix is a very important event, it's a much-loved British institution and it's got to continue.

"The whole of motor sport is important, not because of the enjoyment it provides but because it's really important for our economy.

"It contributes getting up to four billion pounds to the economy and if you look at the jobs it creates there are 25,000 engineers involved in this sport in Britain, quite apart from 40,000-odd other jobs, so I have a responsibility to retain it and to support the motor sport industry just as I would any other.

"I'm not in a position to use taxpayers' money to bail out what would be a sort of commercial venture in a very cash-rich sport," he said.

"I can't do that, especially during a recession, but he (Ecclestone) has my backing in what he's trying to do.

"All I would say is come on you guys, get your act together, get your negotiations done and make the British Grand Prix safe."

When asked whether he believed the race would take place at Silverstone next year, Mandelson replied: "If I was a betting man I would say yes."

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