Bernie Ecclestone: We Don't Need No Stinkin' British GP

Negative Camber by Correspondent Written on October 24, 2009
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 21:  Formula One commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone leaves the F.I.A headquarters after attending the World Motor Sport Council hearing on September 21, 2009 in Paris, France. Renault will not contest the charges that Nelson Piquet Jr. was ordered by management to deliberately crash his car during the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, the crash caused the deployment off the safety car, due to team mate Fernando Alonso's race strategy he was able to win the race. The incident has already seen the resignation of  team principal  Flavio Briatore and Director of Engineering, Pat Symonds. The punishment from the FIA could be exclusion of the team from F1, a large fine or a suspended ban.   (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

And it took all of, what, a day for us to get to this point?

The BBC has the latest ratchet-up from Bernie Ecclestone, who clearly is not going to just hand the British GP back to Silverstone now that Donington Park is all but out as a possible venue.

Read it all here ; here are the bits that will get your blood a-boiling:

Ecclestone said: “I want a British Grand Prix, of course, but we are not going to do special rates for Britain.”

[snip]

Ecclestone told the Daily Express: “Silverstone have a contract in front of them. We’ve no commercial arrangement in place for a British Grand Prix for next year.

“That is why the race has an asterisk beside it on the 2010 calendar.

“If they can’t make it work then don’t do it. If that happens, there won’t be a British Grand Prix. Simple as that.

“No-one is forcing them to take it. This is business. We have offered them a deal.”

Ecclestone ruled out the prospect of Britain being given a discount rate, similar to those enjoyed by Monza and Monaco as the sport’s “traditional” grands prix.

He added: “The contract they have is the contract we like. We are not prepared to charge less. Do we need a British Grand Prix? No.”

Please try to keep your responses beyond three words ending with “...Bernie.”

Seriously, though. Is there any hope for Britain in 2010?

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written on October 24, 2009 Breaking News

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