Silverstone: An F1 Classic with a Secure Future
The Silverstone circuit could secure its place on the Formula 1 calendar indefinitely, according to Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the sport, on Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix. Domenicali highlighted the importance of Great Britain for F1, home to seven of the ten teams. Furthermore, he ruled out the possibility of the country hosting more than one race.Silverstone, which hosted the first race of the world championship in 1950, has a contract until 2034. Last year, the event attracted 480,000 spectators, the largest attendance of any race on the calendar. Miami and Austria’s Red Bull Ring have the most extensive agreements, both until 2041. Domenicali sees it as feasible for Silverstone to join them, although the circuit’s administration has not yet requested an extension. The meeting at Downing Street, described as an informal celebration of the 75th anniversary of the first F1 race at Silverstone, will also serve to address important issues for the sport. Domenicali plans to highlight the contribution of the “F1 ecosystem” to Great Britain as the core of a global sport, and the risks of losing that leadership due to restrictions on personnel and mobility. According to Formula 1 estimates, the sport generates £12 billion annually for the UK economy, with 6,000 direct employees and another 41,000 in a supply chain of 4,500 companies. Domenicali pointed out that post-Brexit visa issues have affected the deployment of career staff from race to race in Europe, while costly and time-consuming paperwork has complicated logistics and made it difficult to draw up the race calendar. “It’s impossible to think in the short term that teams will move from the UK due to this limitation, but teams will perhaps organize themselves in a different way,” he warned. “What we are asking is not to change the decision that your country has made, because it is not our mandate or our role, but to facilitate the things that are putting a burden on the economic aspect.”“I think… Silverstone has the right characteristics to stay on the calendar forever,” Domenicali stated.
Stefano Domenicali
