Formula One news

Government to blame, says Stewart

Jackie Stewart & Ecclestone

Sir Jackie Stewart has blamed the British government and Bernie Ecclestone for pushing Silverstone off the F1 radar. "It's an utter disgrace," said another British world champion, Nigel Mansell, who won the Brit GP in 1992.

Stewart, president of the Club that owns the old World War II airfield in Northamptonshire, reckons the government's reluctance to chip in with the final $5 million will cost them $60 million a year in revenue. "I'm dismayed," said the Scot, "but we couldn't have gone higher ourselves. It would have been suicide."

A government spokesman said it would not have been appropriate to interfere with negotiations between the BRDC and Bernie Ecclestone. "We have already made significant financial contribution to motorsport and Silverstone," the spokesman continued.

Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn, however, told dismayed Brit GP fans to keep checking the news updates in the run to the World Motor Sport Council meeting in October. He said: "I hope a solution can be found."

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