Formula One news

F1 needs British GP, stresses Whitmarsh

McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh stresses that Formula One is in need of a British Grand Prix as the future of the event continues to be in limbo. With Donington Park appearing to have lost a chance to host the race - following a failure to collect a £135m bond before this week's deadline - Silverstone continues to await confirmation of picking up the 17-year contract.

With Northamptonshire's Silverstone being the venue of the very first F1 race in 1950, Whitmarsh argues that the heritage surrounding the event is too much to sacrifice. "To lose the British Grand Prix would be massively damaging," the Englishman told the BBC. "Any team in F1 knows the importance of the British Grand Prix - it's about the quality of the fan base that you experience."

Whitmarsh chats with Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone

He went on to stress that the sport must keep its established venues as well as welcoming new nations to the calendar. "The World Championship is eighteen, nineteen or potentially even twenty races, so I guess you couldn't say any of them are absolutely vital but I think to lose a British Grand Prix would be massively damaging to the sport," he continued, before pinpointing the dedication of the knowledgeable crowds.

"Anyone who goes around the world attending Grands Prix will tell you how remarkable a feeling it is to walk through the fans' camp sites at Silverstone - they are such fantastic fans and you really do get that grass-roots enthusiasm. I am sure that McLaren, all the teams and FOTA (the Formula One Teams Association, which represents all current teams on the grid) will do everything they can to preserve a British Grand Prix on the calendar."

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