Stiller claims Ecclestone backing for Silverstone plan
Opponents of Sir Jackie Stewart’s plan to redevelop Silverstone claim they have the support of Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone.
British Racing Drivers’ Club president Stewart hopes to lease Silverstone to property developers St Modwen for 150 years to fund a transformation of the Northamptonshire circuit.
But that plan has run into opposition within the BRDC, and the board declined to put the issue to a vote at an extraordinary general meeting last month.
Ex-Formula Three champion Harry Stiller is leading the opposition and he today claimed the backing of Formula One commercial rights holder Ecclestone.
Stiller has lined up Ecclestone to become a 50-50 partner in the project.
Ecclestone and the BRDC would split the cost of promoting the British Grand Prix and upgrading Silverstone for 10 years, while also sharing any profit.
Ecclestone told Autosport: “Harry’s trying to put something together to retain the British Grand Prix.
“I said I’d be only too pleased to help. There are various ideas under discussion. He asked me if maybe I could be the promoter. Everything is possible.”
Stiller is adamant the original plan to lease out Silverstone in the long term will not receive backing from BRDC members.
“Sir Jackie’s St Modwen deal was dead in the water as soon as the membership of the club realised what it meant and entailed,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“Make no mistake, he and the board grossly underestimated the depth of feeling and passion the members have about their club and Silverstone.”
Ecclestone, a frequent critic of Silverstone, Stewart and the BRDC, has attempted to gain some control of the British Grand Prix before.
In 2004, when the race’s future was threatened, he backed an unknown consortium to take the rights to the race away from the BRDC while in the 1990s he sold them to Brands Hatch.
In the aftermath of the disastrous 2000 race, he was also at the centre of a similar partnership agreement to redevelop Silverstone, a plan which ultimately came to nothing.
Stewart is convinced Ecclestone has no intention of stepping in to promote the British Grand Prix.
“Bernie has told me that he’s not interested in being a promoter,” he told the Guardian.
“I also asked him at the Bahrain Grand Prix whether rumours that he was interested in buying Silverstone were true and he said no.”
