Keep Grand Prix at Silverstone, says Committee

This was the overriding message given to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee when it made an evidence-gathering visit to Northamptonshire on 23 November.

The Committee met a wide cross-section of the industry including:

• owners and managers of small and medium enterprises
• members of Brawn F1 team
• Silverstone’s management
• a senior professor from the Cranfield University’s School of Applied Sciences.

Committee chairman, Peter Luff MP said:

"We were overwhelmed by the intensity of opinion, confirming the need to keep the Grand Prix at Silverstone.

"British motor sport without the Grand Prix could wither on the wine and that would be just as damaging to Formula One as it would be to the industry.

"I therefore call on Bernie Ecclestone, Damon Hill and Richard Phillips to recognise their mutual interest, stand up from Britain and finalise a deal which is good for Silverstone, for Formula One, for the wider motor sport industry and for our nation."

The visit to Silverstone and Brackley is part of the Committee's major inquiry into the motor sport and aerospace sectors. Further oral evidence will be taken on 15 December and 26 January, with the final report expected in February.

The Committee decided to issue today’s statement ahead of that final report because of the imminence of the decision on the British Grand Prix.