Oct.23 (GMM) The clock is ticking if a deal to keep Britain on the formula one calendar is to be made in time, Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips said on Friday.
He was speaking after contracted 2010 British grand prix venue Donington's funding scheme collapsed, therefore making it almost impossible that the race will switch to the Leicestershire circuit for its July 11 date on next year's calendar.Bernie Ecclestone has said that when Donington's contract is definitively voided, talks with the event's current venue Silverstone will take place.Phillips told SportsPro that he is hoping for an imminent deal.The Northamptonshire venue needs a certain amount of lead-time essentially for the sale of tickets and the preparation of the circuit, but Phillips declined to name an actual deadline."That point is coming fast," he said. "You've got to sell an awful lot of tickets to break even with a grand prix and it's the last few tickets where actually you start to make a profit."To an extent I think it's (a question of) 'when does it not become viable to run a grand prix?'" Phillips added.He claims that, had Silverstone not been delayed by the Donington situation, about 30 per cent of the tickets for the 2010 event would already be sold."We're hopeful that something will resolve itself in the next few days," said Phillips.
