London street race gathers steam
(GMM) London mayor Ken Livingstone has insisted that Formula One will not be staged in the British capital.
At an event on Thursday to announce London's route of the 2007 Tour de France, he said organizing a grand prix would not make economical sense.
"To get a grand prix you are talking about $56.5 million," Livingstone was quoted as saying by the British Guardian broadsheet.
"If I dipped into the council tax payers' pockets to come up with $56.5 million for a grand prix I don't think I would be able to walk safely down the streets."
London's West End flirted with the sport in 2004 for the popular 'London comes to Regent Street' F1 street parade.
12/10/04 According to this Telegraph.co.uk article, Bernie Ecclestone remains in the grip of Christmas spirit. A day after the gift of the British Grand Prix, given a July 10 date at yesterday's FIA world council meeting, Formula One's commercial rights holder reiterated his desire to see a race on the streets of London. The green light to Red Ken, as it were.
What began as a soundbite from Mayor Livingstone following the street display in the capital ahead of the British Grand Prix in July, an event that attracted half a million people, has developed into bona fide proposal. According to Ecclestone, only one element is missing – the money.
"Ken knows that. I have told him. I would sign a deal today," Ecclestone said. "Ken is still very much behind the idea, which is good. It could happily run alongside a British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It is finding the money to put it on."
It was ever thus, as the British Racing Drivers Club, the owner of Silverstone, discovered over five hard months of negotiation. Ecclestone's imagination was fired in Monaco, the prince of street circuits, where he attended the gala dinner last night in honor of the motorsport world champions of 2004.
Ron Walker, the force behind the Australian Grand Prix, has offered to act as consultant following a recent meeting in London at which detailed plans were discussed. It was established that grandstands would be erected in Hyde Park and a pit and paddock complex along Horse Guards Parade.
Feasibility studies commissioned by Livingstone gained the approval of the police and Westminster Council. Finances pending a race could appear on the F1 calendar as early as 2006. [Editor's Note: With 19 races on the 2005 F1 schedule, and with the Concorde Agreement calling for just 16 races per year, how is Bernie going to justify a 20th race when the smaller teams are struggling to get by with three extra races already and Ferrari vetoing the cut in testing?]
09/28/04 (GMM) London mayor Ken Livingstone will only start a serious bid for the British Grand Prix if current venue Silverstone loses the F1 event. Livingstone told London newspaper 'Evening Standard' that he would prefer if a street race around Hyde Park become the 'European Grand Prix', with Silverstone still on the calendar. ''I'm still backing a grand prix for London 100 per cent,'' he said. ''However, I believe Silverstone makes an important contribution to the continuing success of the UK motorsport industry.'' This week, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's deadline for a new race deal at Silverstone will expire (Thursday). The track-owning 'British Racing Driver's Club' (BRDC) has made the 73-year-old mogul an offer to become promoter, but it has fallen several million pounds short of Ecclestone's minimum, which is the fee for races such as at Hockenheim. BRDC officials, meanwhile, are reporting that their offer is at the limit, making – at present – the loss of Silverstone more likely than a 2005 grand prix.