Ecclestone to promote Spa

UPDATE #2 This rumor is downgraded to 'false' per this Hot News story. Bernie will not promote Spa, which means he knows it is a money loser no matter what he could do for the race. Instead another sucker appears to have been found that will pay Ecclestone's FOM exorbitant sanctioning fees with little hope of turning a profit.

05/14/06 (GMM) The return next year of the popular Belgian grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps is not yet guaranteed.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone suggested in Barcelona that he was trying to organize a rare deal to promote the race himself, after it was left off the '06 calendar due to money problems.

'Sydney Morning Herald' quoted him as saying that a deal is 'in the middle' of a negotiation period, involving the requirement for the outdated circuit facilities to be upgraded.

''It's not easy,'' said 75-year-old Bernie, ''(as) we're dealing with politicians and it's difficult for them.

''We'll probably get it together.

''We'll try and get it back. I think we need to have Spa if we can. We're doing our best.''

05/13/06 Bernie Ecclestone is negotiating with the Belgian authorities to acquire the rights for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

"We're talking to them about it; we want to take it over," Ecclestone told autosport.com. "We're hoping we can do something for 2007. It's just a matter of getting people to agree.

"We couldn't purchase the track, because it's a public road, so it's a little bit difficult. But we're trying to do a deal to hold the race, and I'll be the promoter. That's the whole idea."

Meanwhile, despite optimism earlier in the week that a deal could be struck to take Grand Prix Masters to Spa-Francorchamps as replacement for the circuit's September 17 Formula One date, the race is now unlikely to go ahead, autosport.com reports.

"We thought we had a deal after some extremely positive conference calls," GPM founder Scott Poulter told autosport.com, "but we seem to be a little bit apart, and it is now unlikely that we'll be going there in September.

"Bob (Berridge, technical and sporting consultant to GP Masters) is racing in the sports car race there this weekend, and he's giving it one last shot (to salvage the race), but possibly the Heads of Terms Agreement we sent across earlier in the week caused a rethink by the promoters, MediaGroup Van Dyck."