Donington Park could make a shock return to the 2015 MotoGP calendar as a venue for the British Grand Prix remains undecided. Urgent discussions are taking place between promoters Dorna, the management of Silverstone and officials from the Circuit of Wales and a press conference is due to take place in Cardiff tomorrow afternoon with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta to clear up the situation.
Right now, no contract is in place with Silverstone beyond the 2014 event at the end of this month while detailed discussions have been going on with the Heads of the Valleys Development Company, who see MotoGP as the star turn in £250 million motorsport development in Ebbw Vale, for more than a year.
Both Silverstone and the CoW face problems which seem insurmountable. Silverstone Circuits, a subsidiary of owners, the British Racing Drivers Club, is not minded to renew the contract with Dorna for the current fee, circa €5 million per event. Since the sale of the commercial land surrounding the circuit, which wiped out their debt, they have been seeking an outside investor to back a management buyout for the circuit itself. So far they have not succeeded in finding an investor and announced recently that they intend to carry on by themselves.
The Circuit of Wales doesn’t have any money either. Their problem is rather more extreme, though – no circuit. At least not until 2016 at the earliest. Progress on an ambitious project, which promises to employ many thousands of people, has been delayed by a planning enquiry over several hundred acres of common land, and a lack of committed funds.
Dorna also has a problem. Their contract with BT Sport, which brought a few more millions into their coffers, includes a commitment to a British GP. And the manufacturers, led by Honda, are adamant that a MotoGP round must be held in the UK.
Much depends on the robustness of whatever contractual arrangements Dorna has with the Welsh developers and who may be in breach. But any solution may involve Dorna taking a cut in their fee, at least temporarily, to get the event on at Silverstone (unlikely); or Silverstone paying up for the extension (unlikely); or some deal between the Welsh and Silverstone to finance a one-year extension at the Northamptonshire circuit (possible). However, on the latter point it should be remembered that Silverstone protested to the Prime Minister over “state aid” being given to Wales for a rival circuit when it was announced that MotoGP would be moving to the principality. So relations have been less than friendly.
For the Welsh that would be a massive gamble. Despite much effort they appear as yet to have raised no private money, they are relying on grants from the Welsh assembly and they are in a planning process. But a face-saving deal with Silverstone and Dorna could be cobbled together. It is said that an announcement may come from Wales this week.
Meanwhile, Christopher Tate, managing director of Donington Park, is waiting in the wings. Donington is the only other circuit with FIM approval to stage a Grand Prix in the UK. And they’re not waiting around idly.
At a dinner at the Donington Classic on Saturday evening Tate, in answer to a question about the future of the GP, made it clear that he would be prepared to respond to any approach from Dorna, or indeed the Welsh, should there be a deal on the table.
A recent survey among fans suggested their preference for Donington – for many years the home of MotoGP – over Silverstone. The teams probably prefer the facilities at Silverstone although they have deserted the much derided ‘wing’ – built for the F1 teams – for the old pit complex.
