TWO of Britain’s famous old
tracks are feeling the worldwide effect of Lewis Hamilton’s
impact – Silverstone, home of the Grand Prix and next month’s
Classic meeting, and Goodwood.
As India announced it is to be
the latest member of the Formula One club with an inaugural
race in 2009, ticket sales for the British Grand Prix, the
Silverstone Classic and the Goodwood Festival of Speed have
gone through the roof.
But the advent of F1 in India only underlines the long-term
threat to Silverstone’s place on the calendar as their own
contract with chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, above,
expires in 2009.
The Indian Olympic Association announced a preliminary deal to
stage a race in 2009 has been agreed with Ecclestone on
condition of having a venue approved. President Suresh Kalmadi
said: “We have received a letter [from Ecclestone]. The IOA
will be the promoter and the first event will be held in
2009.”
New Delhi is to be the location for the brand new facility
and the IOA has ruled out the possibility of a street race.
Should the Indian GP organisers meet FOM’s demands, the race
would become the fifth new venue to be added in recent months.
Valencia and Singapore hold races for the first time in 2008,
while Abu Dhabi enter in 2009 and South Korea a year later.
Silverstone are campaigning to keep a place in the calendar
and, in the short term, Hamilton’s adventures are paying
dividends. The British Grand Prix on July 8 has sold out of
general admission tickets with only seat tickets still
available.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed had already booked to have all
four British F1 drivers – Hamilton, Jenson Button, David
Coulthard and Anthony Davidson – appearing at the Sussex track
between June 22-24. All F1 teams apart from Spyker will be in
attendance and it should be a bumper festival for fans of the
circuit.
Next month attention
switches back to Silverstone, after the grand prix, when the
Silverstone Classic, backed by the Daily Express, takes
place between July 27-29.
One of the featured races is the Daily Express International
Trophy, featuring some of the tastiest F1 Grand Prix cars
from the 1960s and 70s.
Silverstone chief executive Richard Phillips said: “Ticket
sales for the Silverstone Classic are noticeably up. It’s as
if people are tuning back into Formula 1 and the fans are as
excited as they were in the sport’s heyday.
“We’re re-engaging fans who may have switched off – both
those who want to come to the British Grand Prix, but also
those who want to see F1 cars from the 60s and 70s reliving
their glorious past.”
