Horner says popularity of London Live event, live on Sky Sports F1, could decide British GP future; BRDC say London race isn't feasible
Tuesday 18 July 2017 12:14, UK
Formula 1's London Live event could prove to the sport's owners that the capital is an "attractive" alternative to Silverstone for a British GP in the future, according to Christian Horner.
The British Racing Drivers' Club, Silverstone's owners, will opt out of their current F1 contract following the 2019 grand prix, but are optimistic a new deal can be negotiated with Liberty Media to keep the race at what it claims is its "only possible destination".
But F1's American owners are also keen to introduce events in "destination cities" - with Wednesday night's London demonstration run, live on Sky Sports F1, an example of that - and Horner believes a street race could be a valuable addition to the calendar.
"Silverstone is a wonderful track. The teams and the drivers love driving there and Liberty has made a commitment that there will be a British Grand Prix," the Red Bull team boss told Reuters.
"But with this London event happening [on Wednesday], if that was a success - which hopefully it should be - one can imagine a London Grand Prix being pretty attractive to the Liberty guys.
"It would not be difficult to imagine Liberty thinking 'why don't we do a street race in the capital?'"
Formula 1 cars will be driven down Whitehall on Wednesday evening in what is the first time all 10 teams have come together outside of a race weekend to put on a show for the public.
But while a race through central London has long been mooted, with Docklands in the east of the city also reportedly an option, the BRDC's chairman John Grant is adamant that it wouldn't be "feasible" to stage the British GP in the capital.
"What Liberty say they want to protect, and we agree with them, is the iconic Formula 1 circuits in Europe, of which Silverstone is one," Grant told Sky Sports News HQ's Craig Slater.
"Silverstone is the only iconic F1 circuit in the UK so it's the only option. It's the most practical circuit today, it's the only one that's got a license to run F1 events and it's the only one that is capable of running F1 events.
"Plus, in the view of a lot of experts, a London GP is not a feasible alternative. Politically, environmentally, commercially - I can't see it making any sense on any of those fronts.
"So Silverstone is what we need to protect and find a way through our current impasse."
