Britain had the biggest crowd of the season last year, with a record race day
attendance of 127,000 and more people turning out on a Friday than on a
Sunday in some parts of the world where Formula One has no tradition.
Eight of the 11 teams are based in Britain, including champions Red Bull, and
last year saw seven different winners in the first seven races.
Former Formula One driver Derek Warwick, president of circuit owners the
British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), said the success of the British pair
was crucial.
“When we know that Lewis and Jenson are coming into the grand prix off
the back of a couple of wins, we see a massive spike in our sales,” he
said.
Phillips said they had probably reached the break-even point but the circuit
needed to exceed that comfortably to recover some of the £40 million
investment made on improvements in the past five years.
Hundreds of thousands have been spent since last year’s ‘wake-up call’, with
improved drainage to campsites, ditches re-profiled and park and ride spaces
added.
BRDC chairman Stuart Rolt said the search for outside investors to help fund
development was continuing after an exclusivity agreement with an
unidentified partner, believed to be a Qatar-based group, ended last year.
“We are still talking to people very positively and we keep going,”
he said. “There is no threat to the grand prix if we don’t find an investor,
everything just slows down…”
Rolt said the process had been frustrating due to the difficult economic
climate, and a clash between what property developers wanted and the aims of
the BRDC, but hoped “to get something done” this year.
He would not give details about any potential partners.