London Grand Prix idea is no joke, says F1 supremo
Posted by James Cox on Friday, 13 Jul 2012, 16:27 in Motorsport
The boss of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, has stressed that plans to hold a street race in the middle of London are "no joke". Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, he said plans to hold a grand prix in the capital were progressing and that Formula One would be prepared to cover the running costs of a race and waive the £35m hosting fee. The possibility of staging a race in London was put forward at an event sponsored by Spanish bank Santander, and some commentators have speculated that it was simply a publicity stunt. However, Ecclestone made it clear to The Guardian that he would like to see the idea come to fruition. "We are getting on with it," he told the newspaper. "It is no joke, 100 per cent completely no joke." Last month, plans for a race route were unveiled which, if adopted, would see the Formula 1 cars pass close to some of London's most famous landmarks, including Trafalgar Square and The Mall. Spain's Fernando Alonso currently leads the 2012 Formula 1 championship with 129 points ahead of the next race in Germany on July 22.
