Saturday 3rd April 1999

A decade of speculation over the future of Silverstone was to follow, but the first shots came from Bernie Ecclestone who warned there was no guarantee the race would stay there when the existing deal ended in 2001. “They can do all the restructuring it likes but I might not sign another contract. Shares in nothing are worth nothing.” He added Silverstone were no longer in discussions with him. “They said they’ll see what happens,” he said. “They don’t know what they are doing at the moment. They are not in any position to sign anything with anyone. Brands Hatch has put forward a proposal to host the Grand Prix and I am considering it.” Its long-term future was not secured until 2010.