Donnington Cloud Set For Silverstone Lining

Later today it is widely expected that the 2010 Fomula One British Grand Prix will be announced as taking place at Silverstone. After a couple of years of the circuit that has hosted the British Grand Prix since 1987 first looking to lose the event to Donnington, then potnetially Britain losing its spot on the F1 circuit altogether when the financing fell through, it now seems certain that it will be as you were in Northamptonshire and not a shift to Leicestershire..

The Silverstone circuit is like the heart of F1 around it are various of the works factories of many teams not just those that play our National Anthem when they win the constructors prize at a Grand Prix and with them are many of the makers of parts. If Bernie Ecclestone had followed through on his veiled threat that he didn't need there to be a British Grand Prix there might very well have been ramifications for employment.

However, last night Bernie seemed happy with the deal that was presented by the Silverstone owners. He was irratated with the length of time it took him to come to a deal though saying:

"It's been a long and tiring nonsense. They could have done this whole thing months and months ago."

But maybe from their long experience of dealing with the billionaire the circuit cheifs wanted to build in a little security if they stepped up to become the saviour of the British GP. Having aparently settled on a 10 year deal it would appear that they have got that little bit of security to make investing in improving the facilities

Update: This has now been confirmed with a 17 year deal agreed.

Liberté, Fraternité, Echappée*

The news this morning that the Statue of Liberty will mark Independence Day with public being allowed to the crown from the first time since 9/11 is good news. It also coincides with the start of Le Grande Slog across France, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy towards her sister who sits on another Isle in the capital of the country of her birth. The full route is shown visually below.




On the 40th Anniversary of the moon landings is suitable marked with the penultimate stage up through the lunar landscape to the peak of Mont Ventoux, though it is 4 days late on the 25th to be a really fitting tribute for the day that there was 'one small step'.

Today however many Formula One fans will recognise parts of the course for the opening individual time trial of the 2009 Tour. Indeed the finish line is more used to the checkered flag than the kite marking Arrivée, and the Flamme Rouge marking a kilometre to go is in a very famous tunnel. They even race past the Casino though not through the iconic square. The pit lane instead of having mechanics working on cars will have mechanics doing last minute tweaks to machines about to ride up the the depart hut for 15.5km course that will take them up the steep climb of Moyenne Corniche to the high point a Category 4 climb of Côte de Beausoliel 2o5m up.

For the Grand Départ is taking place in the streets of Monaco some of it very familiar to speed fans of the four wheeled variety. See below for a full look at today's course.




*Translation of Title: Liberty, Brotherhood and Breakaway Group.

Max-ed Out With the News

Max Mosley has announced that an agreement has been reached with the Formula One Teams Accosiation (FOTA) that will prevent the big names and big teams breaking away in a rival championship next season.

As part of the deal Mosley who the team principles have been unhappy with has agreed to step down and not seek re-election as President of the FIA when his fourth term comes to an end in October. This is contrast ahead of the FIA meeting today when Mosley said he would seek re-election. It also appears that the writs that Mosley and experienced barrister had drawn up against the teams who had threatened to pull out (McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP) will now be filed in the WPB*.

There was a campaign of which I and many other F1 fans both in Blogs and Tweets were involved with which called for Max, who was seen as the biggest ego and most immoveable mountain in a sport of big egos, to get out. The FIA even tried to ban Max Out banners from being shown in broadcasters at the weekend’s Grand Prix at the spiritual birthplace and home of F1 Silverstone.

All rumours that John Bercow’s speakers robes had come from Max’s dressing up box for Bernie Ecclestone have been denied by all parties.

*Waste Paper Basket

The Greening of Formula One

No this is not a post about fuel, fuel efficiency or anything else that you would associate me with from a title like that. But all week I've been seeing a growing number of the people I follow politically on Twitter slowly turning their profile pics green. Green is the party colours of Mir Hossein Moussavi and following the outrageous result announced last weekend I've noticed the political twitterverse turning green in solidarity.

However, having spent most of the weekend following the #iranelection hashtag today I've just spent a few hours following the #f1 one for the British Grand Prix. One thing that struck me was there was not a noticeable drop in the percentage of green faces I was watching scroll down the screen. This is a people's discontent in Iran and it is a people's movement of solidarity around the world, from celebs to politicians and ordinary people as well the Internet is slowly turning green in one sense at least and a welcome sight it was too.

Glorious Sunday for British Sport

It was quite a magnificent Sunday of British sport yesterday. It all started in Sepang Malaysia where Jenson Button after a poor start from pole battled up through the field from fourth and put in a couple of 'storming' laps after his nearest rivals had pitted for that first change of tires to come out well up the track.



However, when the rain came down Timo Glock made the audacious and in the end correct decision to go out on intermediate tyres while the rest of the field put on full wets and start to gain 6 seconds a lap. By the time they pulled Button in for Intermediates as well Glock was passing him as he sat in the pit lane.



Then just after all the field had changed to the Intermediates and Button had just regained P1 Glock dove back into the pits to start the move unto full wets first again to go to what was to prove to be the right tyre. When Jenson followed suit he had again to overtake the German but the race had become a power boat race by lap 32 and was red flagged. The drivers sitting on the grid in a thunderstorm waiting to see if they would restart. So it was that Jenson Button won his second Grand Prix of the season while sat on the grid under a brolly, he only needed a bowler hat instead of his helmet to make the British image complete.



Later in the day over in Miami rain wasn't going to be Andy Murray's worry. Storming to a 4-0 lead in the first set of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami against the man whose position in the rankings he is chasing down, Novak Djokovic, he eased to a 6-2 first set. And then at 1-0, a break up, in the first set he watched his opponent call for the trainer, it seemed to unsettle the Scot as he lost the next 5 games on the trot. But then found the flow of the first set to take six in succession to take the title dubbed the 'fifth grand slam' 6-2, 7-5. In doing so he equalled Tim Henman's career titles at an age when Henman only dreamed of being that good. He also now with three wins this season is the most successful champion on the mans tour as we head into the clay season.



The day was rounded up by Paul Casey over in Houston, where he didn't have a problem despite dropping his one shot led on the eighteenth and bogeying the play-off hole. It was still enough to secure him the Houston Open, his first win on the US Tour where he now plies his trade. An ideal built up to the US Masters later this month at Augusta.

RBS Cut's Back Sports Sponsorship

A few weeks ago, before the whole debacle over their bonuses, the Royal Bank of Scotland had extended their sponsorship of the RBS Six Nations to 2013. After the fall out from that today's news that they are to scale back their sponsorship substantially.

What it entails is the end of their sponsorship of the Williams Formula 1 team when the current contract expires in 2010. Also a reduction of the contribution to their sports ambassadors including Andy Murray, Zara Philips and Jack Nicholas as well as other lesser deals. The net effect is a 50% reduction of their tens of millions in sponsorship.

Dr Andrew McLaughlin, RBS group director said:

"We recognise that we are now operating in a very different economic
environment and have been reviewing all of our activities since
October.

"It is imperative that we respond to the reality of the situation we face
and that we do so in an orderly way that respects the commercial agreements we
have in place and the implications for our partners and the jobs they support."

As a sportsman in my past I well recognise the benefits that sponsorship can bring to events and individuals. But as an Economics graduate I also realise that investment in sponsorship does not have a direct impact on the money making potential of a company and when times get tough will be seen as needless luxury that is hard to justify. Therefore RBS are making a sound business decision for themselves. Those they have sponsored will have to get on the treadmill and find out if anyone(s) else will take up the slack and the hole left in their budgeting.

Although Williams will have to replace their £10m per annum deal Sir Jackie Stewart is beleived to he holding out for his £4m deal, unlike Andy Murray who is happy to renegotiate his deal.

Who Do You Think You are Sterling Moss?

Whoops a daisy. A car dealer in Kent was looking up his security gate when a Fiat van sent him flying when it hit the end of it. Police were alerted to the scene and merely helped to two men swap details.



The driver of the vans other car is a Ferrari apparently and used to be this one.






The police apparently believed him, well who else has a jaw like that.

Robert Dunlop Killed During NW 200 Practice

They say that engine oil ran through the veins of the Dunlop boys Joey and Robert.

Joey was killed racing in Estonia in 2000 after that summer having a display of all his trophies at the Isle of Man TT where he had runb 26 races. Robert was the record holder at Ireland's premier meeting the North West 200 with 15. Sadly yesterday evening during a practice session his 250cc bike appeared to seize as it reached the fast Mather's Cross section and crashed at high speed. He was confirmed dead from his injuries shortly after 10pm last night.

Robery had had a far more injury affected career than his big brother Joey. In 1994 he crashed in the F1 event at the Isle of Man which took him out for some time, but he soon returned. He walked away from the sport in 2004, but was back racing the following year. This was his first time back racing a 250 class event since the 1994 TT.

His widow Louise told the Belfast Telegraph that she knew, what we all feared when he returned to racing, that he would probably die racing. Another great loss to the high risk sport of road motorbike racing.