British government says public cash won't save British GP

LONDON -- The government said no taxpayer money will be used to bale out Formula One's under-threat British Grand Prix, and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson on Sunday called on F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to come up with the cash to stage it at Silverstone next year.

The British race has been on the F1 calendar every year since 1948. But Donington Park's failure to find the money to stage next year's race means it either returns to Silverstone in 2010 or doesn't happen at all.

"The British Grand Prix is a very important event, it's a much loved British institution and it's got to continue," Mandelson told BBC radio. "The whole of motor sport is important, not because of the enjoyment it provides but because it's really important for our economy.

"It contributes getting up to 4 billion pounds ($6.5 billion) to the economy and, if you look at the jobs it creates, there are 25,000 engineers involved in this sport in Britain, quite apart from 40,000-odd other jobs, so I have a responsibility to retain it and to support the motor sport industry just as I would any other."

But he said he could not contribute taxpayer money to sport which is already rich and called on Ecclestone to agree to a deal with Silverstone.

"I'm not in a position to use taxpayers' money to bale out what would be a sort of commercial venture in a very cash-rich sport," Mandelson said. "I can't do that, especially during a recession, but (Ecclestone) has my backing in what he's trying to do.

"But he also has my pressure to make sure that, just by accident, we don't lose the Grand Prix from this country. I don't want to see that and it would damage us, it would damage our sport but it would also damage our economy. All I would say is, 'Come on you guys, get your act together, get your negotiations done and make the British Grand Prix safe."'