The Formula One chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, has said he would like the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to remain on the F1 calendar for ever, with the event set to host what is expected to be the largest meeting in the sport’s history, reaching half a million people over four days this weekend.
The British GP, which has been on the calendar since F1 began in 1950, is expected to sell out with record numbers and Domenicali acknowledged it was part of a large and thriving F1 business in Britain, which he hopes can be improved by working closer with the UK government when he meets the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and other government officials at Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon.
F1 is now an increasingly important industrial player in the UK. It is worth £12bn to the economy annually and employs 6,000 people directly, with a further 41,000 in the 4,500 associated supply chain companies.
“I will highlight to the prime minister the technology and the centres of excellence that are in the UK,” Domenicali said. “Of the fact that with Brexit there are complications for movements, there are complications for the visas. I’m saying that because I think that it’s relevant to keep the possibility for people to be attracted to work here. Because if you lose that link, then immediately the centre could be moving other places.”
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Complications include the carnet system now required for moving equipment into Europe, which has knock-on effects in costs, time and notably sustainability. Visa issues for entry to the UK also still exist for those coming to work here in F1 and Domenicali hoped what is a continuing dialogue would prove fruitful.
“We have already formally presented in order to see if in the agenda of the government there will be a sort of attention to this, it’s our duty to present respectfully in the right way to them,” he said. “Of course, there is the hope for the government to understand if there is a way to have some exceptions or a way to work around the needs that we have. We will not decide the priority on which your government will dictate the agenda for the next step but we’re going to do it in the right way.”
