Team bosses hopeful for GP

Can Silverstone win its fight for a Grand Prix in 2005?

Formula One team bosses have said they are confident there will be a British Grand Prix at Silverstone next year.

The race is facing the axe because Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, have not met the asking price for promotional rights.

But BAR chief David Richards said: "I am confident a solution will be found."

Minardi boss Paul Stoddart added: "There will be a Silverstone race. Anyone who wants to bet on that is a pretty safe bet."

Richards said that it was imperative that the British Grand Prix was lost.

"For us as a team and I am sure for many other British-based teams, the commercial impact of not having the event... is not acceptable."

Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, are still negotiating with Ecclestone and the British government to find a way of hosting the race and said this week they were "cautiously optimistic".

And a new organisation has emerged as a potential promoter for the race, with former world champion Nigel Mansell as its figurehead.

Group bullish for GP future

Brand Synergy claims to have secured a seven-year deal with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to promote the Grand Prix.

Ecclestone said the British GP had been omitted from F1's provisional 2005 schedule after Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, failed to offer a large enough fee to host the race.