F1 boss Stefano Domenicali: British Grand Prix should ‘stay forever on calendar'
Domenicali, and at least a quarter of the grid's 20 drivers – including British rookie Ollie Bearman and former Ferrari man Carlos Sainz – will be hosted by Starmer in a Downing Street reception ahead of this weekend's race at Silverstone.
F1's American owners Liberty Media last year struck a new 10-season agreement with Silverstone to safeguard one of the jewels in the country's sporting summer until 2034 in a deal understood to be worth £300million.
And speaking ahead of the 12th round of the campaign – where British driver Lando Norris is bidding to secure back-to-back wins – Domenicali said: 'I believe that Silverstone has the right characteristics to stay forever on the calendar because there is no other place where you can develop such a huge event in the UK.'
During his meeting with Starmer, Domenicali is set to press home the importance of redeveloping the road infrastructure surrounding Silverstone and the significance of the motor racing industry to the UK as a whole, with an estimated annual worth of £12billion to the economy.
Six thousand people are thought to be directly employed in the UK in F1, while seven of the grid's 10 teams are based here.
Domenicali will also look to iron out visa problems for some of the sport's lower-skilled overseas workers following Britain's exit from the European Union.
The 60-year-old Italian continued: 'I will highlight to the Prime Minister, 'What are the numbers related to Formula One?' And, 'What is the technology and the centres of excellence that are in the UK?'
'There are also things that we need to solve that with Brexit there are visa and movement complications. We cannot be limited by people having the chance to stay here for the weekend because they're coming from another country.
'I will also add the fact that because Silverstone will represent the biggest sporting event in the UK, there is a need to make sure that their plans need to be followed in the right way.'
Domenicali, who has run the sport since 2019 and recently agreed a new five-year deal to remain in his post, also admitted that a contingency plan is in place for the final two rounds of the season – due to be held in Qatar on November 30 and in Abu Dhabi a week later – amid political tensions in the Middle East.
He added: 'We are monitoring the area and in daily contact with the race promoters there. So far, we have not been given the signal (that the races are at risk).
'We are really hoping not and I don't want to even think about it, mainly for the bigger picture and not for the racing itself.
'We have a plan, but let's hope that this would not be even thinkable. Things are changing so fast. We are talking about races in December, and now we are in July. We just need to always be ready.'
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