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.'
Anyone aware of a small event we have going on in July? 😉 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/6CaRj2N4gU
— Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) July 1, 2025
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
30 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Lost momentum pivotal in defeat for Fran Jones at Wimbledon
The 24-year-old raced to the take the first set 6-1 over Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva but was unable to close out victory, eventually succumbing 6-3 6-1 to exit at the first opportunity. And the Oxenhope native lamented her inability to wrest back control of a contest that felt there for the taking at one stage. 'I played a really good set and a half, and then I think momentum switched,' said Jones. 'She got the better of me there. 'We've seen a lot recently in tennis, the momentum shifts are just stronger than ever. They kind of jolt you more than you may have seen in previous years because of how the game has developed. 'I think just unfortunately I didn't manage to find that bit of rhythm again after that. 'I am really deflated to be honest. There's not much else I can say.' Jones arrived in Wimbledon off a strong clay swing as well as some encouraging results on grass, including victory over then world No.70 Greet Minnen at Eastbourne the week prior to Wimbledon. But Jones insisted she is a threat on whatever court she plays on ahead of the upcoming American hard court swing. 'I get asked this a lot. My response is still the same. I've got earned points on every surface,' she added. 'I started the year with doing well on hard court. Won a couple of good matches this year on grass. 'Obviously today was a bit of a lost opportunity for me, but I don't think surface has got anything to do with it.' Jones was part of a trio of Brits to depart the women's singles on Tuesday, with Jodie Burrage and Heather Watson also tasting defeat. Watson was also a set up in her contest against 23rd seed Clara Tauson but followed Jones in fatally letting her opponent back into the contest. 'The first words that came out of my mouth when I saw my coaches were I let that slip through my fingers,' said Watson. 'I needed to be on it that second set, and the first game especially. 'With how I've been playing and how much experience I have under my belt now, I felt like this match was really mine, and I really believed it was, but some days you just don't play your best.' For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lions star owns up to bedroom blunder after arriving late to camp in Australia
Blair Kinghorn was the last member of the British and Irish Lions squad to arrive and as soon as he checked into the team hotel waltzed into his room and accidentally woke up Maro Itoje Blair Kinghorn got off the wrong foot when he arrived on the Lions tour by disrupting skipper Maro Itoje's beauty sleep in Brisbane. The Scotland full-back joined up with party late because was playing in Toulouse's epic 39-33 extra-time Top 14 final win over Bordeaux-Begles in Paris on Saturday night. Kinghorn partied all night with his teammates and families, then jumped on a midday flight to Dubai on Sunday, stopping there before flying on to Queensland. The new arrival got into Brisbane just before midnight and thought he had a single room as he blundered through the door only to find captain Itoje trying to sleep in bed. Kinghorn explained: 'I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking 'surely there won't be anyone in the room'. I go in, chuck the bags down and up he pops. I was like 'uh, sorry'. He'd been sleeping and I woke him up. It was funny, he woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep. I went straight from Paris because we went from Toulouse for the final on Thursday, so I had to make sure all my stuff was ready. 'Luckily my mum and my wife were there to help me take everything up because packing for two separate things is a bit stressful. I think I've got everything. All you need is your boots and your passport, so that's fine. 'It's good to finally be here and it feels a bit more real for me now. I'm actually here, I've got all the kit, I'm with the boys, it feels great.' Kinghorn might have been an unwelcome disturbance for Itoje but he is aiming to be a big noise on tour now he has finally arrived down under. The Scotsman's career has taken off since a mid-season switch to Toulouse from Edinburgh in December 2023 and he has won two Top 14 titles and a Champions Cup since the move. At Toulouse he rubs shoulders with French superstars like Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack and Thibaud Flament. So, joining up with the best of British with the Lions is not hard for the 28-year-old who is used to training with the top players in the game. And he insists a two-month lay-off with a knee injury this season will work in his favour now he is on tour having peaked for the French final last weekend. He added: 'I was injured for eight weeks so this is fine. Getting injured is never good. You're sitting on the sidelines, not really involved in the rugby stuff but it is kind of refreshing for the brain. If you are not motivated to be here, then you shouldn't be here. It is not tough at all. 'Everyone's here to do their best and to win the Test series. Every training session is going to be competitive. Everyone's motivated and that brings the best out of people. At Toulouse, the squad is so deep and so talented that you've got to be on top of your game. It is high pressure.'
The Herald Scotland
32 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
George Russell talks us through a lap of Silverstone ahead of British Grand Prix
Abbey and Farm Curve Russell in action during the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone (Andrew Matthews/PA) A qualifying lap at the British Grand Prix is one of the most exhilarating of the year. It is probably only beaten by Monaco. In a Formula One car, the first two corners are flat-out at 190mph. I could even do them with one hand. Village and The Loop RACE WEEK IS FINALLY HERE 🇬🇧 It's our turn to put on a show!#BritishGP #F1 — Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) June 30, 2025 I brake about 60 metres before Village, which means it is a fast entry, before swinging back over to the other side of the track for the left hander at Loop – the second slowest corner on the track. A good slingshot on the exit is pivotal as the Aintree kink takes us on to the long Wellington Straight. Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote A list of legends 👊 Lewis Hamilton's 2024 victory was his ninth British Grand Prix win, meaning he tops the list of Brits to have won on home soil 🏆#F1 #BritishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) July 1, 2025 Silverstone can be windy because it is built on the site of a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station. It is very flat, too, so I am always watching out for the flags. On the top of the British Racing Drivers' Club building at Brooklands there is a Union Jack. I know if the flag is flying strongly, I can go in hotter because there will be a ton of downforce and the grip will be immense. But if the flag is drooping, I will have to bring it back a touch – braking maybe just two metres earlier – because there is a chance the car might snap and the likelihood of a mistake is greater. The subsequent long-righter hand through Luffield and Woodcote is probably my least favourite on the track. It goes on forever, but is crucial because it sets me up for the old pit straight and Copse. Copse Corner Verstappen and Hamilton collide! The title rivals come together at Copse, pitching Verstappen into a high-speed crash. The Dutchman was able to walk away but he has been taken to hospital for precautionary checks#BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 — Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2021 I remember the first time I ever drove at Silverstone, I was in a Formula Four car and I would approach Copse at 130mph before braking and shifting down the gears. But in Formula One, I take it on at 190mph, and the minimum speed through the bend is more than 180mph. It is insane. Imagine you are in a rugby scrum and everybody is trying to push you in one direction. It is a constant force, but its abruptness means it can also feel like a rugby tackle which goes on and on. My legs are flying one way, my bottom is clenching, and my neck, which is being exposed to 50 kilograms of G-force, just wants to fly off. I might be in and out of the corner in a second, but in that brief moment I tense and I don't breathe. Maggots, Becketts and Chapel Curve Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix for a record-extending ninth time in 2024 (Matthew Vincent/PA) This is the best sequence of corners in the world and the most impressive place ever to watch an F1 car. I approach at 195mph and decelerate to 145mph through the left-right-left sequence. It feels like a slalom with such incredible flow but I know the tiniest of errors will cost me. Hangar Straight and Stowe Stowe is my favourite part of the circuit and one of five corners in F1 that never ceases to amaze me. The car just feels alive. The right hander is so wide it allows me to attack it at more than 190mph. My speed drops to about 150mph as I rise over a small crest where I am aware of the thousands of British fans on the exit. Vale, Club Corner and Hamilton Straight I come into the final two corners knowing this is my last chance in the lap. Braking earlier at Vale allows me good momentum on the exit of Club and on to the Hamilton Straight. This approach will not compromise turns one and two which is ideal for the race. But in qualifying, where the finish line arrives earlier, I can carry more speed on the entry to Vale because I do not need to worry too much about my exit and the following lap.
