Carey: 'The British GP doesn't have to be at Silverstone'

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey says the sport will have other options available for hosting the British GP in the future if a deal cannot be reached in the coming years with Silverstone.

Last week, the BRDC triggered a break clause in its contract with The Formula One Group, effectively releasing itself from its British GP obligations after 2019.

Before the club's decision to pull out of its contract, Liberty Media apparently offered to run the race itself for a five-year period in exchange for being given Silverstone's facilities for the three weeks surrounding the event free of charge.

The proposition failed to appeal however to the BRDC which rejected it and triggered its break clause with the hope of starting from scratch with F1 and negotiating a new deal in the next three years.

Speaking to The Times, Chase Carey admitted to be surprised by the BRDC's current dire straits with regard to the British GP.

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"I don't understand some of their claims about their economics, particularly when I look at our business in other places," said Carey.

"The people who run a good race seem to have a different picture than they are painting. 

"But I don't have visibility to how they account, how they assign costs. I know we are not treating them unfairly. We are treating them consistently with others.

"We value Silverstone and we have three years to reach an agreement."

The American executive reiterated F1's desire to keep Britain's showcase event at Silverstone. But he also insisted that other potential venues are being looked at.

"Our preference is for Silverstone but the British Grand Prix certainly does not have to be here," he added.

"We have had expressions of interest from other places in the UK, but I'm not trying to play one against the other."

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