British Racing Drivers' Club president Derek Warwick says a decision is to be made "fairly soon" over new Silverstone investors.
President looking for backing to build up Silverstone
British Racing Drivers' Club president Derek Warwick says a decision is to be made "fairly soon" over further investment at Silverstone.
Warwick, who took over at the helm of the BRDC from Damon Hill last summer, must help secure funding for the multi-million pound masterplan designed to make the Northamptonshire circuit the best in the world.
Silverstone was given outline planning permission a month ago to push ahead with development of new facilities, including a business park, technology park, education campus, three hotels, a welcome centre and a museum of motorsport.
To do so, however, Silverstone and its owners need outside investment and so have been involved in lengthy talks with a number of parties to fund the project.
Confidentiality clauses have prevented anybody within Silverstone or the BRDC from commenting on their prospective partners.
Warwick concedes, though, the decision due to be made is critical for both the Club and circuit.
Massive step
"What we have achieved over the last few years - getting the grand prix off Donington Park, signing a 17-year contract, building the Wing and securing the future of Silverstone - has been amazing, and I'm very proud to have been a part of that," the former F1 driver said.
"The next step is massive, to find a third-party investor and to link the Wing to the rest of the circuit, to build hotels, museums, a university etc. There are so many exciting things going to happen at Silverstone.
"There are a lot of things in our masterplan, and they might not all get done, they might be done in a different order.
"That's really up to the investor, but I think it's exciting, and it will change the face of the BRDC and Silverstone, hopefully for the better.
"The reason being is that it will develop the circuit to a standard where we will have the best facility, not only in Europe, but the world.
"We already have the history and one of the greatest racing circuits, and what we are planning will complete the package.
"As for when a decision will be made, I will be disappointed if it's not made fairly soon."
There has been speculation the investment will be coming from Qatar, which begs the question as to whether they will have the Club and Silverstone at its heart.
If the Qataris were the preferred choice - or any other overseas partner for that matter - it might be another case of a British sporting institution falling into foreign hands, as has been the case in football's Premier League.
Same goals
Warwick, however, said: "Do you honestly think we at the BRDC, with the history and knowledge we possess, would sell Silverstone or the BRDC down the road?
"Sorry, but you can't debate what we are doing at Silverstone with a football club, somebody that wants a trophy asset, who is just there for what he can get out of it and then move along.
"The Glazers [Manchester United's owners] and people like them, they are in there to finance a debt. The guy at Manchester City, will he be there in 10 years' time? Probably not.
"We hope our guy will be there for the long haul. They've certainly the backing to be able to do that, they've the enthusiasm and the same goals as ourselves.
"We can do no more than that."
