On This Day: Former F1 CEO said he was 'ashamed' of the British Grand Prix

On this day 22 years ago, then-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone declared he was "ashamed" of the British Grand Prix, warning that Silverstone held no divine right to remain on the calendar. His stinging criticism of the circuit's dated facilities and lackluster presentation represented his most aggressive attempt yet to force modernization, briefly pushing the historic event off the provisional 2005 schedule.

Why it matters:

Silverstone stands as the birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship, having hosted the inaugural race in 1950. Ecclestone's broadside exposed the growing tension between F1's rising commercial standards and historic European circuits struggling to match the infrastructure of modern venues. The fallout proved that even the sport's most storied events were vulnerable to the hard-nosed commercial realities of the Bernie era.

The details:

• Ecclestone had long feuded with Octagon, the Interpublic subsidiary promoting the event, and the British Racing Drivers' Club over chronic underinvestment.
• He had previously called the race "a country fair masquerading as a world event," but his 2004 remarks were his most direct assault yet.
• Speaking to the media, he openly advised prospective hosts to visit Barcelona or Germany rather than Silverstone to see how a modern race should be run.
• By September 2004, BRDC president Jackie Stewart confirmed the British Grand Prix was absent from the provisional 2005 calendar.
• Octagon soon withdrew entirely amid financial difficulties at parent company Interpublic, leaving the BRDC to resume direct control.

The big picture:

A last-minute deal struck in December 2004 secured Silverstone until 2009, pulling the race back from the brink of extinction. The crisis served as a harsh wake-up call that forced long-overdue modernization at the Northamptonshire circuit, ensuring the British Grand Prix survived its darkest chapter to remain a permanent fixture in Formula 1.