W
elcome to a new Grand
Prix on next year's cal-
endar. And it's not even
in Spain. Or not yet, anyway.
It's the Grand Prix of Wales.
Or perhaps the Grand Prix of
Brigadoon? Somewhere up in
the mountain mists, anyway; and
only appearing once a year. If
that.
Actually there is supposed
to be some grounding in reality.
Of a sort. For the Grand Prix of
Wales is actually to be held next
year far away in Leicestershire, in
the middle of England, at good
old down-to-earth Donington
Park. And will be called the Brit-
ish Grand Prix.
As for the ultimate destina-
tion, the new Circuit of Wales:
that doesn't actually exist at all,
except as a series of drawings,
the subject of some very lengthy
planning delays, much argument
in the Welsh assembly, and ques-
tions asked to government about
the scale of public funding. Main-
ly by the dispossessed Silver-
stone, which suggests that the
up to £50-million ($80.4 million)
to be stumped up by the taxpay-
ers amounts to "illegal state aid."
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
FAST BIKES, OR JUST
FAST BUCKS?
P116
