The future of British Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar remains unresolved heading intoꦺ this weekend’s race at Silverstone.

Thursday will mark two years since Silverstone confirmed it had activated a break clause in i🧸ts contract to host the British Grand Prix, meaning this Sunday’s race would be the last if a new contract 🍌is not agreed.

It is an event which has a rich history in the sport, with Great Britain being an ever-present fixture on the F1 c൲alendar since the world championship formed in 1950, while Silverstone has been the permanent home of the race since 1987.

Here is a breakdown of the key events so far…

11 July 2017: Break-clause triggered

In the week leading up to the 2017 British Grand Prix, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), owners of Silverstone circuit, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:triggered the break clause in the hope of negotiating a better deal, after their current 17-year c🌼ontract, which was agreed with former F1 supreജmo Bernie Ecclestone, included a hosting fee that would escalate from an original £11.5 million in 2010 to over £25 million by 2026.

Despite enjoying regular sell-out crowds and being one of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:best attended events on the F1 calen𝔍dar - with 140,000 fans attending on race day and 340,000 across the entire weekend last year - the BRDC felt it could no longer afford to keep the race goꦕing at a loss due to rising costs.

November 2018: F1 issues fresh warning

F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches168澳洲5最新开奖结果: issued Silverstone with a warning towards the end of last year, stressing the importance of business interests as he pointed out that F1 has not always racedꦏ at the Northamptonshire track.

“We’re a 68-year-old entity and the nature of grand pܫrix r𝄹acing is that it is dynamic,” Bratches said ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix in November.

“Silverstone was the first grand prix, but we haven’t raced at Silverstone all those 68 years. The race has been held at Brands Hatch and ꧒other venues.

“Nothing is immutable in this sport in terms of where we race. We do value certain races highly and we do what we can to pre🐻serve racing there, bไut we are a business.

“We are a public company and we have a lot of stakeholders and shareholders and we’re trying to marry what’s best for fans 🐟with running a successful business.”

The retaliation was bullish in nature from Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle, who insisted the circuit could flourish with or without F1 and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:would not be held to ransom in order to keep hosting the event.

December 2018 - June 2019: London GP talk steps up

Amid Silverstone’s uncertain future, Liberty Media has continued to pursue the idea of a grand prix on the streets of London. The prospect of an F1 race in the English capital has been little more t🐭han a pipe dream in recent years but in December ꦡit received a boost when London mayor Sadiq Khan said he considers a race to be realistic.

F1’s desire to hold a race in London did not sit well with Silverstone, with Pringle in June that the plan “significantly increases the risk” with its hopes of con🔯tinuing to host the British Grand Prix.

Despite the concerns, Pringle insisted talks were ongoing between both F1 and Silverstone and was hopeful of♋ finding a resolution.

A few months earlier during a press call in March, F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn admitted there was no certainty on the future of the British Grand Prix, but said there was room for two UK-based events on the calendar, ad📖ding: “London would be a different race than the British GP. It is a city race. There is a place for both.

"But I don't think it's feasible to have a London race in the middle of London, unfortunately - the chaos and impact it would have would be too severe - but on the periphery of London there are a number of areas that co꧃uld work.

“I don't see it as it would necessarily replace the British GP; it would be the London GP.”

July 2019: Hamilton’s rally call

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton168澳洲5最新开奖结果: voiced his concerns over the future of the British Grand Prix in Austria, stressing that F1 cannot afford to turn 🤡its back on Silverstone and potentially risk losing the♍ race altogether from the calendar.

Speaking in a feature set to be broadcast during Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the 2019 event, the Briton, who could take a record-breaking sixth victory at Silverstone this weekend, described the track as “the ultimate race circuit” and vowed to168澳洲5最新开奖结果: fight for its future.

"It feels to me 'not while I'm racing,'" Hamilton added. “Not while I'm here, I'll fight for it.

“This has the biggest crowd of the whole year, this has the biggest attendance of the season, and there's no way I would allow that to 𝄹happen. We have to fight for it.”

And Hamilton does not find himself alone as the only dಌriver praising Silverstone.

“A lot of great, fast corners is what we like and I can’t imagine the calendar without the British Grand Prix,” said Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who i♒s among a number of drivers to express their concerns.

“I ꦑreally enjoy Silv🐠erstone Circuit because of the high-speed corners, Becketts and Maggots being my favourite, and it’s great fun to drive.

“I also know it pretty well after racing there in F3 before F1. I love to see all the Br⛄itish fans camping and supporting us in the grandstands. There is always a big turnout and they are ꩲdefinitely some of the most passionate F1 fans in the world.”

What next?

A provisional F1 calendar for next year would currently see the British Grand▨ Prix omitted for the first time in the sport’s history, buꦦt there is fresh optimism that a new deal is on the cards.

Silverstone’s long-running saga could be resolved as early as Wednesday, with reports suggesting a fresh deal will be announced ahead of the 10🔜th round of the 2019 season.

According to , F1 and Silverstone have reached a financial agreement and are 🐬now on the finishing stretch of getting the final terms of the deal signed off and across the line. Watch this space…