Silverstone boss remains optimistic there WILL be a 2020 British GP in Northamptonshire

Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle says there is no deadline to decide if this year's British Grand Prix can go ahead at the Northamptonshire track.

Government plans to impose a 14-day quarantine on travellers arriving in the UK from June 8 were confirmed on Friday.

Silverstone recently revealed a deal with Formula One chiefs to stage two races without fans in Northamptonshire — most likely on July 26 and August 2.

Plans would be wrecked if staff from ten F1 teams plus race officials were forced to isolate for two weeks in the UK after flying here from two races in Austria.

But Mr Pringle, the circuit's managing director, says in remains optimistic a solution can be found which can please petrolheads waiting to watch the race on TV and help kick-start the local and UK economy after the Covid-19 crisis.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Mr Pringle said: "This isn't just 90 minutes of an exciting sporting race. This is about getting an industry back to work. This is about 40,000-plus people's livelihoods being ignited.

"Formula One is the standard-bearer for the motorsport industry and it's about getting an industry started again.

"It's fantastic that we've got many other sectors back up and running. That the construction work is back up and running. We know that the supply chain of food has never missed a beat.

"Our industry stopped — stopped full stop — and we need to get it back going again.

"There are a lot of people's livelihoods associated with this. It's not so much about a race, it's much more about getting back to business."

The British GP is estimated to be worth up to £100million to the Northamptonshire economy each year with around 350,000 fans travelling to the county over a typical British GP weekend.

This will not be a typical British GP weekend but two F1 teams are based in the county with world champions Mercedes employing around 1,400 people at its sites at Brixworth and Brackley.

A team of 50 travels to each Grand Prix around the globe .. and back again.

Mr Pringle added: "It's a very complex sport to get going because it's a global championship with a huge logistical tail.

"So Formula One does need to know that it can set off on its global travel and be able to come in and out of its home base.

"I am very clear that the importance of the industry is understood by government. I remain very optimistic that they will find a sensible and pragmatic solution."

Silverstone's races are thought to be pencilled in to follow two rounds at the Red Bull Ring in a belated start to the 2020 season which has already seen ten events cancelled.

Pringle added: "I'm not clear on dates, at the moment. It really is dependent on whether the championship can get started.

"We have a good deal of flexibility here at Silverstone so we can accommodate later dates in August if required, possibly even into September.

"But it's not so much about what we can accommodate, or how long it will take us to stand up — and the answer to that is pretty quick because we've got all the infrastructure here.

"It's can the championship piece together a calendar that allows them to go from country to country and can they comply with the regulations in those countries in place at the time?

"And can they have the confidence to commit to that in a timescale that allows the freighting plan to come together because it's the logistics that are the key to getting this championship underway."

Sky F1 will be the only place to see every race live in 2020 Click HERE for how to watch.