The BRDC is rumoured to be planning to finance the redevelopment of Silverstone by selling off land to build two hotels, a science park and three hundred houses. As well as being unlikely to go down well with existing residents of Silverstone village, it would surely only be a matter of time before the new residents - who bought their nice new houses knowing full well they were next to a race circuit - complained about the noise.

I have to admit that I don’t have any great love for Silverstone (give me Donington or Brands Hatch any day) but the estimated redevelopment costs of between £15 million and £30 million look like a bargain compared to the £9 billion we’re being asked to fork out for the Olympics.