Essential Reading for November 19th, 2008

Recommended links for November 19th, 2008:

• Racing boss Bernie Ecclestone answers angry Canadian F1 fans – Bernie Ecclestone says he isn't greedy.

  The F1 czar told a Montreal radio station that he loves the city, that he hopes its popular annual race will return there and that his cash demands have been fair.

  Mayor Gerald Tremblay had called it unreasonable.

  "Unreasonable compared to what?" Ecclestone replied in his radio interview.

  "We do business worldwide and nobody else thinks we're unreasonable. We've got a queue of people that want races. So we can't be unreasonable."

• Donington Park owners insist they remain on target to host the 2010 British Grand Prix – A planning decision was expected to be made this month, but North West Leicestershire District Council confirmed that the final call on whether to allow improvements to the circuit had been delayed until Jan 27.

  The delay was imposed after officials ruled that a full environmental impact assessment was required. That document has now been added to the application.

  Yet organisers remain confident they will be ready, and it is understood that construction work will take nine months, leaving time to complete the redevelopment before the race.

• STR’s driver decision is purely a financial issue – According to Sebastien Bourdais the Scuderia Toro Rosso did not sign up any drivers as they are trying to get the best driver with the biggest budget. The Frenchman is the team's 2008 driver but as he is unable to bring a big sponsor along he fears a deal for 2009.

  "If it was just a team principal decision we would have already resigned for next season," Bourdais told GPUpdate.net. "It is purely a financial issue unfortunately. Obviously it doesn't really matter what they want if you don't have the money. It is now a pretty simple, but nasty game. If you find the money you will be all right but if you don't they put you on hold. They can't make a decision until they have all the cards in their hands and I'm just playing the waiting game."