Spa interested in alternating with Nuerburgring

By Alan Baldwin

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Belgian Grand Prix organisers have suggested alternating with Germany's Nuerburgring circuit to limit their losses from hosting the Formula One race.

Etienne Davignon, president of the Spa Grand Prix, told reporters on Sunday that this year's race was expected to make a loss of around 3 million euros ($4.31 million) and its future was under review.

"The discussion with (Formula One supremo Bernie) Ecclestone is based on the fact that we believe we are running too high a deficit and that we have to try to accommodate that," he said.

"We know that it is a structural deficit," he added, referring to the fees demanded by the commercial rights holder.

"We can't say that it is because of the crisis and so on. We know that (with) what we can attract at the prices we have to take because of what the race costs, we cannot reach the figures that we require."

Davignon said Spa, one of the sport's classic races, needed to consider the options before asking the question whether they wanted to continue or stop in 2012 when their contract expires.

"There are two elements of reality: 2012 is under contract and 2010 is on the schedule. What we do in relation to how we organise after 2012, or not, is part of the whole discussion," said Davignon.

"Presently there are a number of uncertainties," he continued.

"The grand prix in Germany is Hockenheim and Hockenheim said they would not do it. So should we try to have the alternance if we can organise it?"

Nuerburgring hosted this year's German Grand Prix after agreeing to alternate with Hockenheim, the venue in 2008.

However Hockenheim circuit, which is majority-owned by the local town council, has a deficit of several million euros and faces further heavy losses without financial assurances from state officials.

Davignon said he did not know whether the Nuerburgring was interested in alternating with Spa but it was important to keep both races.

"If you can't get Formula (One) races every year because it's too expensive, not for him (Ecclestone) but for us, then what is an intelligent alternative and is there an intelligent alternative?" he asked