For years, the Silverstone Circuit hasn't been totally associated with financial stability. Considering the reports of rising debts and the British Racing Drivers' Club (the track's current owners) having to defer the payments for last year's F1 race, it's perhaps no real surprise that Jaguar Land Rover's long-term Silverstone lease bid has gone down rather well with the BRDC. However, all that might be in jeopardy, as The Telegraph in the UK is claiming Porsche has managed to successfully block JLR's bid.

It seems weird at first, but - if the report is true - it's an understandable move from Porsche. After all, it runs a 'Driving Experience Centre' at the motorsports venue in Northamptonshire, and having a competitor own the circuit you're using to host said enterprise at, does have the potential to be rather problematic. Porsche's veto, which allegedly allows it to block rival carmakers from using the Silverstone facilities for more than 45 days per year, also adds more credibility to prior reports that Jaguar would set up a new HQ and its own driver experience center at the 'home of British motorsport.'

Throwing another spanner in the works is the additional claim that Lawrence Tomlinson (the owner of the small British sports car company Ginetta) is also vying for the rights to own a 248-year lease of the circuit, with the entrepreneur confident that his offer is "considerably in excess" of the sum of money that Jaguar Land Rover is bringing to the table. As these discussions are still ongoing, and likely won't be concluded for a while, it's impossible to get official confirmation from the relevant parties on what's going on negotiation-wise. It'll be interesting to see just who ends up winning the lease to the Silverstone Circuit.