Blood on the tarmac at Silverstone

The abrupt resignation of the British Grand Prix's promoter within 24 hours of Sunday's race is indicative that drastic rethinking is needed. Silverstone may have dragged itself out of the literal mire of the race in April 2000, but the figurative mud of this year's soulless event will stick just as much.

Rob Bain, who was chief executive of Octagon Motor Sports, the company which has the rights to the British Grand Prix and runs it in conjunction with Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club, stepped down late yesterday after his high-profile row with Formula One ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone on race day.

Ecclestone, the most powerful man in the sport, described Silverstone as "a country fair masquerading as a world championship event" after he arrived 90 minutes late at the circuit and missed a key meeting. Low cloud at the circuit forced his helicopter to divert to nearby Turweston aerodrome, and his drive to the circuit was delayed by crowds and poor signage.

Yesterday Bain stepped down from his post citing the damage caused by "gratuitous outside comments". His statement omitted the usual phrases about "seeking new challenges" which are the hallmark of a sacking in disguise. But his resignation came after a lengthy Octagon board meeting, providing the perfect platform for the company to make clear their public support of Bain. None was forthcoming.

Just one part of Bain's Silverstone agenda was an apparent success. After a £ 40 million programme of road improvements around the notoriously trafficclogged circuit, cars moved in and out with relative ease. But a key pillar of that policy was reducing capacity by a third to 60,000 - and the race profits along with it.

Clearly the Octagon board agreed to that policy well in advance. However, they cannot have been delighted to hear Bain admit "in hindsight" that he wished he had made all 90,000 tickets available, but felt it was too much of a risk at a time when he was uncertain if A43 improvements would be completed in time.