Having gone very quiet in recent days, twenty-four hours after the FIA revealed that Silverstone is back on the (provisional) schedule for 2005, Brand Synergy, the consortium that numbers former world champion Nigel Mansell amongst its members, has re-emerged.

Talking to the BBC, director Kim Cockburn revealed that the consortium is putting forward a proposal to the British Racing Drivers' Club, in a bid to secure the future of the track and indeed the British Grand Prix.

"It's a fully funded proposal the BRDC members should have a chance to see," said Cockburn. "All we ask is that our proposal is considered seriously."

It's understood that Brand Synergy will present the proposal to the BRDC next week.

According to Cockburn, Brand Synergy is proposing the creation of a new company in which the consortium and the BRDC will have a stake. Ms Cockburn claims that the company would enable a billion pound redevelopment of the entire Silverstone site.

"The plan is to set up a new company of which the BRDC have a part," she said. "We then master-plan the whole Silverstone site and we deliver restaurants, shops, hotels etc. It will turn Silverstone into a massive motor racing, leisure, entertainment destination right in the middle of England.

"We've listened to the BRDC and our new proposal will reflect those comments," she continued. "We believe it is a serious document, well backed, well funded and we believe it a strong proposal that they should put to their members."

And this is not a late April fool joke, at least we don't think so.