IMAGINE an Open Championship rota without the Old Course or a tennis season that didn’t include Wimbledon. What if there were no Test matches at Lords or cup finals at Hampden or Wembley?

Now think about a Formula One campaign that didn’t have a British Grand Prix. Unfortunately, that one could become a reality because, once again, the future is uncertain for Silverstone.

The Northamptonshire track may hold a special place in the hearts of motorsport fans but there has been some tough love between the British Racing Drivers’ Club and those that run the sport for many years now.

It is Liberty Media rather than Bernie Ecclestone that call the shots these days, yet the issues around the jewel in our racing crown remain the same. It is all about the bottom line.

The build-up to this weekend’s race was dominated by fears of what the future holds after the BRDC said it had ‘no option’ but to opt out of the deal for Silverstone to continue staging the event.

An agreement was reached eight years ago after a switch to Donnington Park fell through but the terms, the most costly of which is a five per cent escalator fee, mean that the British GP is financially unviable for Silverstone and the body that oversees racing across the country.

Despite the huge popularity of and affection for the race, the circuit has lost around £7.6million in the last two years. Silverstone has a unique history, but the price to secure its future - £27million come 2026 - is currently too great.

The track has undergone significant modernisation but it has stood the test of time. A series of corners in the ‘Arena’ section were introduced in 2010, while a new paddock and pit area was in place for the 2011 Grand Prix.

Yet the run through Copse, the high-speed, seemingly physics-defying sweep through Maggots, Becketts and Chapel onto the Hangar Straight remains one of the most spectacular, adrenaline-filled sections on any circuit anywhere in the world. Simply, it cannot be lost to the sport.

Seven of the current ten F1 teams are based in the UK, while the motorsport industry here is worth around £10.5billion and employs more than 45,000 people. Yet, unlike its counterparts on the calendar and unlike other sports, it receives no government support. A little help could go a long way.

Formula One has broadened its horizons in recent years as doors have been opened and new deals have been struck.

But Liberty, who clinched the biggest one of all when they assumed control from Ecclestone, can’t forget the past as they look to the future.

There are a handful of tracks – Silverstone, Monaco, Spa, Imola, a circuit that is sadly missed, and Monza – whose places on the calendar should be secured. Others, such as the races in Canada, Germany, Japan and Brazil should always be there as well.

It is on these ribbons of tarmac where history has been written, where legends have been born and greats have perished.

Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart led the way on home soil and James Hunt followed. Then Nigel Mansell was swamped by fans in red, white and blue, Damon Hill triumphed and Johnny Herbert was held aloft on the podium. David Coulthard celebrated back-to-back wins, while Lewis Hamilton recorded his fifth success as the drama unfolded behind him.

Silverstone may not have many more chapters left, though. A deal will surely be done to keep Britain on the Formula One map but it could well be the streets of London that the noise reverberates round in years to come.

The first F1 Live show was held in the Capital last week as the crowds were treated to the sights and sounds of world championship winning icons, roaring V10s and the cutting edge machines of today. And Little Mix, of course.

It is all part of Liberty’s plans to take Formula One to the people, to engage with fans and to open the sport up to new audiences. All of that should be welcomed and will only benefit F1, but the hard core and the old timers shouldn’t be forgotten in the process.

A London race would no doubt be a television hit and a commercial success but it wouldn’t give the hundreds of thousands that return to Silverstone year after year that authentic British Grand Prix experience. It could be good, but it wouldn’t feel right.

The clock is now ticking. The chequered flag shouldn’t come down, though.