Well, procreation is a much more enjoyable sport;-) If I remember right :-(

John , I agree that tax money has been, and is (and no doubt will continue to be) wasted on silly/stupid projects, and the two you mention rank highly in that category. I wouldn't rank F1 in the silly category at all; it has some merit - just not enough compared to other sport-related funding opportunities, always IMO.

And HuwG, yes, it's a tough call what to support and what not to, and opinions will always differ because some would prefer to give money to music (RPO, CG) than to sport - and others the reverse. Both needs support, but it has to be prioritised.

As for the benefit to British industry, as Mingulay said above, the days when F1 had significant benefits for the average car either in features or manufacturing techniques are long gone. What is left is the emotional argument for "being there with the big boys" or for not losing the "glory" of the past etc. While I feel the emotion, logic dictates otherwise, I fear.

It would be nice to retain F1 racing in Silverstone. But not necessary, I think.