LONDON, Jan 12 (AFP) - Formula One great Sir Jackie Stewart insisted the British Grand Prix at Silverstone would be unaffected by the ousting Wednesday of Ray Bellm as chairman of track owners the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC).
Bellm, only in the post for a year, was involved in the drawn out negotiations with F1 commerical rights holder Bernie Ecclestone that eventually saw Silverstone given a five-year extension to host the British Grand Prix after the sport's ringmaster had threatened to remove it from the calendar completely.
But he was removed Wednesday following a six-three board vote against him at a London meeting to discuss his position.
However BRDC president Stewart, three-times world champion, stressed the sticking point was "corporate governance", an internal issue for the body and not one which jeopardised the Grand Prix at the Northamptonshire venue in central England in any way.
"There is no issue over the security of the contract between (Ecclestone's) Formula One Management and the BRDC," said Stewart.
"At no time was it discussed in the meeting - it was never even thought of," the Scottish sporting great added.
"Bernie was one of the first people I called after the meeting. There is no problem there," Stewart insisted.
On Bellm's departure, he said: "The issues were involving corporate governance. The development of Silverstone is our number one priority."
Bellm only became chairman in January last year as successor to former F1 driver turned television commentator Martin Brundle.
A vote of the club's 10-strong board, of which Bellm is a member alongside the likes of Stewart and fellow ex-Formula One drivers Mark Blundell and Jackie Oliver, rubber-stamped his departure on Wednesday. One unnamed member abstained.
Bellm's successor has yet to be decided but any candidate will have to win a board vote before being confirmed in the job.
In the meantime, Stewart backed chief executive Alex Hooton to run the business side of the BRDC while he himself continues to head up the club.
"We have a very fine chief executive in Alex and he will be the key man in respect to the commercial element of it," he said.
"In a lot of companies, the chairman is top of the house. The BRDC is different - the president leads the company."

01/12/2005 17:15 GMT - AFP