The future of Wales Rally GB has had downs and ups over the past few months. The problem is that the Welsh Assembly Government has pulled its sponsorship.

The good news is that the event will now definitely run in 2009. What will happen for 2010 may depend on the result of the legal case against the Welsh Assembly Government.

But the surprising news is that the MSA – motorsport’s governing body in the UK – is underwriting the 2009 event itself. Says MSA chairman Alan Gow:

“In recent years, the MSA has exercised prudent management of its finances to create a surplus in order to protect the sport against unforeseen circumstances.”

According to autosport.com, it costs about £2.2 million to put on the rally. That’s some pretty extreme prudence for the MSA to have that much in its back pocket.

It makes me wonder whether the MSA ought to run a circuit or two. If it had been in charge of Silverstone or Donington Park, maybe we wouldn’t have all the current faff around the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.