Ecclestone: British GP Could Skip A Year

After recently being granted an extension to carry out redevelopment plans for Donington Park, it has emerged that the British Grand Prix could be delayed for as much as a year if the refurbishment is not finished in time for 2010.

Following a meeting with Donington leaseholder Simon Gillett, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone reportedly said that he is willing to give the circuit one more year to prepare.

However, should the venue not be ready, he said there is a possibility the British Grand Prix will be cancelled for a year, as opposed to being staged at another venue. This included ruling out Silverstone, which is the current home of the British GP and will host the last race this June.

Media reports have stated that Ecclestone does want to keep the British Grand Prix alive, but said that he is happy to ‘skip a year’ should the developments at Donington not be finished.

Donington has been struggling with meeting the deadline to redevelop the circuit in order to stage the British Grand Prix next year and is facing legal action over unpaid rent to track owners. However, recently leaseholder Simon Gillett attained an extension until June to satisfy planners over the upgrades of the track.