Friday 15 May at 09:59 : May 15 (GMM) Hot on the heels of Bernie Ecclestone's similar comments, the new promoter of the British grand prix has admitted the race may be absent from next year's calendar

After a meeting with Donington's Simon Gillett this week, F1 chief executive Ecclestone said that if work on the venue is delayed, "we would be happy to skip a year"

Gillett's project, scheduled for a F1 debut in 2010, has been dogged by negative speculation, amid reports of questionable finance and legal actions

The latest snippet of bad news, for example, is that a catering firm is owed 46,000 pounds sterling

But on Thursday Gillett was quoted as insisting that formula one's historic British event is "safe" even if it may not take place mid next year

"There was an announcement this week from Bernie that if we do have a problem he's prepared to wait a year rather than take it anywhere else," he told the BBC