Ecclestone: Inaction a disgrace

Doubts about the British GP have re-emerged in the last 24 hours, when it was announced that Donington Park owner Tom Wheatcroft is taking legal action against the track's leaseholders for unpaid rent. He also wants the lease declared void.

Ecclestone has reiterated that if Donington Park does not get its act together, then that will be the end of the British GP - and thinks it is high time the government now takes action to support the race.

"If Donington can't put on the British Grand Prix then that's it," he said in Bahrain. "We will be leaving Britain. There is no question of us going back to Silverstone. They have had enough chances and have not delivered what they promised.

"It's a disgrace that the British government don't step in to help. They are throwing billions at the London Olympics. They could do what is needed to save the race by putting in a fraction of it - 0.002 per cent.

"I've been in talks with [leaseholder] Simon Gillett today and we've been talking through the money situation. I'm trying to help him sort things out. What he really needs is an investor. That's the best hope of saving the race."

World championship leader Jenson Button has also expressed his unhappiness at the situation.

"As a British driver, and motorsport is very British, it would be very disappointing not to race in my home country," he said. "I don't live in the UK, I live in Monaco, but I'm very British and very patriotic and it would be a disaster.

"It is a GP that is very hectic for a British driver because it's a very busy schedule but in a way that's what I love about it. It's great driving in and seeing all those Union Jacks.

"Even during the last couple of years when you know that, quite a few of them are for you, but a lot of them are for another British driver it's still a nice atmosphere. It's nice having the British public there supporting you when times are tough."