FIM confident Donington will be ready

Recent track modification work in preparation for the 2010 Formula 1 British Grand Prix has compromised the run-off area at McLeans corner, but in a MotoGP Safety Commission meeting at Losail this weekend, the FIM's Claude Denis said that the Leicestershire track would definitely be ready for this year's MotoGP round.

A new tunnel that is being installed under the track after McLeans has reduced the run-off area to such a degree that during a Historic Sports Car Club meeting last weekend yellow flags were permanently shown through McLeans and Coppice, forbidding overtaking in those areas.

The MSA, which issues track licences for all four wheeled motorsport in the UK, will not issue a licence to Donington until the modifications are made, although the circuit remains confident of a solution and is continuing to advertise tickets for the British Formula 3 and GT meeting on 25-26 April.

Donington has also assured the FIM that the track will be returned to its former format in time for July's MotoGP event.

A bike meeting was held two weeks ago with a licence from the ACU but a Donington spokesman was unsure if the licence still stood: "I don't know any more than that (about a track licence). There was a Moto 6 meeting there at the end of March."

The ACU and the MCRCB, which provide licences for bike meetings and gave a temporary licence to the Moto 6 event a fortnight ago, are expected to follow the position of the MSA and FIM on the issue.

Donington boss Simon Gillett has been difficult to contact in recent weeks due to medical problems.

British Superbike organiser MotorSport Vision is wary that the opening round of the BSB championship is only six weeks away. A senior member of MSV looked at Donington this week and reported that "there is a considerable amount of work to do."

Sources within MSV have told AUTOSPORT of their extreme frustration at a lack of communication from Donington Park over the issue, which has caused MSV to cancel the first of its major car racing weekends, originally scheduled for 18-19 April at Donington.