Organizers at Donington, which is due to host the British Grand Prix from 2010, insist that everything is on target, despite the fact that North West Leicestershire District Council has yet to grant permission for the massive redevelopment programme which will be needed if the race is to happen.

A planning decision was expected this month, however, North West Leicestershire District Council has now said that it will announce its decision on January 27, effectively - assuming permission is granted and the 2010 race takes place in July - giving race organizers just eighteen months to complete the work, though they have actually imposed their own deadline, ironically, April 1.

Yesterday, following the council's announcement, a spokesman for Donington told the Daily Telegraph: "There is no question that Donington's ability to stage the race will be jeopardised by this delay to the planning procedure."

However, they were quick to add: "As soon as permission is granted construction work will begin."

Despite the new delay, organizers claim they are confident that the £38m project, which includes a new pit complex, will be completed in just nine months. Then again, with little or no other building work being carried out in Britain at the moment, courtesy of the recession, there won't be any shortage of labour... even work on the Olympic site in Stratford, east London, is being cut back.

Bernie Ecclestone has already warned that should Donington be unable to host the race in 2010, Britain will be removed from the calendar, British World Champion or no British World Champion.