Having given Donington boss Simon Gillett numerous deadlines, Bernie Ecclestone isn't being quite as accommodating with Silverstone, telling owners, the BRDC, they have 48-hours in which to conclude the deal.

With Silverstone Britain's only hope of hosting a Grand Prix next season, following the debacle that was Donington, the owners of the track, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), though keen to stage the race, are unhappy with the financial terms. Already concerned at the £12m flat fee, the annual increment of 7 percent is proving to be an even more difficult sticking point.

However, despite the fact that the teams, drivers and fans (above) want Silverstone on the 2010 calendar, Ecclestone is adamant.

"They say there is not much between us and them, so they should sign," Ecclestone told the Daily Express. "Maybe they have lost their pen but if they don't find it in the next day or two then that is it. "I will pull the race off the calendar and there will be no British Grand Prix to argue about."

Other than Britain, which hosted the first ever round of the Formula One World Championship back in 1950, France and the United States are still missing from the calendar, with financial issues still putting a question mark against the Canadian Grand Prix. This year, for the first time since 1958, F1 failed to stage a race in north America.

BRDC president Damon Hill remains confident that a solution will be found, however, many are sceptical as to how the financial obstacle can be overcome.