With the flip flopping over previous weeks on the subject of a British Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone has again waded into the debate, stating to BBC Radio 5 Live that in fact, Donington could still host the GP in 2010.

“If someone comes along with the right ideas and funding, then yes [to Donington]. We are having a meeting in December to decide the calendar for next year. If nothing is in place by then, Britain will be taken off the calendar.”

Donington Ventures Leisure Limited, the holding company previously hoping to run the British GP at Donington for the next 17 years has now gone into administration, leaving them completely without hope – however that does not mean another company cannot take their place, if they have the funding – and use Donington as the venue.

The British Racing Drivers Club (BDRC) are also known to be in tough negotiations with Ecclestone for an acceptable contract to both parties to host the GP at Silverstone. Ecclestone is clear that the historic track needs to agree to significant redevelopment before he’ll sign, and the BRDC wanting an acceptable financial deal in order for the event to be viable.

There is a Twitter petition doing the rounds to save the British GP – please sign it here: http://twitition.com/zhga8

The deadline looms today for Donington, who currently plan to host the 2010 British Grand Prix. The track has until 1200 GMT to provide evidence of relevant funding to redevelop the track, or risk losing everything. Last week Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd announced that their bond request had fallen through.

Silverstone, who have hosted the British Grand Prix in previous years are keen to step into Donington’s place, however Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has made clear that no such deal may be on offer to them,

“I want a British Grand Prix, of course, but we are not going to do special rates for Britain. If they can’t make it work then don’t do it. If that happens, there won’t be a British Grand Prix. Simple as that.”

Once the deadline passes, Silverstone are able to sign a new deal with Ecclestone, which according to reports by the Mirror newspaper, they already have. Ecclestone is reported as saying,

“Silverstone have a contract on their table. All they have to do is sign it, get it back to me and the race could be theirs on Tuesday if things fall over with Donington”

However, despite this promising news, there is believed to be a £2m difference in what Ecclestone wants, and what Silverstone can afford, with a spokesman recently saying that the current contract is not “commercially viable”.

BRDC President Damon Hill has expressed their wish to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone,

“We sincerely hope there is going to be a British GP and we’re doing everything we can to provide the right conditions and we would very much like it to be at Silverstone. We would be looking for more than just a stop-gap deal. There is competition out there to provide a venue but we feel Silverstone is the right place.”

9/10 these things get sorted out one way or another, but there now seems a significant risk that there will be no British Grand Prix in 2010. In June, Ecclestone said there would definitely be a British Grand Prix in 2012, and that it would be at Silverstone if Donington failed to sign the long-term deal.

Update 1640 GMT:

The British GP has been removed from the Donington website… it’s not looking good. That said, Damon Hill is apparently more positive that a Silverstone deal can be made…