SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has given Donington Park circuit operators more time to show they have the funding in place to host next year's British Grand Prix.
The Briton, who last month set an end of September deadline for organisers to produce a bank guarantee, told reporters at the Singapore Grand Prix that he was prepared to wait a little longer.
"Their problem is a financial one, it is them getting the money together," he said. "Everything was done and ready and when this (global financial) crisis arrived the banks pulled the plug on them.
"It (the deadline) was the end of September but I think we may extend it a bit, by two or three days. I think we have given them until October 3." he added.
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Ecclestone has said Silverstone would host the July 11 race if Donington, which has promised to invest 100 million pounds on revamping the circuit over a five-year period, is not ready.
The Briton said he was also working on bringing a U.S. Grand Prix back to the calendar, with New York still his preferred option but various possibilities being looked at.
"Obviously Manhattan," he said when asked which was top of his list. "I will tell when it happens if I can do it or not. We were told we couldn't do a race in Singapore."
The last U.S. Grand Prix was at Indianapolis in 2007.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
