Motor racing Formula One

McLaren boss Ron Dennis warned that Donington Park would have its work cut out to replace Silverstone as the British F1 venue from 2010.

The FIA and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone announced last week that Donington in the East Midlands would host the race under a 10-year agreement.

"We want a British Grand Prix, that's the most important thing," Dennis told reporters.

"I have views about the standards of Silverstone, but if Donington is the place which is designated for us to race in 2010 then I hope that they will be able to achieve the goals that Bernie sets for them.

"The circuit has got to be extended, there's going to be significant infrastructure problems. You already get several hours of queueing even for the relatively smaller races that take place there.

"I hope the government realises it has to play a role in that as well and that the circuit is transformed into the vision that Bernie has for the British GP," Dennis added.

Donington's owners said they would invest 100 million over a five-year period to upgrade the circuit, which hosted grand prix racing in the 1930s as well as the 1993 European GP, with much of it coming from an unnamed investor.