Talking ahead of Sunday's British GP, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was asked to clarify the situation regarding the future of the British Grand Prix.

Asked what he thought of the amount of effort that had gone into staging the race, he replied: "It is very difficult to know until afterwards exactly what the efforts have resulted in."

Ask how he felt about some of Sir Jackie Stewart's recent comments, he replied: "He said I had gone back on my word. He's at Silverstone this weekend and I have told him that if he wanted to say that to my face I would wrap his kilt around his head. I have never gone back on my word, I have always said the same thing; the minute they find someone who is going to contract us a race, we will go along with it. Unless they can get all the teams to race for free there will not be a race.

"He has always known that I signed a contract with British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the races here," he continued, "but they have got to find someone who can be the promoter. If they come up with somebody it will be on the calendar for next year. And for the next two years until, as promised, the facility here is rebuilt so we can come up to the standards of other race tracks around the world. Then, and only then, we will go on from there.

"At the moment Silverstone is not up to the standards of the rest of the world, but they want to make it so, but unless somebody bankrolls it they can't.

"Sometimes you want things and you just can't have them," he added, "that is the problem.

I find it difficult to understand why they can't find somebody that is prepared to be the promoter here. The rest of the world doesn't seem to have a problem. It seems like, in the global market-place, Britain in particular, and Europe in general, are being left behind. Turkey is building a new circuit, I don't know why we can't.

"My first grand prix was here and when somebody asks for advice, I'd like them to look at Silverstone, but regretfully it is in an embarrassing condition."

Asked about last week's parade in London and talk of a London Grand Prix, he said: "If it is wanted I am sure we could get a race in London. Everybody is behind the London bid for the Olympics, I don't know why they can't go behind the London bid for this race."