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The 2012 US F1 GP will be cancelled if its organisers don't agree on a contract and pay up by the end of next week (Nov 17), says Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone.
Ecclestone said his patience with organisers of the race in Austin, Texas, had run out and he was not prepared to wait beyond the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
'GONE ON LONG ENOUGH'
Asked whether he had set a deadline of December 7, when the governing FIA's World Motor Sports Council will meet in New Delhi to ratify the final calendar, Ecclestone said he could not wait that long.
Ecclestone said: "It needs to be before that. We don't need any deadlines, having to thrash around at the last minute to do something. It's gone on long enough.
"They (the Texas circuit owners) have got next week anyway. We are going to be in Brazil so they can come back next week."
'THEY CAN'T BLOOD WELL PAY'
The F1 boss denied he would be making more of an effort to keep Austin on the calendar if he had not done a deal for a GP in New Jersey in 2013.
Ecclestone said: "There's nothing to save. They can't bloody well pay.
"What do you want me to do, wait until next year? To put all our cars on it, run around the circuit and everything and come back with no money? The teams want paying."
Some team bosses suggested, when news of Austin's difficulties first emerged, that it was all part of a familiar pattern of brinkmanship and that a deal would ultimately be reached.
Ecclestone remained doubtful.
"It's not brinkmanship, it never has been with me. I've been trying to do a deal now with these people for 18 months or more...if they had the money, I'm sure there would be no problem," he said.
Ecclestone said his patience with organisers of the race in Austin, Texas, had run out and he was not prepared to wait beyond the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
'GONE ON LONG ENOUGH'
Asked whether he had set a deadline of December 7, when the governing FIA's World Motor Sports Council will meet in New Delhi to ratify the final calendar, Ecclestone said he could not wait that long.
Ecclestone said: "It needs to be before that. We don't need any deadlines, having to thrash around at the last minute to do something. It's gone on long enough.
"They (the Texas circuit owners) have got next week anyway. We are going to be in Brazil so they can come back next week."
'THEY CAN'T BLOOD WELL PAY'
The F1 boss denied he would be making more of an effort to keep Austin on the calendar if he had not done a deal for a GP in New Jersey in 2013.
Ecclestone said: "There's nothing to save. They can't bloody well pay.
"What do you want me to do, wait until next year? To put all our cars on it, run around the circuit and everything and come back with no money? The teams want paying."
Some team bosses suggested, when news of Austin's difficulties first emerged, that it was all part of a familiar pattern of brinkmanship and that a deal would ultimately be reached.
Ecclestone remained doubtful.
"It's not brinkmanship, it never has been with me. I've been trying to do a deal now with these people for 18 months or more...if they had the money, I'm sure there would be no problem," he said.