Prodrive are unlikely to make their Formula One debut next year, according to the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

David Richards' team announced last May that they would be F1's 12th team for 2008 as a new version of the Concorde Agreement (document by which the sport is run) would allow them to buy customer cars from rival squads.

But, with that agreement having not yet been signed and the current document, which insists all teams must build their own, likely to run on for a season longer than planned, Ecclestone thinks Prodrive's deal is dead.

"I think they (Prodrive) have decided to give up, haven't they?" said Ecclestone during the build-up to the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. "They were all excited about coming in, it's a pity for them."

Richards, the former boss of both the Benetton and BAR teams, had struck a deal with McLaren to buy chassis off them, which would have been perfectly legal under the new Concorde Agreement.

But Williams' challenge to that deal, saying it threatens their future as a constructor, saw the FIA take their entry to an appeal court and, in turn, caused the McLaren deal to collapse.

Ecclestone said that he did not now expect a revised Concorde Agreement to be signed in time to get Prodrive on the grid for next year's Australian Grand Prix.

"The teams say they are all constructors spending for example about $5000, 000 a year and the Prodrive budget was about $75 million.

"Will they be here next year? Probably not."

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport