Bernie Ecclestone remains unconvinced that all four new F1 teams will be present at the season-opening grand prix.
Having secured their spot in the prestigious motorsport, US F1, Virgin, Lotus and Campos Meta now face the challenge of turning their visions into a reality, a point that is proving a stumbling block for some.
USF1 and Campos Meta have both been forced to reject reports that their F1 future is in jeopardy, insisting they will on track to race in Bahrain. However the Spanish team have admitted that they are facing a financial shortfall.
Despite the reassurances, F1 supremo Ecclestone remains skeptical about the new teams chances.
"I think they're going to have trouble actually getting to the first race, so now we have to wait and see," he said at the 'Wrooom' media event in Italy.
"Obviously when you speak to these people they say everything's fine and there's no drama. But I'm sure there is drama."
The billionaire believes finance is the primary stumbling block for teams entering the sport.
"There's one small problem: finance," Ecclestone explained.
"It's difficult for these teams, even with the budgets becoming more realistic, to raise that sort of money.
"You've probably heard about it, but we've got a bit of a financial crisis in the world, so there's not quite as many sponsors floating around as there were."
The 79-year-old remains confident that the F1 season would not be negatively effected if one or two of the new teams fell by the wayside.
"We're okay - as long as we've got ten solid, strong teams that's all we really need," he said.
