Theissen: customer car row set for court

As autosport.com revealed earlier this week, a number of leading teams have already indicated their support for Spyker's stance that teams must design and build their own cars in 2007.

BMW-Sauber are one of the teams that have not yet responded officially to Spyker's request to confirm their position regarding customer cars.

But speaking to autosport.com about the situation, Theissen has said that the conflicting views between some teams and Super Aguri and Toro Rosso make it likely that the only way to resolve the situation is through legal action.

Both Super Aguri and Toro Rosso insist that they are building their own cars for 2007, but other teams maintain that their plans to run development versions of other cars is a breach of F1's rules.

Theissen said: "Both teams say they are within the regulations, and I don't know more than that.

"I know there is some argument between these two teams and at least one other independent team. Let's wait and see what the outcome will be, but it could well be that there is a legal case."

Spyker boss Colin Kolles told Autosport magazine recently that the team would not rule out arbitration if no compromise solution could be found to the situation.

"There are other teams that see the situation the same as we do," he said. "In 2008 it's a different matter, but in 2007 you have clear regulations. We are ready to go to arbitration."