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Customer car row set to be settled

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is hoping teams will finally sign an agreement to end the sport's customer car row by tomorrow after a breakthrough meeting at Silverstone on Friday, autosport.com can reveal

Following months of arguments about whether Super Aguri and Scuderia Toro Rosso were right to run their versions of customer cars this season, matters reached a head in a team principals' get together that took place after first free practice for the British Grand Prix.

After more than one hour of talks, sources claim that Ecclestone finally got Super Aguri and Toro Rosso to agree to a compromise settlement that will result in Spyker dropping arbitration action against them.

It is understood this settlement revolves around a financial deal whereby the three teams will pool their television rights money for this season - thus ensuring that Spyker will not lose out financially if the two teams beat them.

This settlement had been offered to the teams at the United States Grand Prix, but Super Aguri stalled on accepting it then. However, sources claim the team have now been persuaded to accept the deal - although it is not clear what made them change their mind.

Furthermore, the teams agreed that from next season customer car teams will not be eligible for the full television rights payments, although they will still receive a proportion of them.

Super Aguri managing director Daniel Audetto refused to confirm what happened in the meeting when asked by autosport.com.

"We have nothing to say," he said. "You will have to ask Bernie Ecclestone."

Ecclestone duly confirmed an agreement had been reached, but admitted that until paperwork was signed then it was too early to believe the customer car row was finished.

"It has," he said when asked about whether agreement had been reached.  "But until everyone has signed a document then anything can happen. They should sign it tomorrow."

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