Teams to consider GPWC offer

Ecclestone has offered the teams 50 percent of the sport's commercial revenue from 2008, plus an extra bonus package payment from 2004-2007, if they agree to commit to F1 until the end of 2012 at the earliest. FIA Max Mosley has said that this offer is likely to be far more generous than anything that could be offered by the manufacturers.

However, autosport.com has been told that the teams are not yet convinced by what is on the table from Ecclestone - and that they have prepared a package of demands that they want from the manufacturers when they meet representatives of the GPWC next week.

The teams held a meeting on Wednesday, with all apart from Ferrari and Toyota present, to discuss what they want from the GPWC. Ferrari's absence was because it has already signed up to F1 until the end of 2012, while Toyota had clashing commitments and instead sent its views in a document.

BAR team boss Nick Fry has told autosport.com that the meeting itself mapped out the teams' vision for F1's future - and left them ready to lay out what they want to see from the GPWC.

"We had some discussions as to what we would like F1 to be in the future," said Fry. "We had a very good discussion and that allowed us to get a consensus among the teams, so I think we are quite well prepared for the GPWC. We are all clear on what we are looking for in that meeting and know what we might like to ask.

"It was more a good preparation - not so much a brief but more a general discussion about things that are important and the questions we like to ask."

The GPWC has not given up on its plans for a breakaway championship, despite Ferrari's decision to abandon the manufacturers plans and commit to F1.

The resolve to sort out a brighter future for the sport has been increased by the fact that Japanese manufacturers Honda and Toyota have joined with the plans, although have made it clear that they want to create something from new rather than sign up to the GPWC itself.