Analysis: Teams and Drivers Wait for Prost

Franck Michel will never be a household name in Formula One but he could have quite an influence on the appearance of the 2002 starting grid.

The French judge is the official administrator for the Prost team, who were placed in receivership last month as they seek new sponsors or purchasers to stay in business.

If Prost find a saviour, then former World Champion and team owner Alain Prost will breathe a massive sigh of relief and the final awkward piece of the puzzle will be in place for next year's Formula One grid.

There will be 12 teams, a full complement.

Failure, or the lack of any solution emerging quickly, is likely to prompt a reshuffle among the tail-end teams, who have until February 28th to name their drivers.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) produced a provisional list this week of drivers for the new season. Prost, Arrows and Minardi had none, although Arrows have Dutchman Jos Verstappen under contract for another year and Minardi have confirmed Malaysian Alex Yoong.

The blanks can be explained by Arrows, who have switched drivers at the last moment in the past, and Minardi both monitoring the Prost situation.

"The developments in Prost will be followed closely as it will have an effect on our final choice," Minardi boss Paul Stoddart said in Malaysia on Thursday.

Verstappen, who renewed his Arrows contract last June, was seen as the team's clear number one driver for the coming year with new Cosworth engines.

But the Dutchman's position may have been complicated by Germany's Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Red Bull boss Dieter Mateschitz's closer ties with Arrows.

Frentzen, who was fired by Jordan in August, joined Prost until the end of the season. He visited the Arrows factory last month but, despite persistent media speculation that he is set to join the team, denies that a deal is done.

The German has expressed his loyalty to Prost and is waiting to see whether the team can continue. "He wants to stay and we want to keep him but we must give him guarantees," Prost said last month.

Without those guarantees, Frentzen will surely look to Arrows or Minardi as the only teams with declared vacancies.

If Arrows are keen, and they have said nothing publicly, then it could be Verstappen rather than Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi whose place is most at risk.

Bernoldi has been heavily backed for some years by Mateschitz - now a major Arrows sponsor.

Minardi are keen on Verstappen and Frentzen. The Malay Mail quoted Stoddart, on a business trip to Kuala Lumpur, as saying that the possible arrival of either was one reason why Yoong was not on the provisional list.

"We have to see who the (other) driver is going to be before deciding who will be the number one driver for the team," he said on Thursday. "Obviously, if it is Frentzen or Verstappen, then either would be the number one driver."

"I have yet to make a decision on who will drive alongside Alex next season," he added. "Some of the drivers on the list have money and talent while the others only have talent. From a business point of view, I would expect a debutant to bring in some measure of sponsorship.

"We have to look for the best available deal for Minardi before deciding on who will fill the vacant spot."

Australian Mark Webber, Czech Tomas Enge and several others will be hoping - along with Formula One fans - that Prost do survive and make the grid at Melbourne on March 3rd.

Enge is well-backed and drove for Prost last season, while Webber's best hopes, unless he can find significant sponsorship, would be for other drivers to stay where they are so that he can take the vacant Minardi slot.