Arbitration Not to be Dropped, Says Williams

Frank Williams reaffirmed his intentions to go to arbitration against the FIA, despite president Max Mosley stating the Williams and McLaren teams may drop the process following a successful meeting with all teams.

The ten teams met with Mosley on Thursday at Imola to discuss the rule changes and have unanimously agreed to maintain the current rules for the rest of the season. Mosley subsequently suggested the need for arbitration by McLaren and Williams, who challenged the new rules before the season, is now moot.

"Our agreement to keep the rules for the rest of the season doesn't weaken our position in the arbitration," Williams said today, reiterating that "our argument wasn't with the rules; it was with the way in which they were introduced."

Asked if he considers dropping the process Williams stated decisively, "Not at all. No chance." He also denied reports that Ron Dennis, McLaren chief and his partner in the arbitration against the FIA, may wish to drop the process altogether.

"We're not at war, we just want to be sure that unilateral rule changes doesn't happen again, unless it's within the rules," Williams said. "The Concorde Agreement is a contract, and it's a contract which provides us with some good racing, not a lot of the share of the revenue - but we don't whinge about it. We're grown up men, we signed it and we all know it and we will abide to it until 2007. So should the FIA."

Nevertheless, Williams did not rule out a possible settlement with Mosley could be reached without arbitration. "It's possible, absolutely possible, sure. Any conversation that I had with Max and with Ron had been extraordinary... Well, that's an exaggeration; very affable. There's no acrimony."