Grapevine: Nickerson Pressing Ahead with F1 Project

The controversial new Formula One team headed by British businessman Charles Nickerson is set to press ahead with plans to enter the Formula One World Championship this year - despite criticism from the sport's governing body the FIA.

FIA president Max Mosley and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone claimed on Monday that Nickerson could not get his new team on the grid because he had not bought the rights to enter the Championship when he purchased the assets of Prost Grand Prix at a knock-down price.

But despite an official no comment from Nickerson himself, an inside source close to the businessman has revealed the apparent set-back will not hold him back.

"He is really busy and everything is very active," said the source. "I cannot say what the next step will be, but he has meetings organised for Friday and he hopes to be in a better position then."

Nickerson is a land management tycoon with a number of businesses and in addition his late father, Sir Joseph Nickerson, left a significant amount of money in a trust, for Charles and his four siblings. Nickerson had been tipped to join forces with Volkswagen, who would run cars under their Skoda brand.

But Skoda corporate communications boss Roman Mellska said on Sunday: "Skoda is definitely not involved. Nothing has been spoken about and we are not connected. Never. You won't find anyone in Skoda talking about Formula One."

Nickerson's team would probably have been allowed onto the grid if they had made it to the season-opening race in Melbourne. But a source close to the FIA on Tuesday revealed: "They will have a much more difficult time now, but I don't think that he has actually bought the company."