Minardi Money Issue Resolved, Says Ecclestone

Minardi have been paid the television money that should safeguard their immediate Formula One future.

"We took a decision that we would pay Minardi," Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One's business supremo, told Reuters at a meeting of the International Automobile Federation's (FIA) World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday.

He said the matter was now closed unless other teams decided to go to arbitration.

"If they want to go to arbitration they can go to arbitration, which they may well do," he said.

Minardi had been chasing television revenues, estimated at up to $12 million, originally destined for the now defunct Prost team that went bust in January.

Other teams had argued that the struggling tail-enders, rescued by Australian Paul Stoddart at the start of last season, had no right to the money but FIA president Max Mosley asked Ecclestone to pay Minardi.

The teams met to thrash out an agreement at the Nurburgring last weekend during the European Grand Prix and Stoddart told reporters that he was confident of being paid at last on Monday.

Without the money, the team boss had cast doubt on Minardi's ability to see out the season.