Ecclestone urged to end customer car row
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is being urged to call a team principals' meeting at the Nurburgring this weekend to get a deal to end the sport's customer car row back on track, autosport.com has learned
Ecclestone tabled breakthrough talks at Silverstone two weeks ago where all the teams verbally agreed to a series of compromises that would end the row that has overshadowed the first half of the campaign.
This involved not only a deal whereby Spyker, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Super Aguri would pool this year's television rights money, but also laid out future criteria for which teams would receive income from 2008.
It had been hoped that the compromises would be signed off by lawyers at meetings following the British Grand Prix, but it is understood that although Super Aguri and Spyker were happy with the final paperwork, Toro Rosso have now backed away from accepting what is on offer.
Is it believed that although the team are happy to accept the pooling of television rights money for this year, they are unhappy about the situation from next year when customer car teams are not eligible for the payment relating to constructors' championship positions.
Toro Rosso have declined to confirm their situation, however. Team principal Franz Tost said: "It is a management decision. Therefore, we do not want to comment on them."
Attempts by Ecclestone to resolve the matter have so far failed, and sources have said that several teams are now pressuring him to call everyone together at the European Grand Prix to get the matter sorted.
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