Exclusive: Minardi Forced to Wait for TV Money

Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has been forced to wait until Thursday to find out if his rival team bosses will hand him a crucial financial lifeline, he revealed exclusively to Atlas F1 on Tuesday.

Stoddart has been campaigning to get his hands on $12 million (US) of television revenue that would otherwise be handed out amongst all 11 teams, and there was thought to be a Monday deadline for teams to protest against him.

But Stoddart is still waiting to hear from the FIA over the case, and revealed: "It looks like we will have to wait until Thursday. I have not heard anything yet."

He believes that Minardi's performances over the past three years are good enough to secure the cash which was freed-up by the demise of Prost Grand Prix early this year.

It is thought that FIA boss Max Mosley and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone have both pushed hard to convince the Formula One fat cats to hand its perennial minnows a chance to survive.