French Court to Rule on BAR's Case on Friday

A French court will decide tomorrow if the BAR team can race at this weekend's French Grand Prix after a legal officer and the French police raided the BAR pits and impounded the Formula One team's cars over a legal dispute.

"We've seized some equipment and impounded the cars," a police spokesman told Reuters. "We don't exactly know the legal problem but a court will rule on the case in emergency (session) tomorrow (Friday) and decide whether the cars are allowed to race or not."

The ruling will be keenly awaited by BAR drivers Jenson Button of Britain and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who could be stopped from racing at the French Grand Prix. BAR are fifth in the constructors' table, while Button is 10th and Villeneuve 13th in the drivers' standings.

Five police officers and a bailiff appeared at the BAR garage with a warrant allowing them to impound the cars. They discussed the legal proceedings with Pasquale Lattuanedu, a close aide of Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone.

Eye-witnesses said mechanics removed all tyres from the vehicles while journalists and photographers were kept at bay. The cars were hauled on to a truck and locked away at the circuit.

Yellow notices with the words 'Objets Saisis' (Seized Objects) were placed on the side of the BAR transporters with a note linking the men to a justice house in nearby Nevers as the paddock emptied out on Thursday evening.

The spokesman said the police had been asked to act over the same dispute at last month's Monaco Grand Prix, but team chief David Richards ignored the warrant and sent his cars back to Britain. BAR are being sued by Monaco production company PPGI who claim the constructor owes them a $3 million commission for negotiating sponsoring rights.