GPMA awaits Ecclestone's signature

BMW, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Renault all signed a Memorandum of Understanding over the weekend that is set to bring an end to the threat of a breakaway championship, but Ecclestone has not yet signed the deal.

However, a GPMA source told autosport.com that they are expecting Ecclestone to sign the MOU "imminently".

After weeks of intense talks aimed at bringing an end to the six year dispute over the future direction of the sport, the teams finally accepted a deal that will give them 50 percent of the sport's $700 million annual revenue, after Ecclestone agreed to backdate the payments to start this year. They had originally hoped for 60 percent.

The deal will not go ahead without Ecclestone's signature and, after he famously dropped the bombshell of his 50 percent offer at a meeting in Bahrain, there remains the outside possibility of a last-minute twist in proceedings.

Honda Racing boss Nick Fry said he was hopeful, however, that there would be no complications and that Ecclestone's signature would be sealed imminently.

"There are strong indications that even if it hasn't been signed then a handshake has taken place," he said.

"I think there is always doubt until the Fat Lady sings, because these are tough commercial negotiations, so until the ink is on paper then I would not count on anything."