Manufacturers monitor Kirch's price

Although he says no formal contact has been made, Mercedes-Benz director Juergen Hubbert said on Monday that the group of manufacturers would entertain talks with current rights holder Kirch Gruppe if they lowered their asking price.

"First of all the sum would have to be lowered to something realistic, then you could talk," he said. "I have an idea what a realistic sum would be, but I am not going to tell you what that is."

The chances of Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB concern taking over the stake took another twist yesterday, when British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball has told Murdoch not to increase his involvement with Kirch.

Ball wants BSkyB to reclaim its financial stake in Kirch, however, which is worth 1.1 billion pounds. To do this, he could accept a deal to take assets off Kirch, such as its F1 commercial rights stake, as payment.

German magazine Der Spiegel quoted Kirch Gruppe founder Leo Kirch as saying he would only give up his F1 stake as a last resort.

"The purchase of F1 was a peak in my career so far," he said. "Having to give it up would be really bitter."