Red Bull Deny Support for Minardi

Minardi must play by the rules or risk exclusion from Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Thursday.

Horner said Red Bull, which took over from Jaguar in November, could not support Minardi boss Paul Stoddart's request to be allowed to race last year's car with unmodified aerodynamics.

"I sympathise with his position but rules are rules," Horner told Reuters. "They are there for a reason and we all have to abide by them. My position and that of Red Bull is that nothing would be more frustrating for us in a debut race to finish ninth with a Minardi ahead of us and a point taken from us."

Stoddart had said earlier that all the teams except champions Ferrari had signed a document agreeing to his request.

However others suggested his list of signatures dated from September and included those of former Jaguar boss Tony Purnell, dismissed by Red Bull in January, and Eddie Jordan who has since sold his struggling team.

Minardi do have their 2005 aerodynamics package in Melbourne but have not tested it, raising potential safety concerns. They plan to introduce their new car next month.

Minardi must either ensure their car complies with the regulations, with front and rear wings changed from last year, or secure a special dispensation from all the other teams before Friday's practice.

Horner's words suggested that would not now happen and undermined Stoddart's claim that only Ferrari boss Jean Todt was standing in his team's way. Todt was due to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday evening and Stoddart said he planned to meet him.

"Tonight when Todt gets in I'm going to go to his hotel," the Australian said. "I hope that this can all be sorted out in the hotel away from the track and that tomorrow morning I can proudly say there are 10 signatures.

"Effectively without that signature we're in trouble."

Stoddart said Todt had told him previously that he would not sign "because you have had bad things to say about Ferrari for the last three months."

Australian Mark Webber, who finished fifth on his Grand Prix debut with Minardi in 2002 and now drives for Williams, said he would be very disappointed if the team could not compete.

But Ferrari's seven times world champion Michael Schumacher questioned the team's position.

"Imagine if they made a new rule in soccer where you start playing with 10 people and there's always one team that's not doing very well," he said. "Would you accept that they will be allowed to play with 11?"