Stoddart gets tough over 'fighting fund'

The move means that the changes - including a raft of bodywork alterations designed to allow better display of sponsor logos - could not happen before 2005 because the required unanimity among the teams would not be satisfied. Stoddart has taken the action because the proposed F1 'fighting fund' - agreed on January 15 and designed to assist smaller teams who have to pay for their engines - has not materialised.

Stoddart claims that the fighting fund was promoted, more or less as a service agreement, to assist the financially struggling teams so that the big teams would not have to run three cars - a stipulation started by the Concorde Agreement if the field slips below 20 cars. Now, however, Stoddart claims that certain rival teams would rather see the independents go out of business.

Unanimity for changes next year is required by October 31 and one theory is that without the fighting fund, Minardi could not survive long enough to oppose any changes.

"We might have to limp to the end of the year and it might mean the guys only doing five laps, like Arrows did, but we would get there," said Stoddart. "Hopefully, it won't come to that."

Stoddart says that should there be significant and helpful movement, Minardi might reconsider its position.