Stoddart Urges Rival F1 Teams to Help Out

Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has urged Formula One rivals to rally round to ensure the season starts with 10 teams after they stalled on plans to set up a "fighting fund".

Formula One bosses said last month that broad agreement had been reached for a cash pool, reported in the media at around $30 million, to prevent more teams from following Prost and Arrows into liquidation.

However Eddie Jordan told reporters earlier this month that the matter had been a proposal by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and was still an "ongoing discussion".

"It was a proposal. Maybe I left the room too early but I thought it was accepted. But I understood that one or two teams or maybe even more wanted time to reflect on it," Jordan said.

Autosport magazine on Thursday quoted Stoddart as saying that no help had been forthcoming yet.

"Whether that will change depends on the individual teams," he said. "We just need an agreement. It's nice to talk about it, but talking doesn't pay the bills. The commitment made in January was that there would be 10 teams in Melbourne. If you go below 10 the whole thing looks very Mickey Mouse."

Minardi look the most vulnerable team on the grid. They have to pay for their Cosworth engines and have yet to agree a deal with tyre supplier Bridgestone for the season which starts in Australia on March 9.

Deaf Ears

Autosport said pleas were likely to fall on deaf ears, with one unnamed team boss saying the creation of the fund was dependent on the regulations remaining unchanged.

Instead, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) has introduced major changes for 2003 including a ban on so-called 'driver aids' from the British Grand Prix in July.

Jordan, who have now renewed their sponsorship deal with tobacco brand Benson and Hedges after losing title backer Deutsche Post, have made clear that they are not looking for handouts from other teams.

"It is not included in our forecasts, it is still an ongoing discussion," Jordan said of the fund when he presented new British driver Ralph Firman to the media last week. "To think that Jordan are getting a handout will never happen because we won't allow it to happen.

"If we ever do some deal with Bernie it will be done on a commercial basis. Jordan are not into charity. We have made it clear with Bernie that we are in a position to make sure that the season is strong for us this year."