Teams Not Ruling Out Minardi Dispensation

Formula One team chiefs are not ruling out support for Paul Stoddart's request to allow Minardi to run the 2004 car and engine next season, despite heavy regulation changes.

Stoddart sent a letter to all his fellow team bosses as well as the sport's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley this weekend, asking them for dispensation, given Ford's recent announcement that they will be pulling out of Formula One.

Minardi signed a contract with Ford-owned Cosworth for 2005, and Stoddart said the motor company's announcement leaves his team in a predicament for next season.

"This is a case of force majeure because we are not talking money here, we are talking about do we or don't we have an engine supply next year," Stoddart told Reuters. "My request is to say look, there is a serious situation and this is a crisis whether people want to admit it or not.

"So take Minardi out of the equation, and we're not viewed as a threat to anyone, and let us run to the 2004 regulations. We'd run with the existing engine that we've got and we'd be competitive, but not super-competitive to be a threat."

Stoddart said some teams had already been supportive. "I hope they all can agree," the Australian said. "Frank [Williams] was very supportive, [BAR's] David Richards, [Jaguar's] Tony [Purnell] and Eddie [Jordan]. I think it's fair to say Toyota's on side. You just need everybody, that's all."

Williams and Dennis both told reporters they would consider Stoddart's request.

"I have Paul's letter and we will talk about it," Frank Williams commented. "I sympathise with him, but that is a different matter to saying 'yes, yes, yes' formally. What I will say is I would like to have Paul because he is just a nutcase, he is a real racer, he won't go away and he won't give up!"

"We would never be destructive about a process which allows a team to survive," Dennis told reporters in Shanghai. "I'm sure we would be supportive of anyone's proposal, providing it didn't set a precedent which allows another team to take advantage."

Stoddart has a large supply of existing Cosworth engines, aged from one to three years, which would allow him to run his own engines if he is exempted from the rule changes for 2005, when the teams would be required to run engines that last for two race weekends.

But Stoddart's letter requests the teams and the FIA to allow him to run the entire 2004 package - both engine and chassis - next season, and it would appear this has slim chances of being accepted entirely, as the FIA would still require Minardi to conform with any new safety regulations.

Either way, Stoddart said he will find a solution to continue running the team next season.

"We are already making contingency plans to run our own engine in 2005 so Minardi will be there no matter what," Stoddart told Atlas F1. "Having said that, I do feel that we can't take a chance on going the wrong way with the chassis.

"I am saying guys look, if it helps, leave us to run the 2004 car, to the same regulations in 2005, it gives us a chance to recover from what's obviously going on, and it gives us a transition year.

"I'm trying to help by saying Minardi has a solution, we need agreement for that solution to be implemented, let us not be part of the problem and people can put their focus on finding an engine for Jordan and Jaguar if Jaguar is sold.

"I think it makes sense, but we'll see. It's early days."