Unanimity change 'can' happen

The nine teams that met at Heathrow on Tuesday agreed to look for ways to get rid of the need for unanimous approval on major rule changes after finally accepting that it was hurting the sport because some outfits were putting self-interest over what was best for F1. The matter is set to be discussed at another team bosses' meeting planned for next month.

And although getting rid of unanimity will require a unanimous vote of approval, something that is unlikely to happen because Ferrari may feel it will get picked on, Minardi boss Paul Stoddart believes that private agreement reached between the nine teams at Heathrow to act in unison over future decisions means they could force Ferrari's hand.

"We have got to start taking decisions that are in the interests of everybody - or at least the majority - as opposed to the wretched unanimity that has kept us from agreeing anything," Stoddart told autosport.com. "We are actually looking at, and will probably agree at the next meeting, something more radical to see out the rest of the Concorde Agreement.

"Unanimity has screwed this sport for years now and all of us at one time or another have played the unanimity card or used it for our favour. Hopefully those days will be over."

It is understood that the agreement reached behind closed doors at the Heathrow meeting was for those nine teams to all vote in complete agreement at forthcoming meetings of the Formula 1 Commission and the Technical Working Group. This would provide enough of a bloc vote to push through changes that they want and prevent those they do not like being agreed because their vote is split.

Stoddart added: "We are looking at a 70 percent majority [for decisions to be approved], which you would have in any normal business on critical decisions, and I think we can achieve that.

"We are looking to try and run out the last three years of this Concorde Agreement in a very professional way where we have the decision-making process that will see respect in all its aspects.

"Along the way we will need unanimity to break unanimity and we won't get that - but unanimity of nine is enough to do anything."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis added: "It is a step-by-step process and the most important thing is to implement the things that we can agree and bring on the agenda for subsequent meetings other issues and try to break the log jams.

"We are not against anybody but just want to make the sport better."