Talking at Autosport International, Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, admitted that his team is still concerned at the lack of compensation being paid to teams for having to compete in two extra Grands Prix this season.

Like team boss Jean Todt, Brawn claims that it is not the French and British events that comprise the extra races, but denied talk of a boycott. However, the Englishman clearly feels that the situation has been badly handled and the calendar "manipulated".

"We want to race at Silverstone and we want to race at Magny-Cours," he told the audience in Birmingham. "I am an Englishman and Jean Todt is a Frenchman, so we want to race at those two races.

"But there is a complex commercial situation where for reasons we don't understand Magny-Cours and Silverstone became the 18th and 19th races, and we think that is against the constitution of the FIA.

"We believe that the 18th and 19th races are either Bahrain and Turkey or China and Turkey," he continued, "so it is completely wrong that Magny-Cours and Silverstone were manipulated into being the 18th and 19th races, and then became a pawn in the negotiations under that basis.

"That is the reason we object," he admitted. "It is not because of financial reasons or what have you, we just don't accept that Silverstone and Magny-Cours should have been the 18th and 19th races as a tool for negotiations.

"For us, the newer races are the last races that have been introduced and the income from those races in China, Bahrain and Turkey is very, very substantial. That is the money that should be shared among the teams, not the contribution that Magny-Cours and Silverstone are making, so that is our argument."

Asked whether a 'boycott' of the French and British events was still possible, Brawn replied: "I am sure we will be there."