04/03/2005
NEWS STORY
What everyone had feared now looks to be inevitable, with Paul Stoddart looking set to take Formula One into the law courts in order to take part in this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
The Minardi saga took a number of surprise twists today, the first day of the season, with the Italian outfit finally getting the support of all nine of its rivals, only for the race stewards to bar the cars from taking part.
While the stewards debated as to whether the cars should be allowed to take part, Stoddart waved to the crowd, a bottle of Champagne in hand. When the verdict finally came, the bubbly lost its fizz.
Although Minardi has the support of all nine teams and the approval of the FIA, the race stewards go by the strict letter of the law - at least as far as the regulations they have access to are concerned.
Therefore, when they made their decision, Stoddart accepted it but then revealed that he had no option but to take the matter into the law courts.
"Despite the very fair hearing from the stewards they have decided against us," he told reporters. "We are going to seek the legal remedy. We think we prepared an absolutely watertight case and that will be up to a judge now whether or not he sees it the same way."
In addition to the law, the only other way the team can hope to get into the race is by having its cars 'street legal' in time for qualifying, which would mean an enormous amount of work for the crew. However, there is also the fact that the new components haven't been tested.
"Obviously in tandem we will try to modify the cars as well," said the Australian. "You can expect the midnight oil to be well and truly burned tonight if we have to go down that route.