MARCH 15, 2002

Phoenix goes onto the offensive

WITHIN the next few hours the owners of Phoenix Finance Ltd. - whoever they may be - will issue a press statement claiming that despite the ruling of the FIA the organization does own a Formula 1 team and that it has a right to compete in the World Championship. The statement is likely to be the start of a legal campaign by Phoenix (represented by Tom Walkinshaw) to get the operation to be allowed to compete.

It is likely to take many months of legal wrangling for the issue to be solved and it is unlikely that the team will be allowed to run in that time.