JUNE 18, 2003

Stoddart still going after fighting fund

The political fireworks in Canada seemed to have been settled when Bernie Ecclestone stepped in and invested in the Minardi team but Paul Stoddart says that he has not given up on his fight to have the big teams honor their promises.

The political fireworks in Canada seemed to have been settled when Bernie Ecclestone stepped in and invested in the Minardi team but Paul Stoddart says that he has not given up on his fight to have the big teams honour their promises to create a fighting fund for the small teams.

Stoddart argues that the small teams agreed to allow traction-control to be retained in the 2004 rules, but only on the understanding that the big teams would institute a fighting fund to help the small teams survive and that they would arrange a supply of cheap engines.

As neither the fighting fund nor the cheap engines have materialized Stoddart says that he is not willing to accept the use of traction-control and the new rules which include the controversial new rules about bodywork. This has been done to create more space on the cars for sponsorship but it means that teams have to spend a lot more time in the windtunnel to redesign the cars.

"Just because Bernie has bought into the team does not mean that I am giving up the fight," said Stoddart.