MAY 16, 2008

Kolles goes to Salzburg

Force India's chief executive Colin Kolles has been spotted in Salzburg, meeting with representatives of Red Bull to find a settlement over the question of the arbitration between the Silverstone team and the Austrian drinks company. This relates to the use of the same chassis by both Scuderia Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing. Force India claims that this contravenes the teams of the Concorde Agreement which states that all teams must build their own chassis. Red Bull is now keen to settle the problem because of its desire to sell its 50% shareholding in Scuderia Toro Rosso, possibly to Lancia.

It is not clear at the moment what the deal is, but it is likely that Toro Rosso will have agreed to split the prize money it gained as a result of finishes achieved with Red Bull chassis. The arbitration case was made much easier when Super Aguri F1 disappeared as trying to do deals involving the three teams had proved to be impossible. With Super Aguri out of the picture, it seems that rapid progress has been made.