Ferrari take legal action against Formula One body

Formula One's governing body is proceeding as planned with a budget cap for 2010 and Ferrari are taking legal action in France to try to stop them, FIA president Max Mosley said yesterday.

Despite an apparent impasse after talks between the teams and the governing body at London's Heathrow airport, Mosley doubted the champions would carry out their threat to walk away at the end of the season.

He said the May 29 deadline for teams to enter the championship remained in force and the FIA hoped all the teams, who he said had "gone off to reconsider", would race under the same regulations rather than in a two-tier series.

Mosley made clear the Ferrari legal action had complicated matters, however.

"When people start bringing proceedings it gets very difficult to negotiate with them," he said.

He said the Italian team's application for an injunction, which he heard about through a text from his lawyer, was "to stop us doing what we want to do". It will be heard by a Paris court next Tuesday before the showcase Monaco Grand Prix.

The FIA governing body has its headquarters in Paris and Ferrari, who enjoy special privileges as Formula One's oldest and most successful team, will claim they were unable to exercise their right to veto the regulations.

Mosley said the FIA would appeal if the court ruled in Ferrari's favour.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo did not attend the meeting after the death of his father on Thursday and the champions were represented instead by team boss Stefano Domenicali.

The FIA want an optional £40 million cost cap, offering greater technical freedom than available to those teams staying on unrestricted budgets, that they say is needed for the sport's survival in the face of the global financial crisis.

Ferrari, and former champions Renault, say that will lead to a two-tier championship that they cannot accept and have both threatened to leave.

Toyota and Red Bull's two teams have also said they cannot submit their entries by the May 29 deadline for the same reasons.

Formula One needs Ferrari but the Italian glamour team also need the sport, something that commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been at pains to point out.