F1: Minardi boss outraged at sale of Prost
Minardi owner Paul Stoddart is planning a legal challenge to overturn a French court's decision to sell the bankrupt Prost Formula One team to an F1 rival.
An industrial court in Versailles agreed to sell Prost's position in the 2002 Formula One season to a consortium involving OrangeArrows team chief Tom Walkinshaw.
The court offered the sale for a fraction of the price the liquidator had been offered for the team just weeks ago.
The deal reportedly gave the Tom Walkinshaw Racing organization both of the Prost 2001 cars and intellectual property rights to the 2002 car.
The deal also ensured the new owners wouldn't be liable for the Prost debts.
Stoddart said five independent legal experts had advised him that the French ruling was contrary to the Concord Agreement, an unpublished set of laws that FIA uses to control Formula One.
He said Prost should have ceased to exist when it was liquidated earlier this year, adding he plans to challenge the validity of the team before the Malaysian Grand Prix.
If Prost is allowed to race, Minardi could lose millions of dollars which is paid to the top ten F1 teams out of income generated by FIA from TV rights.
Minardi finished 11th in the constructors' championship last year, but assumed tenth spot when Prost was liquidated.
Stoddart said his investment in the Minardi team would be wasted if Prost was reinstated.
"We've finished top ten in two of the last three seasons - I believe we're entitled to that payment," he said.
