BMW-Sauber join chorus of disapproval

BMW-Sauber could join Ferrari in quitting Formula One if next year's world championship is turned into a two-tier series as a result of FIA president Max Mosley's budget cap.

Teams can either adhere to a £40million limit and be allowed to exploit greater technical freedoms or they can spend what they want but face constraining technical rules that would almost certainly render their cars uncompetitive. Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo has already threatened to withdraw his cars from the sport and BMWSauber's Mario Theissen is set to spell out his team's dissatisfaction at a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association at Heathrow today.

He said: "A two-class Formula One is not attractive to BMW."

It is understood that Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is attempting to broker a compromise with Mosley which could see the cap raised to £80m, with driver retainers not included in that sum.

Meanwhile, North West Leicestershire District Council has given Simon Gillett two months to obtain a vital safety document that would keep alive his plans to take the British Grand Prix to Donington.

Gillett needs circuit owner Tom Wheatcroft to sign the document but Wheatcroft is suing the entrepreneur for £2.47m in rent arrears.