Is there any talking to be done?

A tense day ahead at Silverstone for everybody. The teams have proposed that the deadline be moved back to July 1st to allow more time for discussion but that was rebuffed by FIA president Max Mosley yesterday. The FOTA teams sent a letter to Mosley with suggestions for a compromise to the issue of budget caps, and the method of financial control,

"We detect... that a solution might be possible based on the FOTA resource restriction proposal but with measures introduced," the letter said.

"We would propose in this respect that we nominate a top firm of independent accountants who will devise an audit methodology that will be implemented by all of the teams.

"This methodology and the annual results would be disclosed to the FIA... we can see no reason why such a system based on objective verification of compliance would not be acceptable to all parties."

But later in the day Mosley wrote back in a letter which was widely circulated, with his version of a compromise he would be prepared to accept. Once again this was based on the teams all signing up unconditionally and then negotiating changes to the rules from within. Mosley has said repeatedly that there has to be a cap. He has offered for an 'mutually acceptable auditor' to be the investigator should policing be required.

Mosley confirmed that there would be no two tier system of rules, but that Cosworth, which has not built a new F1 engine for three years, would be allowed to run their engine unrestricted.

A letter will go out today or tomorrow in Silverstone requesting signatures from all the FOTA teams with the deadline Friday.

With their actions last week, the teams have got themselves into a position where they seem to be suggesting that a deal can only be done if Mosley doesn't stay in his role. Mosley, for his part, is sticking to his guns.