Formula 1 boss Max Mosley fears the Formula One grid could be reduced to 10 teams in 2003 - even if Arrows survive. Mosley, president of the sport's world governing body, FIA, has admitted that possibly two other teams still have a question mark about them.
“It would be nice to have 22 cars but I think 20 is more probable,” said Mosley, in a television interview for the official launch of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. “Not necessarily because of Arrows, but because there are another team or two that are not 100% in good shape. But we are keeping our fingers crossed that they will be there in March.”
The 11 teams that competed last season are all said to have paid the £200,000 entry fee for the 2003 championship by last Friday's deadline with the official line-up being announced by FIA in early December. The speculation surrounds the future of Oxfordshire-based outfit Arrows who missed six of the final seven races last season because of cash problems.
Arrows said last week that they are in talks with a German investor over who was set to inject `substantial new equity' into the team. The company was named in reports as German Grand Prix Racing which was said to be working on behalf on Arab investors.
Filed by Johnny Proby
