French police seize BAR cars

Motor Sport/Formula One:

French police seized three BAR Formula One cars and team equipment at the Circuit de Nevers as the squad began its preparations for this weekend's grand prix. However, despite the setback, Richards claimed the team would be in action this morning.

"I'm totally confident that at nine o'clock tomorrow morning our legal team will be in court and have this matter resolved in time for first practice at 11 o'clock," said Richards.

The impounding of the team's equipment stems from a dispute between British American Racing and the Monaco-based company Partnership Production Group International (PPGI) and dates back to 1998.

The company had agreed to source sponsorship for BAR as part of a deal negotiated with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone for the exploitation of inactive TV rights in Asia. France Corbeil, of PPGI, negotiated a deal with Canadian company Teleglobe believed to be worth an estimated $12 million a year to BAR. Attached to that was a $3.2 million commission to PPGI, which Corbeil has claimed has never been paid.

"This dates back to 1998 and a verbal contract he (Corbeil) claims he had with former BAR boss Craig Pollock," said Richards. "Craig disputes this and I support him wholeheartedly.

"We never knew about this until five years afterwards when he (Corbeil) came to speak to us three months ago."

Richards also questioned the timing of the impounding saying it was a strange move given that the full case will come before the courts in Monaco on October 15th this year.

Some weeks before the Monaco GP on June 1st, Corbeil attempted to get a court order to seize BAR equipment at Formula One's blue riband event but that bid failed when the president of Monaco's Court of First Instance, Philippe Narmino, demanded more evidence. Corbeil went back a week before the event and was granted an order which allowed bailiffs to take control of the machinery. This was attempted on Sunday night at Monaco but BAR staff refused to hand over the cars and made their exit from the principality with all haste.

It had been anticipated that BAR might have problems on the return to France this weekend and so it transpired, with gendarmes arriving to the paddock yesterday at approximately 5 p.m., intent on seizing the team's equipment.

According to reports the seizure was completed, despite several scuffles involving team personnel. The team's three cars and its equipment were locked away in one of BAR's trucks although it is unclear whether the vehicle was then taken away or left locked in the paddock.

BAR's drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button are due out on track this morning for the first practice sessions of the weekend and then, this afternoon, Villeneuve is pencilled in to run seventh and Button 11th in today's first qualifying session.

Button currently lies 10th in the drivers' championship on 10 points, with a best result of fourth in Austria, while Villeneuve is 14th with just three points to his name.