Dennis takes aim at Minardi

Dennis takes aim at Minardi

Dennis (right) respects Jordan's track record

McLaren boss Ron Dennis believes cash-strapped Formula One team Minardi do not deserve as much financial support as their fellow strugglers Jordan.

Dennis and Williams chief Frank Williams both insist they are in favour of measures to help the smaller F1 teams cut costs - even though they intend to fight the sport's new rule changes.

Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart and Jordan's Eddie Jordan have appealed for help in staying afloat, and backed the new rules.

But Dennis suggested that Jordan should get more than Minardi under any arrangement for the bigger teams to assist their financially weaker counterparts.

"In support of Jordan, I do not believe that these teams should be looked at as comparable, because there is no comparison," said Dennis.

"Jordan have a long established history of competing in grand prix racing. They are led by a colourful, aggressive individual who has finely honed skills of survival.

If you are running your business badly, no amount of money is going to make it survive

McLaren boss Ron Dennis

"Whilst he has been known to complain to a degree, it pales into insignificance in comparison to the complaints of Paul Stoddart, who has little track record in respect of grand prix racing.

"So I feel strongly that whatever help is given, it should not necessarily be equal to those two teams because I don't see them as equal in their status in grand prix racing."

F1 teams challenge new rules

The Arrows and Prost teams have both disappeared from the grid in little more than a year due to financial problems, while Minardi and Jordan have lost key sponsors.

"Williams and McLaren have a very similar position. It is documented and sits with Bernie Ecclestone," said Dennis.

"It has within it a process by which the two teams that are currently under pressure are financially assisted.

"But it also carries with it the necessity to resolve some other outstanding issues and to ensure that whatever financial help is given, if it is given, is nothing other than a stay of execution.

"The reality is that there is a limit to how much money we can provide them with and, at the end of the day , if you are running your business badly, no amount of money is going to make it survive."

Balanced share

FIA chief Max Mosley's rule changes were partly designed to lessen the cost of running an F1 team.

But Dennis said the teams currently received just 23% of the revenues generated by Formula One.

And he called for the introduction of a more equitable system when the Concorde Agreement expires in 2007.

"If there was a more balanced share of that money, then the smaller teams currently struggling... would be in a much better shape."