Customer car dispute goes to arbitration

Spyker has launched arbitration proceedings to resolve the ongoing dispute over the use of customer cars in Formula 1. The Dutch-owned squad maintains that Super Aguri’s SA07 is a clone of last year’s Honda RA106 and that Toro Rosso’s STR2 is simply a repackaged Red Bull RB3 – in breach of the rule stating that F1 teams must be constructors.

The stewards said that the definition of a constructor and the terms by which teams may enter the world championship are as set out in the 1998 Concorde Agreement – the contract that governs F1's commercial relationships – and are therefore a matter for the courts.

The case will now go to the International Chamber of Commerce in Lausanne, Switzerland, which rules on all disputes pertaining to the Concorde Agreement. Super Aguri and Toro Rosso are expected to be served papers notifying them that arbitration proceedings are underway in the next few days. ITV/F1