Teams aim to scupper pay-per-view bid

Grand Prix teams are fighting to keep a German media company from taking a controlling stake in Formula One because they fear for the integrity of the sport and do not want the races on pay-per-view television.

EM.TV and its partner Kirch have until tomorrow to exercise an option and pay Bernie Ecclestone $1bn for a further 25 per cent of SLEC, the holding company which controls commercial rights to the races. That would give them a combined stake of 75 per cent and Kirch said at the weekend they had secured the finance.

To prevent a deal, the carmakers such as Jaguar and Renault would buy the stake themselves.

Jaguar chief executive Wolfgang Reitzle said: ' We don't want Formula One to come under the influence of a media company. There is a danger that Grand Prix races would become a pure media spectacle with the sport of secondary importance.'

Kirch want the rights to prop up its ailing pay-TV channel, the only one in Germany, which is Europe's largest market.

Patrick Faure, head of Renault Sport has said it is out of the question that Formula One would be shown on pay-per-view.

The teams are not the only obstacles to a deal. Bernie Ecclestone, who currently owns 50 per cent in SLEC with the other half held by EM.TV, and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) are opposed to the deal, which requires the approval of the federation's general assembly.

The FIA is made up of presidents from 157 motor sports organisations in 118 countries.

Kirch spokesman Hartmut Schultz said: 'We will be exercising the option. Ecclestone does not have a right to veto against the exercise of that.' He declined to comment on whether the FIA holds the right to block the deal.

Max Mosley, the head of the FIA, has been reported as saying he believes the general assembly will prevent Kirch and EM.TV from upping their stake in SLEC.

Michael Schumacher will learn tomorrow if he will be forced to pay around £1m costs to helmet distributors Sports Europe after being accused of wearing a rival helmet earlier this year.

Ferrari driver Schumacher did not attend the hearing in a Brussels civil court as he is preparing for this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Sports Europe claim they have a contract for Schumacher to wear their helmets at every sporting event in 2001. They launched the court action after seeing pictures of Schumacher testing in Spain earlier this year, wearing a Schuberth Helme helmet. Schumacher has indicated he is keen to keep using the Helme helmets.