“The rules can be what they all collectively decide they want them to be, and if they're in agreement, if they all collectively decide the cars have to be pink then that's what they'll be racing next year. It is just a question of them agreeing on those rules.

“The way it's set up, we have a commercial rights-holder in Mr Ecclestone who does a fantastic job obviously in getting the venues and getting all the TV contracts and the like, and then you have the FIA there to govern the sport. As they've said, if the teams are not happy then they can go and find someone else to govern the sport, and I see that as less of an issue in many respects than the actual commercial rights of making the business work.”

“I don't know really what to think about it,” added Force India ace Adrian Sutil, “because every day the story is a little bit different. There are two sides who are not agreeing on the regulations and the terms. I still hope they find a resolution, because if they split it will be a problem I think, and not good for the sport.”