The FIA has stated that it will claim damages, before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, for the harm done by the European Commission - especially commissioner Karel van Miert. He told a Belgian newspaper: "Mr Ecclestone has had Formula One to himself now for 15 years. We have to set things right. A number of rulings are in the pipeline."

The FIA statement said: "The proceedings concern statements made about the FIA to the press by the competition commissioner - Van Miert - together with the transmission by his staff to certain journalists of confidential documents."

A representative of the commission stated: "We trust that the court will deal with this case appropriately. I wonder how the FIA will quantify any alleged damage Commission action or the commissioner's action or his staff's action allegedly might have caused to the FIA."

The EC is especially concerned about the monopoly on television rights. Television-rights are also the key for Formula One to go to the stock exchange.