Yoong: I am <I>not</I> suing Minardi.

Former Minardi Formula One driver Alex Yoong has moved to clear up speculation that he was seeking legal redress against the Italian team for unpaid wages, claiming that it had been an option, but not one that he had followed through.

The announcement comes in response to the Malaysian minister of youth and sports' request to all parties in the team/driver/sponsor dispute to settle the issue early - and follows his offer to act as a mediator in the matter. Yoong had been reported as taking legal action to recover all or part of the salary he claims he is still owed by the F1 minnow, but now insists that the stories were not entirely accurate.

"I was under an advisement from my lawyer earlier this year to consider legal action, but that was when Minardi was in dire straits," he explained, "That was before the Canadian GP and now it is different. I had not decided to sue Minardi then and, now, with Minardi saved, we should accept the minister's mediation offer as a settlement will benefit all parties.

"It is a very welcome offer, as it can only be good for all parties. I am all for settling the issue early, and hope that the minister's offer will also be equally well received by all parties involved."

In the same Malaysian media reports last week, the minister also cleared Magnum and the GO-KL consortium as the defaulting sponsors referred to by team boss Paul Stoddart, while Yoong revealed that PanGlobal Insurance is also not a defaulting sponsor.

"I would like to also clarify that my long-time personal sponsor, dating back to my F3 days, and Minardi's 2002 sponsor, Pan Global Insurance, is not one of the Malaysian companies mentioned by Paul as having defaulted," the driver said, "PanGlobal and Magnum had been impeccable Minardi sponsors, in my view, and I'm sure this is also Paul's view."

Minardi received a welcome cash injection from F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone in Montreal, but continues to push for the formation of a 'fighting fund' to prevent the smaller teams in the sport from being pushed out through lack of finance.