Red Bull: We never gave Minardi our backing.

The saga surrounding the involvement of Minardi in the opening Grand Prix of the season in Australia has taken another twist after Red Bull Racing denied supporting Paul Stoddart in his attempts to start the season with the unmodified 2004 specification Minardi PS04B.

Reports in the media, and comments from Stoddart himself, suggested that only Ferrari stood in the way of Minardi collecting the ten signatures required to be allowed to compete with the old car at Albert Park.

However it now appears this isn't the case, with Red Bull sporting director Christian Horner telling Reuters that the new team had not given Stoddart permission to race the old car.

"I sympathise with his [Stoddart's] position but rules are rules," he said. "They are there for a reason and we all have to abide by them.

"My position and that of Red Bull is that nothing would be more frustrating for us in our debut race to finish ninth with a Minardi ahead of us and have a point taken from us."

Should permission from Ferrari, and now seemingly Red Bull, not be forthcoming, then Minardi could be forced to make late modifications to its car to ensure that it fits into the new 2005 regulations.

However Stoddart has already admitted this isn't an option as, although the team does have some parts available, it doesn't have enough to ensure both Christijan Albers and Patrick Freisacher to take part in their first grand prix. Stoddart is also reluctant to use a modified car, which has had no testing at all, for safety reasons. [See separate story].

The only remaining options would then be for the team to either race under appeal or withdraw from the event - something which would be hugely unpopular with the Melbourne crowd which has adopted Minardi as something of a 'home team' since Australian Stoddart took over the perennial tail-enders back in 2001.