F1's political crisis continued to spiral out of control on Tuesday, as the FIA reiterated that elements of the FOTA team alliance seem determined to hinder the quest for compromise.
The FIA's financial experts met with their counterparts of the formula one teams association on Monday, but FOTA refused even to discuss the budget cap.
"As a result, the meeting could not achieve its purpose of comparing the FIA's rules with the FOTA proposals with a view to finding a common position," said the governing body in a statement.
With four days until the 19 June deadline, it seems increasingly clear that neither side will back down, and that major teams including Ferrari and McLaren will not enter the 2010 world championship.
In addition to its statement about the Monday meeting, the FIA released a nearly 3000 word statement chronicling the dispute with FOTA, and also reams of letter correspondence between the Paris body, Ferrari and the Italian team's lawyers.
F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Mark Webber, who both drive for FOTA member teams, said an alternative series should now be considered a serious option.
"As the teams appear to be united, then maybe it is time to look at doing something different that could be better for the sport," said Ferrari's Massa.
Red Bull's Webber wrote in his BBC column: "We want to drive for the best teams and race against the best drivers. If it's not the FIA formula one world championship, so be it."
Batting in the media for Max Mosley, however, was his friend Gerhard Berger, who told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport that "some men dream of playing Ecclestone and Mosley".
But the former grand prix winner and team co-owner doubts the threats of a breakaway championship can be followed through.
"BMW and Mercedes really have other problems at the moment: like selling cars," said the Austrian.
