Gerard Lopez says there is anger but no plans for a strike‘I’m not aware of this … a lot of frustration has built up’

Rumours of a threatened boycott of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix by a trio of Formula One’s smaller teams has been comprehensively denied. Reports have suggested Lotus, Force India and Sauber were considering pulling out of the race in Austin to send a defiant message to F1’s commercial rulers they are no longer prepared to accept the financial folly that exists.

Without question there is anger and frustration in the paddock at the Circuit of the Americas following the demise of Marussia and Caterham who over the past eight days have both entered administration. The smaller marques are undoubtedly dismayed by the spiralling costs of simply fielding two cars, never mind trying to compete on any kind of footing with the bigger teams.

That is underlined by the considerable disparity in revenues as Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes receive the lion’s share of the £900m handed out by F1’s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone.

Yet suggestions Lotus, Force India and Sauber were prepared to make a stance in front of an expected 100,000 crowd and 350 million global television audience are wide of the mark. Asked whether the trio of teams were planning to stage a boycott, the Lotus owner, Gérard Lopez, told Press Association Sport: “I’ve just found out about the story now, so my answer is no. I have to say I’m a bit surprised – but then nothing should surprise me in Formula One.

“What I can say is I’ve had a meeting with them [Force India’s co-owner Vijay Mallya and the Sauber team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn] about the cash distribution and so on, and that’s it. I’m not aware of this. I don’t even know where this comes from, and that’s the whole point.”

Asked whether such a protest could happen, Lopez added: “A lot of frustration has built up. It is high, understandably to some extent. A lot of things have been said that have not been thought through, and it’s time a bit of common sense comes in.

“There are a couple of things to take into account, and one of them is sadness going around at what has happened to Marussia and Caterham because it did not have to happen. And listening to people say we have to have a certain amount to compete in the sport, a figure that scares new manufacturers to come in, is ridiculous. Yet that’s the reality of things right now.

“In a sport where $120m is perceived to be nothing, that is a pretty scary thought. Connected to that there is this frustration because it should not be this way. It’s just a catastrophe. I look at it as a business person. Formula One is an asset that’s worth a lot of money, but it’s only worth a lot of money if it has diversity, a bit of everything that has been the fabric of Formula One.”

Force India’s co-owner Bob Fernley has suggested there is “an agenda” at hand between Ecclestone and the bigger teams to drive the smaller teams out of business.

Fernley said: “When you’ve a situation where costs are out of control and there isn’t an equitable distribution of income, there’s something going on because nobody in their right mind would run a business like that. Two teams have now gone and I think the commercial rights holder is comfortable in thinking there might be 14 cars next year. How many do they want to lose?

“He [Ecclestone] thinks there could be 14 cars, so the question is, if we are driving teams out of the business, to what agenda is it? What’s the game? It’s probably time to come clear with what the objectives are.”

Lopez, however, has expressed doubts as to an agenda, but has made it clear there needs to be immediate steps taken to rectify matters. “I don’t think there is an agenda – I sure hope there is none – but things have to drastically change in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“That’s not because teams are going to be driven away, but because if you don’t take a situation like this seriously, to change something, then you are never going to do it.”