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Team boss Frank Williams has echoed the belief of FIA president Max Mosley that he believes Formula One is edging closer a solution to avert the threat of a breakaway championship after a series of meetings this week.

Sources have told Autosport-Atlas that Williams was present at a meeting with Mosley, Bernie Ecclestone and BMW's Burkhard Goeschel in Paris on Sunday to try and make progress in bringing the FIA and the manufacturers together to secure Formula One's future.

And following another meeting in London on Monday morning, which also involved Renault boss Flavio Briatore, plus the widespread support for rules changes in the Formula One Commission meeting, Williams has said that he believes there is now a real chance of a unified future.

"The meetings that took place in Paris and the other one before the F1 Commission meeting were important, useful steps towards a harmonious eventual conclusion," Williams told Autosport-Atlas.

"There was a view taken to try and sort out the differences and close the gaps to prevent there being two series because soon there will be (a breakaway) if there is no agreement. And that would be just a disaster for those of us with truly vested interests in F1. It has got to he headed off at the pass, hasn't it?"

Although there seems to be a growing consensus about the future technical regulations for F1, there is still believed to be some differences of opinions between the manufacturers and the sport's governing body about the FIA's ruling over the sport.

In particular, sources close to the talks claim that there remain problems, for example, with the manufacturers' scepticism about the true independence of the FIA's own Court of Appeal and the decision-making process in F1.

Outgoing Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has said he doubts that there is enough common ground yet to believe the breakaway threat is finished - and claims that the rule changes agreed on Monday will actually have done little to ease the situation.

"I think there is a better way and I am not convinced that the manufacturers en masse will see today as a positive step," he told Autosport-Atlas. "That is for them to decide, but my gut feeling is that they won't. And what was not discussed this week was the future beyond 2008.

"I am not convinced at the moment that under the existing regime we have averted the worst possible nightmare from F1 which is two series. I don't think we have done enough towards that.

"We haven't addressed the position of Ferrari in all aspects of the championship, we haven't addressed the independence or not of the Court of Appeal or embodied full dialogue in the way the regulations are designed."

FIA president Max Mosley said immediately after the F1 Commission meeting on Monday that he believed the meetings with the GPMA representatives had been encouraging.

"We have not reached agreement but we have got a lot closer to seeing a way forwards," he said. "So it looks like it will all come together in due course."

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Gian Carlo Minardi says losing his team's name was a reasonable price to pay for saving the struggling Faenza-based squad.

But the team founder admitted he is unhappy the Minardi name will disappear from Formula One next season.

"We have managed to save all the workforce. If the price to pay was [losing] the name, then never mind. But don't think I'm happy about it," Minardi told Autosprint.

"I made one particular error five years ago. I didn't follow the advice I was given by a man with whom I had a relationship in the early seventies, long before getting into F1.

"That man told me: 'Minardi, sell your stock, sell whatever you want, but don't ever sell your name.' That man's name was Enzo Ferrari. Instead [of selling it] I gave the name away for free."

Energy drinks giant Red Bull bought Minardi from Paul Stoddart last month and the team will race under the name Squadra Toro Rosso in 2006.

Minardi, who founded his team in 1985, has no regrets about his life in Formula One, despite the financial struggles over the years.

"I lost plenty of money [in F1] and I'm still paying for debts I got before 1997, when I was still the sole owner of the stock," Minardi added. "But life isn't all about money. At least I've had the satisfaction of staying in this environment and to do the things I wanted to.

"And besides, this is well known but it can't be said, in Italy there isn't room for two teams. But if someone believed in it more, at the right time, maybe the story would have been different."

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Brazilian Rubens Barrichello says he is not afraid to be Jenson Button's teammate next season at the BAR team.

Barrichello is leaving the Ferrari team after six seasons as Michael Schumacher's teammate to join the Honda-owned squad alongside Button.

The British driver has been at BAR since the 2003 season, but the prospect of racing alongside him is not worrying Barrichello after having competed as Schumacher's sidekick for so long.

"Button? Someone who was teammates with Schumacher can't be scared of Jenson," Barrichello told Gazzetta dello Sport. "BAR haven't yet won. I hope I'll bring with me the knowledge on how to win from Ferrari."

The Brazilian, who always played second fiddle to Schumacher, is hoping his new team will allow him to beat the German seven-time champion.

"At Ferrari the tension was all aimed at making Michael win the Championship. Who knows if now I'll have better opportunities to beat him," Barrichello told Autosprint.

Barrichello will still be a Ferrari driver until the end of the 2005 season, and he won't be allowed to test for BAR until the start of the new year.

"I would have liked to do some testing with BAR before the end of the year," he said. "Never mind, I'll go on vacation with [my wife] Silvana, and I'll only get to meet my new car on January 11th.

"These have really been my last laps with Ferrari and I feel a hole inside my stomach. It's been six beautiful years which allowed me to get the experience needed to try to win the Championship with Honda.

"I'm not leaving Ferrari now because they aren't doing as well as before; [in fact] I'm sure it'll be strong again."

The Brazilian drove his final laps in a Ferrari on Monday, when he was at the wheel of the three-seater car to take his family for a ride at Fiorano.

"I felt incredible emotion: I felt like crying when I saw the happiness of my grandfather and my father," Barrichello said.

"Through their eyes I re-lived the film of my career. At times we went fast, I even hit 290km/h and my grandpa was shouting 'this is marvellous, push harder, go faster...'"

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Dutchman Nicky Pastorelli will be the Midland team's official test and Friday driver in 2006, the F1 squad announced.

This way, the 22-year old becomes Midland's first confirmed driver for next season.

Pastorelli was already the official test driver for Jordan in 2005 and was part of the Young Driver development Program initiated by Midland F1.

"I am very happy to be given this great opportunity to drive for Midland in 2006 as the official test and Friday driver," said Pastorelli. "During 2005, I have come to know and appreciate the team and I am delighted to be able to continue working with them in 2006.

"This also means that they were happy with the job I have done; so for me, this is very encouraging. I am really looking forward to 2006 and to doing my best for the team."

Jordan boss Colin Kolles added: "I have been watching Nicky's career for a few years now and I was convinced he could do a good job for the team. Therefore we decided to give him an opportunity as our official test driver in 2005.

"He proved himself very competent in F1 and now we are happy that he will continue working with us in 2006 to help us get the most out of Friday free practice sessions and at the same time he has an opportunity to keep on learning Formula One."

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The FIA's hopes of getting their radical double-winged car into Formula One for 2007 are likely to be dashed, according to team bosses who claim that it will be too difficult to get the necessary approval before the end of this year.

Although a meeting of the Formula One Commission in London on Monday voted in favour of adopting the slick-tyred wide Centreline Downwash Generating (CDG) wing car as early as 2007, the requirement for eight out of ten teams to back the plans in the Technical Working Group may still prove to be too much.

Speaking to Autosport-Atlas immediately after the F1 Commission meeting, Minardi boss Paul Stoddart believed that the plans for the radical car may have to be put on hold until 2008.

"If eight out of 10 TWG members don't approve it, then it is not going any further at this stage - and I would put money on that happening," he said. "I don't think they will be in for 2007.

"The single tyre manufacturer rule has also been linked to them, so there is an argument that there might not be a single tyre for 2007 either. Will we get the eight votes with this design? I doubt it, but we will see."

Frank Williams believed that it was not going to be straightforward to get the 2007 regulations finalised before the end of the year - although he claimed it would be great for the sport if the car actually did increase excitement as much as has been predicted.

"I think there is total support for it, but the only thing that worries me is that there are just two months from tomorrow until Christmas for us to agree," he told Autosport-Atlas.

"There may be structural problems to overcome, with wings falling off, or vast turbulence created behind the cars, although that is being unduly negative but to get it done and tested is a lot of work."

When asked what his personal opinions were on the concept and look of the CDG car, Williams added: "I thought I would hate it, but you get used to it quickly.

"If it delivers then 'Wow!' One's dream is to participate in a sport that every person in the world wants to watch. I think if we had the final of the World Cup 19 times a year - isn't that your dream as a motor racing nutcase."

One team boss, who did not wish to be identified, said he also doubted the rules would get the support needed in the TWG meeting.

"I cannot see if happening," he said. "There is optimistic wishful thinking for all the right reasons to make it happen for 2007, but I doubt we can do it."

FIA president Max Mosley countered the team bosses' views on Monday, however, when he said that he was optimistic the TWG would approve the concept of the car.

"Everyone who has seen the cars is very enthusiastic about it, so unless there is an unforeseen difficulty it will all be okay," he said.