Bernie Ecclestone has proposed that F1 teams should be allowed to carry on spending, providing they sign up to the FIA championship.

However, the motor sport's world governing body have immediately made it clear that is not its position after weeks of wrangling and rowing with the teams over next year's budget cap.

The furore between the FIA and the eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso - is now heading to the courts.

After FOTA announced they are to set up a breakaway series, the FIA swiftly issued legal proceedings against the body, which are due to be formally instigated on Monday.

FIA president Max Mosley is convinced the war will culminate in the FOTA eight remaining loyal to the F1 championship, and Ecclestone is of the same mind.

However, in being able to see both sides of the argument, the 78-year-old commercial rights holder has offered his sympathies to the teams, but in doing so, has perhaps confused the issue.

"We'll do our best to fix it," commented Ecclestone.

"I'm sure we'll find a way. We have us, the federation and the teams, and that's the way it should stay.

"I think in the end people will have enough sense not to bust this business up. Everyone should stay in their place and do their job.

"But as ever when people start to have an argument they don't know where to stop and all sorts of people have ideas about what should and shouldn't happen. Eventually it will sort itself out.

"It's difficult for people to understand what it all started with, that he (Mosley) wanted to find ways of saving money for the teams so they didn't go out of business.

"There seems to be some objection to that. I sympathise with them in a lot of ways. They say 'Nobody should tell us how to spend our money. We know what to do'.

"And I say providing they commit to the championship for at least five years, they should spend what they like."

Mosley, meanwhile, has become entrenched given the latest furore, with the 69-year-old intimating he is to stand for a fifth term in office later this year to see the FIA through the current crisis.

Although there are many people who would like rid of Mosley, Ecclestone also maintains that is unlikely to happen.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Ecclestone added: "People complain and say we should get rid of Max, but they don't understand we can't get rid of Max.

"He is president of the FIA, and there are 122 votes throughout the world (via the FIA General Assembly), and they will vote as to whether they think Max should be there or not.

"But he's done a lot of very, very good things for Formula One, on safety and everything else."