Motor racing-FIA cannot guarantee Prodrive F1 entry for 2009

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Prodrive have no guaranteed place in Formula One in 2009 after deciding against entering as the 12th team next season, according to International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley.

"There's nothing to stop them entering for 2009," the Briton said in an interview with The Paddock magazine published on the FIA Web site (www.fia.com).

"At the request of his financial backers, (team owner) David (Richards) asked me what guarantee could we give that his entry would be accepted in 2009.

"I had to tell him that he didn't have any guarantee," said Mosley.

"In the normal course of events, Prodrive's entry would be accepted (again), but the situation without the Concorde Agreement is as it was before the Concorde Agreement - people submit entries and the FIA accepts or rejects them."

Mosley said Prodrive had paid a 300,000 euro ($441,400) deposit to compete in 2008 and would probably forfeit that.

"But that's probably it," he added. "I don't think anybody is going to go after them."

Prodrive, who had planned to compete with cars and engines provided by McLaren and Mercedes, last month ruled out their entry in 2008 due to a legal challenge and commercial uncertainty.

Their plans to become effectively a McLaren 'B' team were stymied by former champions Williams, who see the arrival of so-called 'customer cars' as a threat to their existence.