Leading Formula One teams Williams and McLaren have threatened to take motor racing's governing body, FIA, to court over changes to be introduced this year.
In a joint statement, the claimed the new regulations for the 2003 World Championship would "dumb down" the sport.
They believe the FIA was in breach of the contract that covers the running of the World Championship and said they would race in the championship, which starts in Australia on March 9th with a raft of changes, including one lap qualifying and no refuelling between qualifying and the race, but planned to challenge the FIAs rule changes through the sports arbitration process.
Team bosses Frank Williams and Ron Dennis said FIA president Max Mosley's changes would undermine Formula One as the pinnacle of motorsport and a technological showcase.
"The FIA is trying to dumb down Formula One," Dennis said "It has introduced sweeping new regulations for the 2003 season without proper consultation with the teams. We want Formula One to be stable, well run and professionally administered to ensure the continued success of the sport.
"There is no doubt that Formula One needs to change and evolve and McLaren and Williams have always played a constructive role in initiating and supporting positive measures to improve our sport."
Williams claimed the changes were a knee-jerk reaction to slumping TV ratings last season when Michael Schumacher's Ferrari team won all but three of the 17 Grands Prix.
Last month Renault team chief Patrick Faure threatened to pull out of the championship if Mosley went ahead with his planned changes.
"We will not stay in the championship with these kind of rules, clearly, none of us," he said then.