The FIA, motorsport's world governing body, will hand down their verdict on the Indianapolis debacle in Paris today, with Formula One braced for a backlash if seven teams are dealt a harsh punishment.
The seven teams hauled before the FIA's world motorsport council - Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Red Bull, Sauber and BAR - are charged with bringing the sport into disrepute for refusing to race at Indianapolis on June 19.
They pulled out en masse on the warm-up lap after Michelin warned that their tyres were unsafe.
Talks to find a compromise, including the possibility of installing chicane at the troublesome last corner, failed.
FIA president Max Mosley has so far taken a hard line on the teams' failure to race, blaming them rather than Michelin for the six-car parade at Indianapolis.
The Englishman, whose relationship with many team principals is already strained after months of political wrangling, and the FIA have the authority to impose virtually any penalty they want on the teams if they are found guilty.
That could range from a conciliatory fine or suspended sentence to bans and point deductions but Mosley insists there will be no witch-hunt.
He said: "There are two sides to every story and the seven teams must have a full opportunity to tell theirs. The atmosphere will be calm and polite.
"The world motorsport council members come from all over the world and will undoubtedly take a decision that is fair and balanced."
Minardi boss Paul Stoddart, whose team are not involved in this dispute as they use Bridgestone rubber, prompted fears of reprisals at the weekend. The Australian claimed a harsh penalty from the FIA could see races boycotted in revenge.
He said: "In the worst possible situation of Max putting in some kind of draconian penalty, would the other teams race?
"We'd have to have a meeting and you wouldn't want to guarantee it."
But Mosley has already detailed why he believes the teams themselves were the primary cause of the fiasco.
He insists the United States Grand Prix could have gone ahead without safety worries if teams had been prepared to adopt his solutions, which were to impose a Michelin-only speed limit on turn 13, for the Michelin runners to use the pit lane instead of the banked corner or for repeated pit stops to change damaged tyres.
