The legal battle between Formula One teams Benetton and Jordan for the services of driver Giancarlo Fisichella will be heard in the High Court in London next week.

Lawyers for the two teams succeeded yesterday in persuading Justice Laddie that the case was so urgent that an immediate date for the hearing should be set.

Nicholas Strauss QC, representing Benetton, told the judge: "The resolution of the dispute is urgent because one party or other must find a replacement driver for next year and it is affecting sponsorship."

Justice Laddie replied: "Hill's available," in reference to reigning world champion Damon Hill, who is currently looking for a drive next season. Strauss said: "both parties were aware of that, my lord".

The judge said the case could go ahead on Wednesday or Thursday next week if both parties were agreeable to accepting "any judge with an enthusiasm for fast cars".

Italian Fisichella (24) is racing with Eddie Jordan's Silverstonebased team but is hotly sought after by the Anglo-Italian Benetton team run by Flavio Briatore.

Meanwhile, yesterday Mika Hakkinen was stripped of his third place finish in the Belgium Grand Prix nearly two weeks ago by FIA. And Hakkinen's McLaren team, found guilty of using a non conforming fuel, has been fined £33,000 by motorsport's ruling body.

However, FIA accepted that both McLaren and their fuel suppliers had acted in good faith and had simply made an unintentional mistake. The ruling allows Williams driver Jacques Villeneuve to move a point closer to world championship leader Michael Schumacher and allows Jordan-Peugeot to move within three points of McLaren in the constructors' championship.

Villeneuve, who finish sixth in Belgium, now moves up into fifth spot and gains an extra championship point.