.:: The FOTA/FIA 2010 War - Todt new FIA President ::.

BRAWN PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO FOTA

Ross Brawn has pledged his total commitment to the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), ending speculation that his outfit could follow Williams and Force India in lodging its own entry to next year's championship.

Williams has already been suspended by FOTA, with Force India set to receive a similar punishment, for having lodged their own entries for next year independent of the conditional applications made by FOTA's other eight members.

With Force India having acted in Turkey this weekend, there had been rumours that Brawn could be next to go it alone and enter unconditionally too.

However, speaking about the matter is Istanbul on Saturday, Brawn made it clear that his team was not wavering in its commitment to FOTA's cause.

"I understand Frank's position, Frank had contractual agreements with Bernie and the FIA which we don't have, so he had some difficulty in that respect," said Brawn about the impact of the Williams entry.

"But the existence of this team was dependent on the support of FOTA teams - McLaren and Mercedes in particular are the reason why we are here, and I think the FOTA initiatives are good.

"We seem to have had a disconnection in terms of liaising and negotiating with the FIA, and that has perhaps been the problem because FOTA has got a lot of good ideas and the FIA has got a lot of good ideas. Hopefully those ideas will be brought together to find a solution.

"We seem to have disconnected somehow in this process and what we need to do is reconnect, and I feel that I want to be part of FOTA. It is a good initiative and I feel I can help more towards finding a solution being a member of FOTA than I can stepping out of it, so I intend to remain within FOTA."

Brawn said he did not expect any other FOTA members to join Williams and Force India in breaking away from the block conditional entry pact.

"I don't think so, I don't see it going any more than that," he said. "Force India had their reasons which you will have to ask them about, and Frank had his reasons. And it was obviously more difficult for them.

"But I don't see it fracturing any more, and there is a whole lot of work that FOTA does that is not just this current controversy. There is a whole raft of technical proposals that we have for 2010 which we intend to save a lot of money.

"Next year the FOTA proposal is that we only have three bodywork upgrades during the season - what you start with and then two upgrades during the season. That saves an enormous amount of money because any time that you are doing new bodywork, you are doing this and you are doing that, it is very expensive.

"FOTA proposed homologated gearboxes at 1.5 million Euros for next season, FOTA members are providing engines for teams for 5 million Euros next year, all of those are FOTA initiatives. There is some great stuff that FOTA is doing, we just need to move away from the confrontational situation that we have got in with the FIA."

Although the FIA and FOTA currently appear to be in a stand off ahead of next Friday's announcement about which teams have got entries to 2010, Brawn remains optimistic the matter could get resolved.

"I think there are interim solutions, but quite clearly if next Friday 10 [new] teams are given an entry in F1, then there is a problem because there is no room for the rest of us. And I don't know what will happen then.

"I hope it doesn't happen because if 10 teams are given an entry then there is a major problem. Even if it is a holding position until we sort this out, I hope we can find a solution."

SOURCE: Autosport

LITESPEED TO USE LOTUS NAME FOR F1 BID

Litespeed has announced that it will use the historic Lotus name for its attempt to enter Formula 1 next season.

The Norfolk-based Formula 3 squad's founders Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington are both former Lotus engineers, and have received permission from Lotus name rights-holder David Hunt to use the evocative title for their F1 bid.

"Team Lotus is synonymous with great British engineering and F1 innovation, such as the Lotus 25 being the first monocoque chassis in F1 and the introduction of groundbreaking sponsorship, both of which easily demonstrate why ex-Lotus personnel would want to bring this championship-winning name back to the formula," said Judge.

"Litespeed was born from a similar British background - a factor that was at the core of Colin Chapman's beliefs and subsequent success.

"David Hunt has been the custodian of the name for so many years and we thank him for entrusting us not just with its safeguard but, more importantly, its development in the racing world of tomorrow."

The team had already revealed that former Tyrrell, Jordan, Renault, Toyota and Force India technical boss Mike Gascoyne had begun design work via his MGI organisation. Gascoyne also welcomed the news that the project would use the Lotus title.

"I am Norfolk born and bred," said Gascoyne. "For me to continue my F1 career under the banner of the Team Lotus name and help to bring it back to its deserving place in the world championship is a fantastic feeling and something that I am extremely proud to be doing."

Litespeed will base the Lotus F1 project in the RTN facility in Norfolk previously used by TOM'S and which later housed Audi and Bentley's Le Mans projects.

The team has also recruited Johnny Herbert, who raced for Lotus in F1 from 1990 to 1994, as a commercial ambassador and driver manager.

Founded by legendary designer and innovator Colin Chapman, the original Lotus team moved into F1 in 1958 after success in sportscars and Formula 2. It would go on to earn seven constructors' titles and take Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti to drivers' championships.

Its last race wins came with Ayrton Senna in 1987, after which its fortunes went into sharp decline - the famous team eventually closing its doors at the end of an uncompetitive and cash-strapped 1994 season.

Lotus is the third famous name to be associated with a prospective new F1 entrant for 2010, with other start-up projects having already announced plans to use the March and Brabham titles.

SOURCE: Autosport

DRIVERS AND FOTA DISCUSS CRISIS

Formula 1 drivers held face to face talks with the Formula One Teams' Association on Sunday morning as tensions rose in the row over the future of the sport.

Starting at 1030 local time at the Toyota motorhome, all the drivers of the teams that are part of FOTA held discussions with the eight team principals within the organisation to discuss the current crisis.

Only Williams duo Nico Rosberg and Kazukia Nakajima, plus Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil were, like their team principals, absent.

The meeting comes amid mounting concern from drivers that their careers are being put on the line by the dispute between the FIA and the FOTA over cost cutting regulations.

It is understood that the Grand Prix Drivers' Association discussed the matter in its regular meeting on Friday.

Fernando Alonso also expreseed his own worries about his future again in Turkey, hinting that he was not keen on the future shape of F1 as proposed by the FIA.

"I prefer to race in any other category before in the new F1," he told the Spanish media. "A model similar to GP2 or F3 is not interesting for any driver, for any sponsor or for any circuit or television network. In that case it would be a category without any sense. We'll have to see what the options are.

"The teams have done their maximum: they have signed up for the 2010 championship. But you cannot suddenly move from a budget of 500 million to one of 45 million a year. It's possible in three years, which is what the teams are proposing. It's impossible for them to do more. Now the ball is on the FIA's court."

The double world champion went as far as suggesting that he would prefer to be in a series run by the FOTA teams.

"If the manufacturers cannot sign up for F1 and they organise a parallel championship, that would be the most interesting, because you would see the technology and the fastest cars in the world and, in the end, that's where the drivers want to be," Alonso said.

SOURCE: Autosport

DRIVERS SUPPORT FOTA IN F1 FUTURE ROW

Grand Prix drivers pledged their support for the stance adopted by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) following talks to discuss the current row in Istanbul on Sunday morning.

Drivers and team principals from the eight current members of FOTA held a 25-minute get-together in the Toyota motorhome to discuss the current situation ahead of a crunch week to decide the future of the sport.

The discussions came after the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) aired its concerns about the impact the situation was having on its members' careers - and the fact that the racers were having no say in what was going on.

Speaking after the Sunday morning meeting ended, Jarno Trulli said: "All the drivers have the same feeling: to follow FOTA and respect above all the work they are doing on the coming rules and the running of Formula 1 in a serious way for the future.

"We were called today to be kept informed because of the rules not being clear and, being one of the few things that we have read, do not work and needed to be talked about from our part for reasons of safety.

"(Concerning) these rules, which we do not in any case consider are adequate, we share the same vision as FOTA."

Trulli said the drivers joined their teams in believing future rules plans were not good for the sport - with the FIA set to announce on Friday which teams have been accepted for next year's championship.

"Mosley must understand that there are some things that cannot happen," he said. "The rules for 2010 are absolutely not good because Formula 1 must remain the number one sport in the world, with great technology and with the manufacturers.

"You can't try and bring in other teams that maybe have never had any idea about what it takes to compete with the cars and in a championship of such a high level. Above all, with the rules we are completely out."

When asked if he felt the situation was now heading for a breakaway, Trulli said: "At the moment we have to wait and see, because FOTA want to reach a solution together with the federation. However all of us drivers I think understand very well which is the right side to be on.

"I know that in the next week something should budge, it must move. Otherwise there will inevitably then be a split."

SOURCE: Autosport

MALLAYA WANTS FOTA SUSPENSION REVERSED

Vijay Mallya has asked the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) to reconsider his team's suspension from the organization, following its decision to lodge an unconditional entry to next year's championship.

Force India was officially informed by FOTA on Sunday night that it had been suspended alongside Williams for breaking away from the block conditional entries lodged by the other eight teams.

However, following discussions between Mallya and FOTA vice-chairman John Howett in Turkey on Sunday night, it was made clear that he wanted to fight the suspension.

Howett said: "I spoke to Dr Mallya. I expressed the view of the, if you like, the other FOTA members.

"He was very firm in his total commitment for FOTA and basically asked us to reconsider the suspension because he wants to remain a fully committed member of FOTA. So I need to clarify that; it's not my unique position to decide. So I will convey his points to the other team members."

Mallya made it clear that he had no choice but to lodge an unconditional entry because of banking covenants.

"I have only been told by John [Howett], who is vice-chairman of FOTA executive committee, today for the very first time that the executive committee, when they had a teleconference call last week, that they decided to suspend us when we changed our entry to an unconditional entry.

"All I said to John was, the circumstances of Force India are quite different to the circumstances of Williams - first and foremost I was completely transparent with FOTA and gave them copies of correspondence with my bankers and lawyers.

"Basically F1, like in the case of any other business, relies on its bankers to provide ongoing capital support. As you would in any business, you go to the bank and demonstrate sources of income, the sources of income are from sponsorship and the disbursement of revenue from FOM arising out of the television income that you are fully aware of.

"Both these sources of income, which are sources of comfort for banks to lend money, would have been under threat if our entry was not accepted. So therefore we were legally advised that Force India might breach our banking covenants if we went down the route of a conditional entry and did not lodge an unconditional entry as always. All of this was completely shared with FOTA."

Mallya said it was too early to judge if his request to get back in FOTA would be accepted.

"If they appreciate it, well and good, if they don't appreciate it then why should I lose sleep over it? I am doing what is good for Force India, first because I have a duty to comply with my legal obligations, I have a duty to the team and the company, and at the end of the day if it stops racing there is no business.

"Under the circumstances I had to do what I did. If FOTA membership cannot accept it then there is little I can do about it. Life goes on."

SOURCE: Autosport

MASSA: FORMULA ONE ROW A NIGHTMARE

Felipe Massa says Formula 1 is facing a 'nightmare' at the moment, with rule changes planned by the FIA set to rob the sport of its premier status in his opinion.

Following talks between drivers and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) in the Istanbul paddock on Sunday morning, grand prix racing's stars made it clear that they fully supported the stance adopted by teams in their dispute with the FIA.

Speaking later in the day, Massa warned that he and several other drivers would not be interested in remaining in F1 if the FIA's plans to attract new teams through a £40 million budget cap went ahead.

"We as drivers, we want to race for the best teams in the world and we want to race with the best drivers," he said.

"For the moment, it is a nightmare what is happening in this fight. We want to know as drivers what was going on, and we wanted to give our opinion.

"Our opinion is that we wanted to race in the best category - and the best category means the one that has the best technology, the category that has the best teams, the best drivers - and in a category that is a top category in motorsport.

"If we do what Mr. Mosley wants, then we will not be at the top of motorsport - we will be in a different level. We will go down a lot on the level of the top categories.

"That is why we are together with the teams, we are together with FOTA. FOTA has eight teams and I hope that they can have a deal. I hope they can find a solution because we would love to carry on in F1. But if F1 is not possible because it is not F1 any more then we will go to another championship."

Massa' comments came after former world champion Fernando Alonso indicated that he too had no interest in racing under planned rules.

"I prefer to race in any other category before in the new F1," he told the Spanish media. "A model similar to GP2 or F3 is not interesting for any driver, for any sponsor or for any circuit or television network. In that case it would be a category without any sense. We'll have to see what the options are.

"The teams have done their maximum: they have signed up for the 2010 championship. But you cannot suddenly move from a budget of 500 million to one of 45 million a year. It's possible in three years, which is what the teams are proposing. It's impossible for them to do more. Now the ball is on the FIA's court.

"If the manufacturers cannot sign up for F1 and they organise a parallel championship, that would be the most interesting, because you would see the technology and the fastest cars in the world and, in the end, that's where the drivers want to be."

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY: FOTA SHOULD ENTER TO SHAPE F1

FIA president Max Mosley has written to the eight remaining Formula One Teams' Association members urging them to enter next year's championship unconditionally so they can help shape the rules they want, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

After a weekend of high tension at the Turkish Grand Prix ahead of the publication on Friday of the 2010 entry list, Mosley's much-awaited response to the eight FOTA teams appeared conciliatory.

Mosley claimed that the best way the teams could help mould the future of the sport the way they wanted would be to drop the conditions attached to the entries they had made to the 2010 championship.

In fact, he reckoned it would be 'simple' to find a solution to FOTA's concerns about new rules if all the teams lodged unconditional entries and signed up for a budget cap - before helping create new regulations.

In the letter sent to Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Toyota and Brawn, Mosley said that he wanted to sit down with all the 2010 teams later this month to begin discussions about framing such rules.

To do that, he therefore wanted the FOTA members to confirm by tomorrow that they wanted to compete in 2010 so he could press ahead with his plans.

"Under the International Sporting Code (Art. 66) we cannot now change the published 2010 rules unless we have the consent of all the competitors who have entered," wrote Mosley in the letter, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT. "However once we have a list of confirmed entries, we can make changes provided we have the necessary unanimous agreement.

"You therefore have the option of participating in this process as a confirmed entrant, or not. In order to participate, you should now write to us confirming that your entry is unconditional.

"It is of course up to you, but the simplest way to ensure that all entrants run under the same rules would be if everyone entered under the cost-cap rules as published and then all entrants cooperated to agree modifications to those rules which would make the proposition workable for all parties."

The FIA is due to announce its 2010 F1 entry list on Friday, with Williams and Force India having already lodged unconditional entries - and at least 10 other new teams vying for a spot.

Mosley made it clear to FOTA's members that any rule changes had to be made in cooperation with any new outfits who made it onto the grid.

"We plan to arrange a meeting of all the confirmed 2010 teams immediately after 12 June in order to discuss the cost saving measures that have been proposed by the 2009 FOTA teams," he explained.

"We have already canvassed the views of some of the likely new entrants regarding the proposed measures and the feedback is broadly positive so a solution should be relatively simple to achieve.

"To this end, if you do intend to enter, it would be helpful if you would let us have drafts of the precise rules you wish adopted, as much of the Enclosure 3 submitted by FOTA on behalf of the 2009 teams is currently in the form of minutes and statements of intent rather than the clear rules which you [and we] seek.

"We look forward to a positive response. It would be helpful to have this no later than close of business on Tuesday 9 June."

As part of the conditions of the team's entries to next year's championship, FOTA had demanded that a new Concorde Agreement be signed by June 11 - just 24 hours before the entry list is lodged.

Mosley has made it clear that such a scenario is impossible - especially because it will be necessary for all the 2010 teams to sign such an agreement.

"As explained at both our recent meetings, the FIA is willing to enter into a Concorde Agreement dealing with all questions of governance and rule stability along the traditional lines first established in 1981," Mosley continued in his letter.

"The Agreement was renewed in 1998 to the satisfaction of all currently competing teams and renewed again in 2005 by us to the satisfaction of Ferrari and, we understand, by FOM to the satisfaction of a number of teams including Williams.

"We are ready to begin discussions immediately with a view to signing an agreement without delay. However, there is no possibility of this being concluded in advance of settling the 2010 entry list, a draft of several hundred pages having been produced at the last moment.

"Also, the FIA will need to know who to discuss the draft with. There will certainly be new teams in 2010 and it presently seems unlikely that all of the 2009 teams will participate in 2010. Obviously the draft should be discussed between those that will participate only."

SOURCE: Autosport

MANUFACTURERS COULD FACE LEGAL CHALLENGE

The five Formula 1 manufacturers could face a legal challenge to an agreement they allegedly signed after Monaco Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Following the meeting between the teams and the manufacturers in Monaco, the manufacturers are believed to have agreed a deal that committed each of them to paying the others €50m each should they break ranks and enter the World Championship unconditionally.

The five non-manufacturer teams are said to be not involved, and Williams and Force India have submitted unconditional entries.

AUTOSPORT has seen legal advice presented to the FIA suggesting that the alleged agreement could be a breach of the UK's 2002 Enterprises Act and/or EU competition law.

Toyota president John Howett, who is vice-president of FOTA, confirmed that an agreement exists, although he would not comment on the financial penalties allegedly involved.

"I'm not really prepared to discuss any of the detail at all," he told AUTOSPORT. "It's a genuine agreement between the manufacturers on entering a sporting competition. It's about entry not boycotting and doesn't cover any commercial issues. I think it's a genuine and totally legal and uncontroversial document."

Howett is adamant the legality of the agreement isn't in question.

"I have to say it's been checked by the lawyers of the teams, by the lawyers of the manufacturers, who are dealing on a daily business with EU competition legislation on anti-trust. I have also been advised that the EU competition department was consulted by one party. So I'm fairly sure that there is no issue."

Howett also suggested that the version of the agreement that has caught the attention of the FIA may not be the final one: "I do believe that one of the documents referred to isn't in fact the document that was signed."

The situation is complicated by the fact that the FIA continues to insist that Ferrari is obliged to enter the World Championship under the exclusive agreement that also includes the team's right of veto on technical regulations.

This week at Istanbul Park, team principal Stefano Domenicali insisted that the team's position is that recent developments rendered that arrangement invalid. However, it is widely believed that Ferrari will indeed appear on the entry list when it is published on Friday.

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA PLANS RESPONSE TO MOSLEY

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) plans to respond to FIA president Max Mosley's latest calls to enter next year's championship, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Mosley wrote to the eight remaining FOTA members on Monday telling them that they should ditch the conditions attached to their entries to 2010 so that they can help shape future rules.

In the letter, Mosley said that he wanted to sit down with all the successful 2010 applicants later this month to try and frame regulations that all teams are happy with.

To do that he told FOTA members that they should lodge unconditional entries, and should let him know by the end of business today what they were going to do.

"It is of course up to you, but the simplest way to ensure that all entrants run under the same rules would be if everyone entered under the cost-cap rules as published and then all entrants cooperated to agree modifications to those rules which would make the proposition workable for all parties," said Mosley.

Although FOTA has not issued any official statement about the matter, having been awaiting a response from Mosley for several days, high level sources have confirmed that the teams' organisation is now deciding what its next step is.

The source confirmed that FOTA did plan to reply to Mosley about his letter by the close of play today - although it is not clear what its stance will be.

The FIA is due to announce the list of successful entrants for 2010 on Friday, with only Williams and Force India out of the current teams having lodged unconditional entries so far.

SOURCE: Autosport

SCHUMACHER SAYS F1 NEEDS MANUFACTURERS

Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher has added his voice to the row over the future of Formula 1 - claiming that the manufacturers should not be forced to accept the kind of radical cost cut proposals being put forward by the FIA.

The former Ferrari driver says he cannot envisage F1 in the future being without the car makers, and thinks that a solution should be found that keeps them in on their terms.

In a video interview released on Ferrari's official website just a few days before the entry list for the 2010 championship is revealed, Schumacher was outspoken in his belief that the manufacturers were vital for F1's future.

"It is not a very exciting situation that we are facing - especially the sport that I have participated most of my life in and that I really love. To see what is going on there, it is not very great," said Schumacher.

"At the end of the day, if you think Ferrari, the name is so important, it is so big in this sport. It became big due to the sport but it actually grew the sport at the same time.

"You cannot see F1 without Ferrari or the other manufacturers who have participated for so long. I really believe that somehow they must find a solution - and the solution can only be that it suits those teams that have built up F1 to the state that it is now.

"You cannot expect drastic changes to be accepted by such important manufacturers. Yes, you have a target, yes, you want to reduce costs, but you have to do it step by step, you cannot turn the world around in one day - that is impossible."

Schumacher's comments come as the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) try and come to a settlement that will help secure the future of the sport.

FIA president Max Mosley wrote to the FOTA teams on Monday saying that it would be better if they lodged unconditional entries to next year's championship, so they could then help frame new rules. FOTA is expected to respond imminently

SOURCE: Autosport

I have a feeling that Man and Bernie have been pressuring these small teams to sign up in the case that FOTA teams do quit. If they quit, they have a bunch of new teams to fill the grid, and if they don't Max will look like a genius to the blind.XSamFisherX

i have a feeling that even the blind can see that Mosley is a massive (insert your insult here)

FIA HINTS AT PROGRESS AS FOTA RESPONDS

The FIA has suggested that slight progress has been made in its row with the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) over the future of the sport, after claiming that a response to its request for teams to lodge unconditional entries for 2010 was 'not entirely negative.'

With FIA president Max Mosley having asked FOTA's eight members to let him know by this evening whether or not they would remove the conditions attached to their entries to the 2010 championship, the teams' organisation duly wrote to the governing body.

No details of the contents of the letter have been made public, and FOTA was unwilling to comment about the situation, but it is understood that the teams made it clear that they were not in a position to be able to drop the conditions attached to their entry yet.

However, having laid out clearly in the letter and various attachments what teams would like to see in place for them to commit, the FIA says it has seen some signs of encouragement in the latest stance.

A spokesman for the governing body said: "The FIA has received a letter and various attachments from FOTA, the contents of which are not entirely negative, and we are currently examining the details."

FOTA has been keen not to adopt an aggressive strategy with the governing body over the matter, and believes that the cost cut proposals it has put forward are exactly what is needed to help secure the sport's future.

However, the bigger issue for the teams remains governance of the sport. That is why the signing of a new Concorde Agreement to unify the teams, the FIA and the sport's commercial rights holder is so important.

Toyota vice-chairman John Howett said in Turkey last weekend that sorting out how rules are framed in the future was a priority.

"It's about fundamentally governance; there are also one or two issues of methodology of managing, shall we say, resource control, or reduction," he explained. "And I think the FOTA requests are extremely reasonable."

SOURCE: Autosport

ECCLESTONE WOULD FIGHT BREAKAWAY SERIES

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has warned the sport's manufacturers that he will be ready to take legal action against them if they adopt an aggressive approach in any plans to launch a rival breakaway series.

Ahead of the countdown to Friday's publication of the 2010 F1 entry list that could be the catalyst for breakaway plans getting the go ahead, Ecclestone says he will jump straight into action if car makers try and lure away any of F1's current television broadcasters, personnel or sponsors.

"If they do try to set up their own series - and I don't think they will be able to - there are big problems ahead for them," Ecclestone told the Daily Express.

"Apart from my contracts with teams, if somebody went to any of our contracted people, companies, television contractors, we would view it very seriously.

"That would be inducement to breach contracts and I don't do that myself, so I won't stand back and let it happen. Any action could run to hundreds of millions of pounds, who knows how much?"

Although FOTA sees a breakaway as a last resort, leading figures believe it is not impossible that the manufacturers could launch their own series for next year. Ecclestone thinks, however, that it would be far too difficult for the teams to set up a championship at such short notice.

"I'm not sure that the boards of teams such as Toyota and BMW, who are already looking to cut costs in F1, would sympathise and bankroll their teams going off to a series which would not be the FIA F1 championship," he said. "It costs a lot of money to set up a series.

"Right now, we supply the venues at no cost to the teams, they roll up with all their sponsors' names and money and race in front of a huge television audience which I supply through the contracts we win.

"That money flows back to the teams and they spend it. It would be different when they have to provide all the venues, hire their own race people, find their own television companies - and we have the best - and promote it."

He added: "As for the drivers, they want to win the FIA F1 world championship or some of them would be elsewhere getting more money to win a title that means less. I don't think they will get a series going.

"The teams had a chance to sign the 1998 Concorde Agreement which would have protected them from Max's technical changes, but they said no."

SOURCE: Autosport

HILL WARNS F1 NOT TO REPEAT IRL MISTAKE

Former world champion Damon Hill has warned that a breakaway championship set up by the current Formula 1 manufacturers would be very damaging to the popularity of the sport.

The ongoing dispute between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has given rise to threats of a breakaway grand prix series, but Hill has warned that the sport should learn from the example of American single-seater racing.

The IRL IndyCar Series split from the CART-run Champ Car World Series in 1996, leading to two top-line open wheel categories running in North America and allowing NASCAR to cement its position as the most popular form of motor racing in that part of the world.

"You only have to look over the pond to see what happens when you split a championship," said Hill. "It's difficult enough to draw people into one particular sport, so what will they make of two separate championships? It would just dilute it."

Hill also warned that, however slim the prospects of a breakaway happening might be, the off-track politics could cause some fans to lose interest in F1.

"Yes - and it has been getting worse over the last few years on that front," said Hill when asked by AUTOSPORT whether the off-track arguments are detracting from the sport.

"The last few years have been really appalling and lots of people have asked questions about the administration of the sport. That's what the issue is all about. It's entertaining in the same way that the Jerry Springer Show is - not for the right reasons - so it's a turn-off as well."

Hill, who is also president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, the owner of Silverstone, emphasised that the circuit, which has lost the rights to the British Grand Prix from 2010 to Donington Park, has not been asked to put on a race for an alternative series.

"No, I don't know anything of the sort," said Hill of whether discussions had been held. "Clearly, it has occurred to everyone that there may be a need for venues if there is going to be another championship.

"But we value our relationship with F1 since 1950 and we want that tradition to continue. But we're a business too so if something came along then clearly there would have to be discussion.

"From our point of view, the circuit has to survive so we might be placed in that position. But I'm a traditionalist. I believe in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and going back to 1950 that is the thing with the continuity to it."

SOURCE: Autosport

FERRARI SAYS IT CANNOT BE ENTERED BY FIA

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali insists the FIA cannot include his outfit on the entry list for 2010 when it is published on Friday, unless the governing body has agreed to demands laid down by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA).

With less than 48 hours to go until motor racing's governing body publishes the list of teams entered for the 2010 championship, there has been mounting speculation that Ferrari could controversially be part of the gang that is deemed to have an automatic entry.

This is because the team had made commitments with the FIA and Formula One Management several years ago about guaranteeing its presence in F1, in return for favourable commercial terms and a veto on technical regulations.

Domenicali joined a FOTA meeting in London on Wednesday to discuss the matter, as the teams' body prepared itself for Friday's announcement. Afterwards, Ferrari issued a statement saying that it could only be part of the entry list if the conditions it laid down on May 29 were met.

"Ferrari's position has not changed," Domenicali said. "Back on 29 May, we put in a conditional entry with the other teams that make up FOTA. Along with this entry, we put forward to the FIA a package of proposals which included among other elements, a significant reduction in costs.

"As always, we will do all we can to find a solution that is acceptable to all parties. If this is not possible, then the FIA will not be able to include Ferrari in the list of teams entered for the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."

The agreement at the centre of the latest argument was deemed valid by a French court last month, when Ferrari sought an injunction over the 2010 regulations being introduced. The courts ruled that only the time frame for sorting the matter out prevented Ferrari being given the opportunity to overturn the 2010 rules.

However, Ferrari insists now that the terms of the contract it had in place are no longer valid.

Speaking in an FIA press conference in Turkey last weekend, Domenicali said: "We had an agreement with the FIA but we felt that the obligations inside that agreement were breached, so the agreement is not valid anymore."

SOURCE: Autosport

LOTUS COMPANY NOT BEHIND "TEAM LOTUS"

Group Lotus plc and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited have moved to distance themselves from the recently-announced "Team Lotus" that has submitted an entry for the 2010 Formula 1 world championship, and signaled that they are prepared to take action to protect the Lotus brand name.

British Formula 3 squad Litespeed, which was founded by former Lotus employees Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington, announced last week that it wished to enter F1 next year under the Lotus banner.

Permission to use the Lotus name had apparently been granted by rights-holder David Hunt, however the Lotus company challenged that in a statement released today.

"Group Lotus plc and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited, the manufacturer of the legendary Lotus Elise and global high technology engineering consultancy, are not connected or affiliated to, nor in any other way associated with the newly-announced 'Team Lotus' that has submitted an entry 2010 Formula 1 championship," the statement said.

"Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image."

The news follows a similar statement issued by the Brabham family last week indicating that it intended to challenge Formtech's plans to enter F1 using its name.

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY TO MEET WITH TEAMS TODAY

Formula 1 teams are due to meet with FIA president Max Mosley in London today to try and reach a last-minute deal over entries for next year, AUTOSPORT has learned, with the governing body having made clear the compromises it is willing to offer.

With the entry list for the 2010 championship due to be announced by the FIA tomorrow morning, efforts are increasing to reach a resolution that will head off the threat of current manufacturer teams walking away from F1.

Although there have been suggestions in the past few days that the two sides are edging near a resolution, there still appears to be differences between the two parties about the way forward for next year.

However, AUTOSPORT has learned that Mosley is willing to soften the FIA's approach to next year - which includes scrapping a two-tier category - even though he insists a budget cap must be in place in 2010.

In a letter Mosley sent to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo following his last meeting with teams in Monaco, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT, Mosley said that there was some ground for manoeuvre in what the FIA would be willing to accept for next year.

"We can agree that all teams race under the same 2010 rules," said Mosley, referring to the original proposal for a two-tier F1 that had been a major bone of contention for a lot of teams.

"These would be as published, but with the technical and sporting advantages originally offered to cost-cap teams deleted."

Rather than having performance benefits, the FIA said it was willing to give new teams the opportunity to work on technology transfer deals with established outfits - as has been hinted about by Frank Williams in recent days.

Mosley added: "Instead of these advantages, we will facilitate know-how transfer between certain current teams and new entrants at least for 2010 and possibly for 2011."

One thing Mosley is not willing to back down on though is the introduction of a budget cap - even if the figure is made very high for next year.

He said he was willing to propose: "A cap in 2010. This could be as high as 100 million Euros, but we must have a cap and we must have certainty... For 2011, again we must have certainty with a cap at £40 million (or if preferred 45 million Euros)."

However, Mosley said that a compromise could be introduced whereby one highly paid member of staff would be allowed to be outside the budget cap - which would help those outfits who have star names, like Adrian Newey or Ross Brawn, on board.

Furthermore, the FIA said it was willing to sign a Concorde Agreement 'broadly' along the lines of the version sent to it prior to the Monaco Grand Prix, plus a renaming of the cost cap - which has been a big issue for the teams.

SOURCE: Autosport

TEAM LOTUS: NO LEGAL THREAT TO F1 ENTRY

Team Lotus's entry for Formula 1 next year has been submitted in full consultation with the Group Lotus company, as team sources dismissed any talk that the outfit could face legal action from the iconic sportscar brand over the use of the name.

A press release issued on Wednesday night suggested that Group Lotus and its subsidiary Lotus Cars Limited had no links with the F1 efforts and would do all it could to "protect its name, reputation and brand image." This was interpreted as a veiled threat about legal action.

However, AUTOSPORT understands that there is no suggestion of Group Lotus having any issue over the F1 team's plans - and the company has in fact been fully informed by Team Lotus about the efforts to get onto the grand prix racing grid.

One team source at the new Team Lotus outfit said: "We've kept Lotus fully informed of our intentions and are well aware of the need to protect its brand image. We look forward to having closer ties with it in the future."

SOURCE: Autosport

Well I am officialy confused, so not all the teams have signed up? What happens to those that have not? Will they not be allowed in at all next year? Also why have Red Bull got in when they said they would not enter?

Typicial Formula 1 situation where nothing is making sense.... :?

FORMULA ONE AWAITS 2010 ENTRY LIST

Formula 1 is bracing itself for what could be its biggest day in recent years, with the FIA due to publish the much awaited 2010 world championship entry list before lunchtime on Friday.

After last-ditch talks aimed at bringing an end to the stand-off between the FIA and the Formula 1 Teams' Association (FOTA) ended inconclusively on Thursday afternoon, all eyes are now on how many of the current teams will be on the entry list.

FIA president Max Mosley met in London with four representatives of FOTA - Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali, Brawn GP's Ross Brawn, Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner and Toyota's John Howett - in order to try and thrash out an 11th hour deal that will keep all the current teams committed.

But although there was no public confirmation that the two sides had edged any closer to a deal, there were suggestions that FOTA and the FIA were not totally at loggerheads on a way forward.

One source compared the situation to the black or white smoke signals given off by the Vatican during the election process of a new Pope. "There is grey smoke tonight," he said.

In recent days there has been more talk of a compromise deal, with Mosley indicating in a recent letter to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo that the FIA would be ready to scrap the two-tier F1 plans, and sign a Concorde Agreement, if teams agreed to a 100-million-euro budget cap for 2010 - prior to it being reduced to £40 million (GBP) the following year.

As to what happens with the entry list announcement on Friday, no one outside of the FIA's circles is sure about what will happen.

Williams and Force India are certain to be on it, having lodged unconditional entries, and it should not be too difficult for the FIA to find at least three new teams to fill the available slots on the grid.

However, which of the remaining current outfits is on the entry list will determine where F1 is heading in both the next few weeks and perhaps the longer term.

Should the entries of the eight remaining FOTA members - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing and Brawn - be rejected, then it could be the signal for those teams to accelerate their plans for a breakaway championship.

There would also likely be huge controversy should the FIA choose to put Ferrari, and perhaps the two Red Bull teams, on the entry list unconditionally - if the governing body stood by the belief that some teams have contractually tied themselves into racing in F1.

One way of defusing the tension, however, would be for the FIA to hand provisional entries to all of FOTA's outfit - pending the successful resolution of talks aimed at reducing costs.

Ferrari has made no secret of the fact that it will only race in F1 if it is happy with the rules - and the announcement of the entry list comes ahead of a visit to Le Mans by di Montezemolo and the Scuderia's team principal Stefano Domenicali.

In a statement issued on Thursday, di Montezemolo made a clear hint that the challenge of Le Mans would be enough to attract the Maranello team in the future.

"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to start a race that has made motor racing history and has such strong links with Ferrari," he said.

"Our Scuderia has delivered some unforgettable achievements on this circuit. The Le Mans 24 Hour Race is synonymous with technologically-advanced sporting competition and has always been a focus of great attention on our part."

The other interest in the entry list will come with which of the new outfits is granted a place on the 2010 grid. Among the leading contenders to be given the nod are Prodrive, Campos Racing, Epsilon Euskadi, Lola, Superfund, USF1 and Team Lotus.

SOURCE: Autosport

ED: After my final exam, I'll be rushing home as soon as I can to bring the latest :lol:

EDIT: Here are the 13 entries for 2010:

NOTE: This grid has been placed into the top post.

BRABHAM TO SUE FORMTECH OVER NAME

Triple Formula 1 world champion Sir Jack Brabham and his family have confirmed today they are taking legal action against Formtech for using the Brabham name in its entry for the 2010 F1 season.

Formtech submitted its entry to the FIA under the name Brabham Grand Prix Limited and will find out on Friday whether it has been granted access to the 2010 world championship.

However, the Brabham family has made it clear it was not affiliated with the Formtech entry and has today confirmed in a statement it plans to pursue legal action against the team for using the famous name.

In an official statement, Sir Brabham and his family state: "it has been necessary to commence legal action against Brabham Grand Prix Limited following Formtech's application to enter the FIA Formula One World Championship 20in 2010 in that name.

"The Brabham family have made numerous approaches to Formtech with proposals to amicably resolve the situation.

"In the absence of any response from the team, the family has been left with no alternative but to issue the relevant proceedings to protect the family name, irrespective of whether Formtech is granted an entry by the FIA on Friday 12 June.

"The Brabham name has always been the property of the family and it is sad that once again steps have to be taken to protect it."

SOURCE: Autosport

The FIA has announced the entry list for next year's World Championship. All current teams are included in the selection, which sees new entrants USF1, Campos and Manor join the grid, meaning a total of thirteen teams and twenty-six cars will be taking part in F1 next year.

Revealing the line-up shortly before midday (CET) on Friday, the FIA revealed the long-awaited list deciding the line-up for next season, which had been predicted as tainted due to the recent spat between the governing body and the FOTA (Formula One Teams Association). Although FOTA remains in disagreement over the proposed €45m budget cap, FIA president Max Mosley announced this week that - due to sporting regulations - the rule can now only be modified with the consent of all competitors, meaning further meetings can now take place.

After another meeting with Mosley this week, the FIA has reached the decision that all current teams shall be accepted for entry; however the BMW, Brawn, Toyota and McLaren squads' entries remain conditional with more get-togethers imminent to signal an end to the costs row. Should any of the teams not make it to the grid, it is believed that the FIA has another five new entrants waiting in the wings.

A total of 26 cars means that next year's starting grid will be the largest since the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix, with newcomers Campos, Manor and USF1 joining the fraternity; Spanish team Campos - led by former F1 driver Adrian Campos and whose current drivers are GP2 championship leaders Vitaly Petrov and Romain Grosjean - will be making the jump from the F1 feeder series, whereas Manor Grand Prix will be headed by Formula 3 team boss John Booth and Nick Firth, a former F1 team owner. Previously highly expected for entry, USF1 is headed by Ken Anderson and ex-Williams team manager Peter Windsor and make up the grid. All new teams will be running with Cosworth engines.


The team and engine line-up for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship is as follows:


AT&T Williams - Toyota
BMW Sauber F1 Team - BMW
Brawn GP Formula One Team - TBA
Campos Grand Prix - Cosworth 
Force India F1 Team - Mercedes 
Manor Grand Prix - Cosworth 
Panasonic Toyota Racing - Toyota 
Red Bull Racing - TBA
Renault F1 Team - Renault
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro - Ferrari
Scuderia Toro Rosso - TBA
Team US F1 - Cosworth
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - Mercedes

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/06/12/teams-revealed-for-2010/

And now the millions of news stories associated with the announcement...

COSWORTH CELEBRATES F1 RETURN

Engine supplier Cosworth was delighted after it was confirmed on Friday that it will return to Formula 1 with three grand prix squads.

The FIA announced on Friday that the newUS F1, Campos and Manor Formula 1 teams will be using the Cosworth power units when they make their debut next season.

Cosworth, who last competed in F1 in 2006, will supply a standard specification engine at a reduced cost.

The deal with the three new F1 teams is for three years.

"I am pleased that Cosworth's exceptional mix of capabilities has enabled us to provide a solution for Formula 1 that sits so neatly with our existing operations in the aerospace and defence sectors," said Cosworth CEO Tim Routsis.

"Cosworth is proud not only to be able to provide a solution that will deliver the performance needed by these teams to compete in this most technologically challenging sport, but also to extend its long association with Formula 1 as a truly independent provider of competitive motive power.

"The engineering expertise we have accumulated over four decades in the sport has enabled us to broaden our reach into many different high-technology sectors.

"Today our engineering capabilities extend beyond racing, encompassing high-technology applications in the aerospace, defence, energy, marine and automotive industries. Cosworth has the necessary infrastructure to fulfil the supply of Formula 1 engines without affecting our other activities."

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA ASKS WMSC TO INTERVENE IN F1 ROW

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has written to the FIA's Senate and World Motor Sport Council urging it to intervene in the row over entries to next year's championship, AUTOSPORT can reveal, as it warns the teams could be forced to walk away.

In an immediate response to the announcement by the FIA that FOTA's members have until June 19 to drop the conditions attached to their entries, the eight members of the teams' organisation pleaded for help in finding a 'swift solution' to the matter.

This comes despite Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso all having been handed full entries to next year's championship - in lieu of commercial agreements made with the FIA and FOM committing them to the sport.

The letter makes it clear these entries were made 'against the will' of the teams involved.

In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT, the FOTA members state that the teams would 'reluctantly' be forced to seek alternative solutions if the matter is not sorted out by next week.

"All of these teams are united in their concerns about the present situation and are deeply worried about the crisis that Formula 1 now faces, a crisis that appears to be self generated," wrote FOTA.

"The teams wish to find a swift solution to the situation, but in case this can not be done, they will reluctantly have to seek alternative solutions which protect them.

"In a final attempt to resolve this crisis, further meetings are scheduled for the next seven days. We would urge your support to ensure the outcome of these meetings achieves a solution that allows long established competitors to continue in their sport within a framework of sound governance and stability that will ensure the future and sustainability of Formula 1."

FOTA believes that it has not been 'effective' in communicating with the governing body about its aims - and makes it clear that it wants to work in a 'positive and constructive manner with the federation' to find a solution.

"Our fundamental wish is to work within a framework of cooperation and dialogue with the Federation to improve Formula 1 and to stop the confrontational and negative approach that has dominated the sport in recent years," the letter added.

"This approach compounded with constant announcements of regulatory changes, resulting from the unstable governance process that exists, has unfortunately created a situation of confusion and uncertainty among the public and sponsors. This situation is adversely affecting the business of both the teams and the organisers."

Furthermore, FOTA believes that the organisation's unhappiness about the way the sport is being run could be eased y the signing of a new Concorde Agreement.

"It is our view that by introducing the balanced and transparent basis of Governance which is defined in the 2009 Concorde Agreement (governance extract enclosed) we can restore a situation where the teams work in harmony with the Federation, a situation which can only be beneficial to all stakeholders.

"Accordingly, we have requested that the FIA join with FOM and the teams to sign a binding agreement that will bring stability at the very earliest opportunity, or alternatively, enter into a separate bi-lateral governance agreement between the teams and the FIA."

The letter added: "We wish to confirm that the teams are prepared to enter into binding commitment to enter in the championship until the end of 2012. This eliminates the misconception that certain teams are going to leave the sport and in doing this Formula 1 will establish a solid and stable platform for the future.

"All of the present competing teams in Formula 1 have significant investments in staff, factories and facilities. We request our level of commitment is respected and that we are allowed to address the changes needed due to the present economic climate in the most effective and efficient way for the participants with the correct governance from the regulatory body, the FIA.

"The existing FOTA teams understand the need to encourage and assist new entrants to the sport and we agree to undertake in good faith any reasonable measures that will help new teams establish their position in Formula 1."

SOURCE: Autosport

WILLIAMS "PLEASED" WITH F1 ENTRY

The Williams team says it is "pleased" its entry for the 2010 Formula 1 championship has been accepted by the FIA.

Williams was, along with Force India, the only team to have submitted an unconditional entry for next year's championship and, as expected, the FIA confirmed it on Friday.

"The AT&T Williams team is pleased to confirm that its entry to the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship has been accepted by the FIA," said the team in a statement.

Team boss Frank Williams added: "2010 will be my 42nd consecutive season in Formula 1. We are already designing the main elements of next year's FW32 which will build on the useful step forward taken with the FW31."

SOURCE: Autosport

FERRARI WON'T RACE IF CONDITIONS NOT MET

Ferrari has made it clear that it will not compete in next year's world championship unless the conditions it attached to its entry are met by the governing body.

The Maranello-based outfit was included on the official 2010 entry list because the FIA believes the team committed itself to racing in F1 as part of deals signed with the governing body and the FIA several years ago.

However, Ferrari insists that the terms of the agreement it made in the past have been breached by the FIA - which means it cannot be forced to race.

In a statement issued on Friday morning, Ferrari insisted that it will not compete next year unless it is satisfied with the rules in place.

"Ferrari submitted on 29 May 2009 an entry to the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship which is subject to certain conditions," said the statement. "As of today, these conditions have not been met.

"Notwithstanding this and despite Ferrari's previous written notice to the FIA not to do so, the FIA has included Ferrari as an unconditional participant in next year's Formula One World Championship.

"For the avoidance of any doubt, Ferrari reaffirms that it shall not take part in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship under the regulations adopted by the FIA in violation of Ferrari's rights under a written agreement with the FIA."

SOURCE: Autosport

PRODRIVE DISAPPOINTED TO MISS F1 ENTRY

Prodrive boss David Richards has expressed his disappointment at the decision by the FIA not to include his team on next year's official entry list, but has still not totally given up on seeing his outfit make the grid in 2010.

With continued uncertainty about the future of the eight Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) members, and them having until June 19 to drop the conditions attached to their entries, there remains a chance other new teams could be added to the roster.

AUTOSPORT understands that the FIA is remaining in dialogue with at least three or four F1 hopefuls who could be granted entries if current teams drop out.

Richards said he would keep a close eye on events over the next week, although said his focus for now was on this weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours - where he is competing with Aston Martin.

"We are naturally disappointed by the FIA's decision not to include Prodrive in the preliminary entry list for 2010 as we believe we have the resources and set-up to be competitive in Formula 1 and would make a positive contribution to the sport," said Richards in a statement issued on Friday.

"We will wait to see how things develop in the next week, up to the 19th June deadline set by the FIA and we remain prepared and ready to implement our plans should the circumstances allow. As we have seen before, there are quite often many twists and turns in Formula 1.

"However, this weekend our attention is one hundred percent focused on our Aston Martin team at Le Mans. For the first time we are challenging for outright victory with a three-car line-up, following two consecutive GT1 class wins, on the 50th anniversary of Aston Martin's historic 1959 win at the circuit de La Sarthe."

SOURCE: Autosport

RED BULL INSISTS ENTRY STILL CONDITIONAL

Red Bull has joined Ferrari in saying it will not race in Formula 1 next season if FOTA's demands are not met, despite being granted an entry for 2010.

Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Ferrari were given unconditional entries for next year, while the other five FOTA teams were asked to drop their conditions if they are to race in 2010.

Ferrari, however, made it clear on Friday that it will not race if the conditions demanded by FOTA are not met.

The Italian team has now been followed by Red Bull, who said in a statement it remains committed to FOTA.

"Following the FIA's publication of the entry list for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Red Bull Racing would like to make it clear that its entry was submitted as a conditional entry, consistent with those of all other FOTA members," said the statement.

"Red Bull Racing remains committed to FOTA and fully endorses all its principles."

SOURCE: Autosport

TORO ROSSO ALSO COMMITTED TO FOTA

Scuderia Toro Rosso says it remains committed to the Formula One Teams' Association and that it will not accept the FIA's unconditional entry for 2010.

In a statement released just minutes after sister team Red Bull, Toro Rosso made it clear it will not race in Formula 1 if FOTA's demands are not met, despite being granted an entry.

"Following the FIA's publication of the entry list for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Scuderia Toro Rosso would like to make it clear that its entry was submitted as a conditional entry, consistent with those of all other FOTA members," Toro Rosso said.

"Scuderia Toro Rosso remains committed to FOTA and fully endorses all its principles."

SOURCE: Autosport

WIRTH TO BUILD MANOR'S FORMULA ONE CAR

Wirth Research has confirmed a exclusive partnership with the Manor Grand Prix team to produce its Formula 1 car for 2010.

Formula 3 squad Manor was one of three new teams included on the FIA's entry list for next season, and former F1 chief designer Nick Wirth will be working on the new car.

The services will be provided by WR Technology Ltd as well as Wirth Research.

"Up until recently even my closest friends and family would have confirmed that I had no interest in making a return to designing Formula 1 cars," Wirth said.

"It's only with the exciting possibilities of cost constraints, with a refreshing new emphasis on design ingenuity and resource efficiency, that Formula 1 has now become a viable and fascinating new challenge for Wirth Research, and we will make sure it has all of the race-winning know-how that our previous cars have enjoyed.

"We see this project as a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our work, increase our range of technology and engineering capacity to the benefit of all our existing and potential clients beyond Formula 1.

"As the project evolves, we hope to continue to demonstrate the benefits of our unique approach to Development in the Digital Domain."

Manor will be using Cosworth engines in 2010.

SOURCE: Autosport

FIFTEEN NEW TEAMS ENTERED F1 ENTRY

The FIA has revealed that it received 15 entries from new teams to enter Formula 1 next year.

In the wake of the announcement that Campos Grand Prix, Team US F1 and Manor Grand Prix have been granted unconditional entries to next year's championship, the FIA also says discussions are continuing with other outfits in case current teams choose to leave.

In a statement issued on Friday, the FIA said: "When the FIA opened entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, it received applications from 15 potential new teams.

"All of those entries underwent a stringent due diligence process to ensure that new teams have the required level of funding, resources, experience and technical expertise to compete at the highest level of motor sport.

"Three of those teams have been confirmed for 2010 and further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries."

The FIA also revealed details of the three successful new teams.

Campos Grand Prix's headquarters will be in Madrid, while its technical centre will be at Campos Racing's current headquarters in Valencia. The team will be powered by Cosworth engines, and its car will be built by Dallara.

Manor Grand Prix is a tie-up between Manor Motorsport and Wirth Research Limited; with former team boss Nick Wirth acting as technical director below team owner John Booth.

Team US F1 is being run by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, and will be based in Charlotte in the United States.

SOURCE: Autosport

TEAM LOTUS STILL HOPEFUL ON F1 PLANS

Team Lotus will remain in 'close contact' with the FIA over the next few days to hear if it will still get a chance to move into Formula 1 next year, despite being absent for the entry list issued on Friday.

The FIA only granted slots to three new teams on Friday - Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1 - while it awaits the outcome of discussions between current teams and the FIA about the future.

The eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) have been told that they must drop the conditions attached to their entries by next Friday if they are to keep their slots on the grid.

Should any of the current teams decline that opportunity, then there will be a chance for other new teams to make the step up. The FIA remains in talks with three or four new outfits while the matter is sorted out over the next few days.

Team Lotus issued a statement on Friday confirming it was one of these extra teams, and said it remained determined to get into F1.

"The FIA have today announced their preliminary list of teams for the 2010 F1 Championship. Team Lotus is disappointed not to be on that provisional list," said the statement.

"However, we understand that in the event that any of the teams listed do not agree the terms imposed by the FIA, we are short-listed to fill any spots which become available.

"Therefore we remain in close contact with the FIA and will work with them to ensure that Team Lotus is selected in the event that any spaces become available in the next seven days.

"Our team remains committed to motor racing and does not intend to let this initial disappointment deter our Formula 1 ambitions."

SOURCE: Autosport

LOLA REMAINS IN TALKS WITH FIA

Lola says it will continue in talks with the FIA over a potential entry for the 2010 world championship, despite not being on the list announced on Friday.

The Huntingdon-based company was one of 15 new teams to have lodged an F1 entry for next year, and although believed to be one of the favourites to secure a slot, Lola was absent from the entry list.

However, with the FOTA teams still determined to not race if their conditions are not met, Lola remains in the frame until the final list in announced next Friday.

"The Lola Group acknowledges receipt of the communication from the FIA announcing the preliminary entry list for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship," said Lola in a statement.

"The Lola F1 Team is not currently listed as an entrant, but will continue to remain in discussion with the FIA as a potential new entry until the extended deadline of 19 June, 2009."

SOURCE: Autosport

FIA'S Q&A ON NEW TEAM ENTRIES

Conducted and provided by the FIA's press office.

A: We are using professional advisors to make checks on the substance behind any funding sources on top of obtaining reviews of pertinent contracts and other relevant documentation. Bank references have been supplied in many cases.

A: We have requested documentary evidence to support all the new teams' assertions, in particular with regards to funding. Thus we have been provided with accounts, contracts, multi-year business plans and other supporting material. On the technical side we have asked for a thorough description of their capability, key staff, project plans, capital assets (present and planned for), organisational charts, and so on.

Where there are key sub-contractors required we have asked to see contracts and letters of intent. This extends to the sponsorship side, where plans and any descriptions of existing relationships )are required. In all these aspects we have requested evidence that substantiates any claim in the teams' plans.

In the background to these evaluations, where key individuals were identified on the funding side, our forensic accountancy advisors have run reputational checks, alongside the checking of factual data supplied.

Once we had formed an opinion of the serious contenders we asked them to come to London to be questioned face to face by the due diligence team. Then a short summary report on the top five was sent to the FIA President.

A: It would not have been possible to perform this exercise without expertise from our advisors, Deloitte, who have assisted us throughout. The forensic ability to give advice on the documents provided is invaluable.

A: There were 15 applicants and we took 12 of these through the process initially. We interviewed nine of the more promising potential teams. There were a surprising number of well-presented entries, with substantial funds behind them.

A: It has been intense. The one advantage is that the short timescale has revealed the teams that really have their plans together and the answers to hand, and those that are making it up as they go along. If they are going to be in Formula One they need to be able to respond quickly and competently. Thus the condensed time line has 'stress tested' the new entrants.

A: Yes it was a surprise in some ways, but more reassuring than surprising. Formula One is a fantastic prospect and with the financial reforms to lower the barrier to entry to realistic levels it is good to see such a strong market for new teams. This exercise has demonstrated that the only reason there have been vacancies on the F1 grid for many years was the excessive cost of participation.

SOURCE: Autosport

SUPERFUND STILL ON FIA'S RESERVE LIST

Superfund team principal Alex Wurz says his outfit remains on the reserve entry list for the 2010 Formula 1 championship.

Wurz had submitted an entry to compete with the new team next year, but his entry was not selected by the FIA on Friday.

However, with uncertainty about the position of the FOTA teams, some of the squad not entered are still on the reserve list in case some of the current teams drop out.

Wurz said Superfund was on that list.

"I'm not exactly sure what it depends on," Wurz told AUTOSPORT at Le Mans. "There is a deadline on June 19, so there are a few days more of due diligence to do on the team entries.

"The FIA asked Team Superfund to be in a reserve position, and they will keep on talking to the team and then a decision will be made."

The Austrian driver said he was unsure about the future of the project should the team not enter F1 in 2010.

"We have to see. This year I am still doing the Peugeot and I am under contract with Brawn. I have my company to run, so I am pretty busy anyway."

SOURCE: Autosport

FIA: INTEREST JUSTIFIES PUSH TO CUT COSTS

The FIA believes that its big push to reduce costs, which has put it at loggerheads with current teams, has been fully justified by the high level of interest from new outfits to join Formula 1.

Motor sport's governing body revealed on Friday that 15 applications had been made by new teams to enter F1 in 2010, although only three were chosen in the entry list that was published.

In a statement issued by the FIA on Friday afternoon, detailing the selection process for the new teams, it made it clear that it believes the cost reductions planned for next year had been the key factor in producing so much interest.

"It was a surprise in some ways, but more reassuring than surprising," said the FIA about the high level of interest. "Formula 1 is a fantastic prospect and with the financial reforms to lower the barrier to entry to realistic levels it is good to see such a strong market for new teams.

"This exercise has demonstrated that the only reason there have been vacancies on the F1 grid for many years was the excessive cost of participation."

The FIA revealed that it conducted full financial examination of all the entries to check they had the money to compete in F1, as well as conducting face-to-face interviews with the entrants in London.

This enabled the governing body to whittle down the leading contenders to a shortlist of five, which was then sent to FIA president Max Mosley.

"There were 15 applicants and we took 12 of these through the process initially," said the FIA. "We interviewed nine of the more promising potential teams. There were a surprising number of well-presented entries, with substantial funds behind them."

SOURCE: Autosport

ANALYSIS: NEW F1 TEAMS IN DETAIL

Conducted and provided by the FIA's press office.

When the FIA opened entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, it received applications from 15 potential new teams.

All of those entries underwent a stringent due diligence process to ensure that new teams have the required level of funding, resources, experience and technical expertise to compete at the highest level of motor sport. Three of those teams have been confirmed for 2010 and further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries.

Detailed below is information about each of the new teams that will compete in the Championship from next year.

Company Name: Campos Meta
Team Name: Campos Grand Prix
Country: Spain
Team Principal: Adrian Campos Suñer

The Campos Racing team was launched in 1998 by ex-Formula One driver Adrian Campos. Since that time it has competed in various championships from GP2 to Euro F3. It has won six driver championships, five team championships and currently holds the GP2 Series 2008 title.

Campos Racing is running the Campos Grand Prix team in conjunction with Meta Image, a Madrid-based sports agency which specializes in event management, sponsorship acquisition, PR and marketing.

The Grand Prix team's headquarters are based in Madrid, which houses the marketing and administrative departments. The technical centre is based at Campos Racing's current headquarters in Valencia, 25km from the Ricardo Tormo race track. This facility currently manages design and development for the Campos Racing F3, Mexico A1GP and Barwa International GP2 teams.

As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Campos has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth and technical partnerships with Dallara Automobili and Xtrac.

Company Name: Manor Grand Prix Racing
Team Name: Manor F1 Team
Country: United Kingdom
Team Principal: John Alfred Booth

The Manor name came into racing in 1990 when former single-seater champion John Booth decided to establish his own team. Since that time, Manor's record of success includes some 171 Race Wins and 19 Championship Titles in championships such as Formula Renault and Formula 3 Euroseries.

Manor is based in the UK across two sites, one in Sheffield and the other in Bicester. Its technical innovation is characterised by the fact that the race cars are designed, tested and refined entirely in the digital domain using the processes originally developed by Wirth Research Limited (WRL).

WRL is an engineering company, founded by Nick Wirth in 2003, which specialises in research, development and manufacturing in the high technology sector. WRL's designs were successful in winning both the 2004 and 2005 lndy Racing League championships and it has recently produced race winning designs for Honda competing in the American Le Mans Series.

Wirth, who is the Technical Director of Manor Grand Prix Racing, started his career as an Aerodynamicist for the March F1 racing team. He was responsible for aerodynamic concepts as well as scheming and design of wind tunnel model components for the 1988 and 1989 Leyton House March F1 cars.

From 1993 to 1995, Wirth was Founder/Owner/Technical Director of the Simtek F1 team, which started in the 1994 F1 championship. Simtek Research provided the team with all of the engineering and design of the cars. Wirth went on to become Chief Designer for the Benetton F1 team from 1996 to 1999.

As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Manor has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth.

Company Name: Team US F1
Team Name: Team US F1
Country: US
Team Principal: Ken Anderson

Team US F1 is a new racing operation but its directors have many years of motor sport experience and it has already attracted a host of investors.

US F1's Team Principal Ken Anderson has been involved in motor sport for over 30 years. His experiences include designing and constructing multiple Indy 500 and IndyCar Series-winning race cars, operating as technical director for the Ligier and Onyx Formula One teams and creating the advanced Windshear Wind Tunnel.

Fellow team director Peter Windsor has worked in F1 for over 35 years as a journalist, team manager and consultant. He has worked as the team manager for the championship-winning Williams-Renault team, the manager for Ferrari's F1 chassis and suspension departments and as a consultant for F1 drivers Nigel Mansell and Carlos Reutemann.

As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, US F1 has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth.

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA SEEKING "SENSIBLE GOVERNANCE"

Toyota F1 president John Howett says that 'sensible governance' remains at the top of the list of things the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) wants to see in place before it commits to the sport.

With the FIA having given FOTA members just seven days to drop the conditions attached to their 2010 entries or risk being left out in the cold, Howett says there are still big concerns that go beyond just cost-cutting rules.

"What we want primarily is a sensible basis of governance, so that the regulations are not changed willy nilly, that there in involvement of the teams in a proper process adopted, and that process is not deviated from," Howett told Radio 5 Live on Friday.

"And secondly we do feel that there is a risk of involving financial forensic control in the sporting regulations and deciding a championship."

Howett insists that FOTA does not want to seize control of the sport, and is keen to work in any way possible that helps secure the future of F1 - and encourages new teams.

"It is not about power and FOTA running the sport, we are saying we want a proper and balanced governance process," he said.

He added: "We welcome new teams. You have to say Brawn has done a fantastic job and without the support of McLaren and Mercedes they would not have been there.

"And there are other teams that get a lot of support from the manufacturers...and I do dispute strongly that we hold the sport to ransom. It is quite the opposite. We make huge effort to add value and to improve the total balance in the sport."

Howett said that FOTA was certainly unhappy that F1 was grabbing headlines now for all the wrong reasons.

"We are all very sad we are not focusing on racing and what is exciting about F1, and I really believe that the FOTA ambition is to improve F1 for the long term."

SOURCE: Autosport

CAMPOS HAILS "VERY SPECIAL DAY"

Adrian Campos celebrated a "very special day" on Friday after his team was included on the entry list to compete in Formula 1 in 2010.

The Spaniard, a former grand prix driver, will run the Campos Meta 1 team alongside Jose Ramon Carabante, with headquarters in Madrid and Valencia.

The team will use a chassis designed by Italian constructor Dallara and Cosworth engines after securing a three-year deal with the company.

Campos said his goals for the first season would be modest.

"It's a very special day," Campos told a news conference in Madrid. "We will be on the grid with a lot of dignity.

"I have been in this sport for 30 year. It's basically what I have done my whole life. Six years ago we tried, but when I talked about it with Ecclestone he said 'rubbish'. However, now he has given me his full backing, and I want to thank him and Max Mosley."

He added: "I'm not thinking about winning races, but about being in the top ten to generate income. Now it's time to work hard and think about this prize that we have been given."

SOURCE: Autosport

USF1 "HUMBLED" BY F1 ENTRY

Team US F1 co-founder Peter Windsor says he has been 'humbled' by the FIA's decision to grant his outfit a place on the 2010 grid.

The American-based team was one of three to be handed unconditional entries to next year's world championship, as the row over the presence of current teams continues.

And although US F1 has been working hard for several years to make it into Formula 1, Windsor admits finally achieving that target has been a strange experience.

"I was thinking how small I feel relative to this massive sport and all the talk going on - the big names and the small names," he said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.

"[For] everything this sport has meant to me for the last 50-odd years of my life, finally to see the name of the team which I am lucky to be involved in on the FIA entry list is quite a humbling moment. I know that sounds a bit pretentious, but that is how I feel. I have got a lot of time and history in this sport and this is a very big day for me."

Windsor said that his team would decide soon on drivers - having recently taken a look at some American youngsters.

"We have got a shortlist of drivers," he said. "We already have had the first of our week of evaluation of young Americans, and there are some very good American drivers out there. We will be making a decision about that soon. But before we do anything of course we needed to get officially an entry from the FIA and we now have that. From now on it will be guns blazing."

And although Windsor concedes that US F1 would prefer it for the row between current teams and the FIA to be resolved, he says he cannot waste any time worrying about what happens.

"Our ambition is to first of all prove that we can design and build a car in the United States, rather than Europe," he explained.

"I think in the context of the discussions that we are having right now, we were planning this team three or four years ago - long before budget caps and recession and all this stuff was thought about.

"So we are just coming in to take our place in the sport and where it falls is where it will go. But we hope, like everyone else, there will be one championship and we will be competing in that one championship.

"We are not competing because of what is going on now, but because it has been our long held ambition to be in F1."

When asked if it was important Ferrari remained a part of F1, Windsor said: "Of course it matters. We all love the sport and we all hope and pray that the sport will remain as one championship. From our point of view we have got so much work ahead of us that I cannot really at this point imagine coming up for air and even looking around and seeing what everyone else is doing.

"We will be racing next year, we have just got to get on. We have a massive project and a massive job ahead of us. That is the challenge we face."

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA VOWS TO CHANGE "BAD" FIA RULES

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has vowed to keep working 'constructively' to try and find a resolution to the row over entries to the 2010 championship, but in a statement on Friday blasted the FIA's planned rules as 'bad for the future' of the sport.

FOTA's eight members have been given until next Friday to drop their conditions of entry to the 2010 world championship, or risk being sidelined.

However, in a statement issued by the teams' body, FOTA made it clear that it was unhappy about the regulations for next year and beyond, and said fans were now getting 'dismayed and confused' by the row.

Furthermore, FOTA claimed that the FIA had made an 'erroneous' statement in announcing that Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso had unconditional entries to next year, as part of commitments they made to the FIA and FOM several years ago.

"In response to the erroneous statement made today by FIA, the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) wishes to underline that the entries of all its members - excluding the temporarily suspended Force India and Williams - have been submitted to the FIA as conditional entries.

"The entries to the 2010 FIA F1 Championship submitted by BMW-Sauber, Brawn GP, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Toro Rosso and Toyota were based upon conditions that have still yet to be met."

With more meetings scheduled for the next few days to try and reach a settlement, and FOTA having written to the FIA's World Motor Sport Council to step in and help find a resolution, the body did not hold back in its criticisms of the proposals put forward by the governing body.

"FOTA will continue to act constructively on resolving differences with the FIA. Regrettably FOTA is being forced to outline in detail our objections to the new arbitrary FIA proposals and we will release details of our concerns in the near future which will constructively explain why the FIA's proposals are bad for the future of Formula 1, the jobs of those employed within the motor-racing industry and especially the millions of loyal fans who are dismayed and confused at the internal bickering within our sport," added the statement.

"FOTA reaffirms the unity and strength of its members, welcomes the three new F1 entrants announced today and remains committed to work with all the bodies of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile to resolve our differences."

SOURCE: Autosport

EPSILON REMAINS OPTIMISTIC OF F1 SLOT

Epsilon Euskadi boss Joan Villadelprat says he remains optimistic his team can still make the final list of entrants for the 2010 Formula 1 championship, despite not being included on the one revealed today by the FIA.

The Spanish outfit was one of the 15 teams to have submitted an entry for next year, but the governing body on Friday listed Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix and Team US F1 along the current 10 squads.

Villadelprat, whose team would build its own chassis in its factory, admitted he was surprised by some of the names on the list.

However, the Spaniard said he is not ready to throw in the towel yet, as he reckons the door is still open until the final entry list is revealed next Friday.

"I'm a bit surprised because I thought we were fighting against Aston Martin, and Lola, and companies with a pedigree, if you will," Villadelprat told AUTOSPORT.

"I'm a little surprised, but I'm still optimistic because I have received a letter from the FIA saying that this is all provisional and that the final list will be on the 19th, and to keep on working and keep on sending the data that they will request, and that we are in a good position.

"That leaves at least a door open with what everything that's going on. The truth is that, in that sense, we will do everything necessary and work to give them all the information that they need, as they will continue auditing. Even the new teams which are in are being audited."

The Epsilon boss said the governing body had made it clear to him that the teams on today's list were not 100% certain to get entries for the championship.

"Exactly," he added. "At least what we are told is that nobody, at this point, is 100% certain. They are still working, auditing and gathering data and told us not to throw in the towel, and that we are in a good position. We are at the FIA's disposal to give them any kind of information.

"So on the one hand it's a bit of a cold shower, but on the other you know it's not all settled. Let's wait and see what happens with the rest of the teams, and with the big teams, which some haven't signed yet. We will see what happens with all that.

"I believe this is the first round, and next week there will be another one, and maybe there will be even more after that."

SOURCE: Autosport

ACEA WANTS CHANGE TO F1 GOVERNANCE

The European Automobile Manufacturer's Association (ACEA) has stepped into the row engulfing Formula 1 - and claimed that the current governance of the sport cannot continue.

On a frantic day of activity following the FIA's publication of the 2010 entry list, the ACEA discussed the situation during a meeting in Brussels and decided that the way F1 was run had to change.

In a statement issued on Friday, the ACEA said: "Today, the members of the Board of the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association discussed the current situation prevailing in Formula 1, and have concluded that the current governance system cannot continue.

"ACEA has come to the conclusion that the FIA needs a modernised and transparent governance system and processes, including the revision of its constitution, to ensure the voice of its members, worldwide motorsport competitors and motorists are properly reflected."

The ACEA went on to state that it supported the efforts of its car manufacturer members in trying to change F1.

"The ACEA members support the activities and objectives of the Formula One Teams' Association to establish stable governance, clear and transparent rules which are common to all competitors to achieve cost reductions including a proper attribution of revenues to the F1 teams, in order to deliver a sustainable attractive sport for the worldwide public.

"Unless these objectives are met, the BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Toyota along with the other teams are determined to find an alternative way to practice this sport in a manner which provides clarity, certainty of rules and administration, and a fair allocation of revenues to the competing teams. "

The ACEA was founded in 1991 and represents 15 European car, truck and bus manufacturers at EU level.

Its members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT Group, Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen and Volvo.

SOURCE: Autosport

PANTANO KEEN ON CAMPOS DRIVE

Reigning GP2 champion Giorgio Pantano says he would be keen to renew his relationship with the Campos team in Formula 1 now that Adrian Campos' organisation has been granted a 2010 entry.

Pantano took Campos to its first GP2 wins and third in the championship in 2007, before winning the title with Racing Engineering last year.

"There is nothing that we can say at the moment, just that we have had a good relationship, myself and [Adrian Campos], and also that we had a great time together," Pantano told AUTOSPORT.

"We've had a good announcement from the FIA and I am happy for him and the people working for him because they are wonderful. Now we'll see if there is a chance for me there."

The Italian is confident that Campos would be a competitive option.

"I think Campos will do a very good job as they have Dallara building the car," Pantano said. "It is good to have another racing manufacturer come in, and Dallara is the best man to do it.

"We'll wait and see what happens, but I think that I won't have to wait a long time to find out what happens for me."

The 30-year-old, who raced in F1 with Jordan for much of 2004, admitted that his age was probably a factor in F1 teams' unwillingness to sign him this year, but he does not think it should be seen as a problem.

"I think you have to be honest. Jenson [Button] is my age, Jenson was racing with me in go-karts, and he is now doing the job," said Pantano.

"[Fernando] Alonso was racing with me, he's just one or two years younger than me. [Sebastien] Bourdais is similar to my age, I think he's one year older. Kimi [Raikkonen] is around my age.

"They are not too old, but I realise that if I am going to do the step and jump into Formula 1 then I need to do it soon. I don't have time to wait. I have enough experience now; I need to do the job soon.

"My dream is Formula 1 or IndyCar, they are the first series that I want to be involved in. I don't want to race in other categories, my focus is on them, and otherwise I'll think about changing my job if there isn't something good. I have to look at my future now."

Having been unable to find an F1 drive for 2009 - making him the first GP2 champion not to graduate straight to the premier category - Pantano is currently racing in the Eurocup Megane Trophy and will join the Superleague Formula when its second season commences later this month.

SOURCE: Autosport

MONTEZEMOLO: F1 REFORM OR BREAKAWAY

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes there are now only two possibilities to end the current row over Formula 1 - either the FIA reforms itself or the manufacturers lead their own breakaway series.

With tensions high between the governing body and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) following the publication of the 2010 entry list on Friday, di Montezemolo has made it clear that the teams are not in the mood to back down over how they want to see the sport run.

Speaking during a high profile visit to the Le Mans 24 Hours on Saturday, di Montezemolo said he had no doubts that the controversy would be sorted out soon - although could not predict which way things would go.

"In a couple of years the problem with Formula 1 will be solved - as I really hope, with a responsible FIA, as we want, or, as happens in other sports, organising our own championship. Because when you have engines, gearboxes, brands, technology, organisation, capability to invest, it is not difficult. So the problem will be solved, I hope very soon."

Di Montezemolo admitted that he has been saddened by the state that he thinks F1 is in - but has hopes that some factions in the FIA can act to prevent the sport getting 'destroyed.'

"We cannot repeat every day that we will not enter the next Formula 1 championship with these rules and without taking care of the Ferrari rights. Having said that, today I don't like very much to talk about F1 because here the atmosphere is a happy one.

"I hope that we will solve our problems because for me, I started to work as Ferrari team manager in 1973. We are the only car manufacturer to have been in Formula 1 since the beginning, without any interruptions, and Formula 1 for Ferrari is part of the life, the blood, the DNA.

"I am not happy. We are not happy. We are very unhappy with the situation as it is, mainly for the public, for the spectators. We don't want Formula 1 to become Formula 3.

"We want not only to maintain but also to improve the F1 DNA, technology, innovation, and competition. We want to cap in a very important way the cost, because everybody has been too far, and I think FOTA has done a strong demonstration to be able to cut costs in 2009 for 50 per cent more of the general cost for engine and gearbox."

He added: "We will continue in this direction. We are together and we want to find a solution, and I am sure that inside the FIA there will be people responsible enough to understand that now it is absolutely necessary not to create trouble, to destroy Formula 1, but to solve the problem."

FOTA issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying it was being forced in the next few days to reveal its plans for the future of F1 so it could prove why the FIA's own regulations are 'bad' for the sport's future.

Di Montezemolo emphasised that he believed FOTA's intentions were only for the good of F1.

"Everybody sees what is happening in Formula 1. I do not understand the reason," he said. "Anyway I think our conditions are constructive, are very clear: governance, stable rules - the people don't understand any more rules that change every six months, one day it's KERS, another day it's standard engines - and looking ahead to have a balance between cost and revenues, to let new commerce enter.

"I'm very pleased to have new teams, and when I say teams I mean Formula 1 not Formula 3."

When asked if a Le Mans project was a possible replacement for racing in F1, di Montezemolo said: "I don't think it is possible to compete at the maximum level, I mean to try to win in too many series. I think there is Formula 1, there is racing like Le Mans, and racing in the United States which is extremely challenging - as I mentioned before, Indy or something like this.

"Our intention is to continue to participate in Formula 1 if there are the conditions. If not, as I say to our tifosi all around the world who have been in touch with us on our internet in an unbelievable way, the DNA of Ferrari is competition. If we stop in F1 we will do something else, and for sure Le Mans will be one of our first priorities."

SOURCE: Autosport

LOLA TO MAKE F1 DECISION ON TUESDAY

Lola boss Martin Birrane says his company will decide on Tuesday whether to call a halt to its Formula 1 project after failing to get a place on the initial 2010 entry list.

Although Lola was not named among the successful new applicants when the FIA's selection was announced on Friday, with question marks still hanging over all the FOTA teams listed, the likes of Lola, Prodrive and Epsilon Euskadi could yet be granted entries if any of the current squads fail to reach agreement with the governing body.

Birrane said Lola had not yet had chance to consider its next move.

"We will know more on Tuesday, we have to sit down and talk about it," he told AUTOSPORT. "We found out on Friday and haven't had time really to sit and ponder about it since. We're reviewing the situation."

He added that Lola's F1 project was already at an advanced stage and the team was fully committed to being on the 2010 grid if it received an entry.

"We've had our model in the tunnel for the last week, and we have a proper car now," said Birrane.

"We've had a lot of people working on it for seven weeks, with a lot of input from people with current experience in Formula 1.

"The button is pressed, it's just a case of do we turn it off. We've made no decisions yet."

SOURCE: Autosport

Redders, what are your thoughts on this sitation?

Do you think they (the manufacturers) will fold (and if not all then whom) and what will happen if they do not?

I kind of hope the FIA sticks to its ideas, I like the budget cap but I do also see a point for making it a curve drop than a one season "cut your costs by three quarters" which means jobs are lost.

Also, do you think there are any drivers who will stop racing because of this? Or are their contracts safe as it stands as I would argue then that its unbalanced still as the top teams will just nab the best drivers as usual so we dont get a dream situation of Fernando Alonso driving for Minardi again.

The problem really I feel is courtesy of Max. He asked the teams about the idea of a budget cap to which all the teams agreed on. However, the initial figure was £150 million a year and was set to be introduced for this season; however that didn't turn out to be the case.

It seems that Max though, because he had the initial backing of the teams, decided that he'd be able to change it as he sees fit because they all said yes - hence where we originally had the £30 million a year cap - a fifth of the amount the teams said they'd be happy to do it at. The fact that those who worked under it were going to be given a significant advantage over those who didn't ruined the "good" reputation the idea initially gained.

It's just that teams cannot simply cut costs so significantly: take Toyota for example. With a £40 million budget cap, they've either got to cut expednitures by about 90% or be at a disadvantage, which isn't fair one bit. Even Toro Rosso would have to cut their expenditures by a third just to meet the £40 million cap.

Simply put, F1 is so close in competition now that every penny counts - this isn't the early 90's where Eddie Jordan could spend just £10 million to finish 5th in the constructors championship - £10 million nowadays would be worthy of a car that would be a comfortable speed for the duo of Yuji Ide and Sakon Yamamoto. Manufacturers now see the rise of Formula One over the past decade as a brilliant way to industrialise themselves further in the market to gain a bigger share of it, and it has worked - at the expense of smaller, independent teams such as Minardi, Jordan etc. In June 2006 alone (just three months after BMW's debut as a team in F1), sales of BMW automobiles was up 18.8% over the previous year. Say what you will, marketisation within Formula One helped towards that increase.

It's from these sales figures that these manufacturers, as a result, want more success to make them look better to the viewing public - therefore they try and invest as much as possible to have the best performing car each year. If you put a budget cap on these manufacturers, all of a sudden they have to find a way of cutting a high percentage of their expenditures to be in the cap AND still be competitive - the more you spend, the bigger the disadvantage. Hence why Toyota and Ferrari were the first to start complaining as they are the two biggest spenders.

At the end of the day, FOTA's stance on the situation is right: There is nothing wrong with introducing a fairly high budget cap for 2010, bring it down for 2011 and then to £40 million by 2012 or 2013 - that way, the existing teams are going in the right direction, the FIA get what they want, and the new teams - whilst not initially competitive at first - will still be able to compete and by the time the limit is in place properly, the new teams have a few years experience with that limit whilst the top teams have learnt to cut costs and still be competitive - which would make the racing in a few years time very exciting stuff. Instead, the FIA persists thay their way is best and that no one can make them change (despite FOTA already changing Mosley's stance on the technical benefits idea, which has been scrapped in place of the new teams gaining key members of staff from existing teams giving them advice on how to run successfully in F1).

I don't see why the FIA are so blind as to just waiting a few years to let the existing teams go down to a reasonable cost, because once the limit is put in place (if done in a few years time), the racing would be supreme! I understand we are in an economic crisis, but if teams can last these few years until they limit themselves to a reasonable amount then I don't see what;s wrong with waiting a few years. Honda only fell by the wayside through poor performances and no sponsorship.