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

Ecclestone denies knowledge of FOTA statement

There is no F1 crisis - Whitmarsh

I really dont know here, I dont think this will be the end of Formula One, the FIA wont just let this happen, teams may be contractually obliged or the FIA may change to allow the teams to enter and have different rules.

I just wander though where do you fall?

A) Formula One is about the costs, teams need to have super budgets to force technology forward. Its about the car rather than the driver essentially like it was early 2000's.

B) Formula One is about the driver and teams and engineering rather than who has the bigest budget. The rules the FIA have brought in seem reasonable.

I fall under B, I dont get why the teams think they should have all the power. It would end up like football in Seria A where the top teams get all the money and none goes elsewhere or like the Premiership where the top 4 dictate how it is to the rest of the field.

Would the new FOTA run championship allowed Brawn to have the double defuser for example? How would they make it fair to teams with smaller budgets or is this a case of you must have money to essentially throw away if you want to enter (i.e. How Force India have been placed as they have had to spend hundereds of millions of dollars to get into F1 and are still at the back of the grid, thats not even to me).

FIA TO LAUNCH LEGAL ACTION AGAINST FOTA

Motorsport's ruling body, the FIA, has announced it will be launching legal action against the Formula 1 teams trying to set up a breakaway championship.

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) announced on Thursday night that, after failing to reach an agreement with the FIA, will start its own series next year.

But the governing body has responded to FOTA with a legal threat, saying the teams, and Ferrari in particular, have binding commitments that they cannot break.

The FIA also said that it will delay the publication of the 2010 entry list, expected tomorrow.

"The FIA's lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series," said the FIA in a statement.

"The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.

"The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay.

"Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights."

SOURCE: Autosport

THIESSEN: FOTA LEFT WITH NO CHOICE

BMW Sauber team boss Mario Theissen said FOTA did its utmost to reach a deal in the row with the FIA, but was left with no choice but to announce a breakaway series.

The eight FOTA squads declared late last night that they would proceed with plans to launch a rival to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship from 2010.

"The FOTA teams endeavoured to the very end to reach an agreement, but regrettably the FIA refused to back down from its rigid position, insisting that the teams must first sign up before there could be any negotiations on the rules. This was unacceptable to us," said Theissen.

"FOTA therefore has no choice but to press ahead with preparations for an alternative championship."

He is confident that FOTA's championship will be received positively by F1's fans.

"In the series organised by FOTA, the best drivers and the best teams will compete against each other," Theissen said.

"This will take place within a stable set of regulations and a transparent management structure. We will also take into account the wishes of the fans, who have lent us a great deal of support particularly in recent weeks."

Theissen also reiterated his belief that FOTA had made a major contribution to the health of F1 since its formation last summer.

"Since its founding in September of last year, FOTA has been committed to cutting costs in Formula 1, enhancing its appeal and supporting independent teams," he said. "During this short period of time, more has been achieved than ever before in the history of Formula 1.

"We will not be making any further statements on the matter during this weekend. We want to concentrate fully on the race and provide the fans with the spectacle they deserve."

SOURCE: Autosport

RAIKKONEN BLAMES "EGOS" FOR F1 FALLOUT

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen says the battle between the FIA and FOTA is not about Formula 1 anymore, but rather a fight between the two bodies' egos.

The Formula One Teams' Association announced yesterday that it will launch its own championship after failing to reach a compromise deal with the FIA over the rules for the 2010 season.

The governing body has responded by saying it will sue FOTA.

Ferrari driver Raikkonen admitted it was sad to see the current situation, and he reckons both parties have lost sight of what the fight is really about.

"Of course it's sad to see," Raikkonen told reporters. "This is nothing to do with sport anymore, it's more politics and more about egos fighting against each other.

"It's not really about Formula 1 anymore. It's about who is going to win and who is going to lose. It's sad but that's how it is, and we'll just see what happens.

"I don't know what will happen or where we are going to race, but let's finish this year then we will know more about next year."

The Finn insisted he is ready to follow Ferrari out of Formula 1 if it means racing against the best drivers and teams.

"For sure we want to have the best drivers and the best teams in the same championship. That's really what Formula 1 is all about. For sure next year we are going to race somewhere, but I don't know where."

SOURCE: Autosport

N.TECHNOLOGY HITS OUT AT THE FIA

N.Technology's parent company, the MSC Organisation, has hit out at the FIA after announcing that it has withdrawn its application to join Formula 1 in 2010.

The Italian team - best known for its touring car successes and running the International Formula Master series - had said earlier this week that it did not understand the FIA's decision not to accept its 2010 entry and to keep it on the reserve list.

As AUTOSPORT revealed this morning, N.Technology pulled out of contention for a 2010 slot in the wake of the FOTA teams announcing their plan to set up a rival to Formula 1 next year, and MSC has now issued a statement strongly criticising the FIA's handling of the situation.

"With much regret, taking into consideration the highly questionable process conducted by the FIA, which is affected by many irregularities, and the uncertainties regarding the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the MSC board decided last night to withdraw its application, as Team N.Technology, under the new regulations allowing entry of 'capped budget' teams," said the statement.

"MSC believes that through its wrong actions and objectionable management methods, the FIA severely hurt MSC's efforts to become a new team and undermined the Formula 1 sport, taken as a whole."

The company did not rule out re-applying for an F1 place when the current controversy was settled.

"MSC shall consider making a new application when the Formula 1 environment is stabilised and the conditions are met for a transparent and loyal contest, ensuring visibility and predictability to the candidate teams," it said.

"MSC wishes to renew its warm acknowledgements to the sponsors, technical and business partners who support its efforts to become a new independent Formula 1 team."

The MSC board is comprised of team boss Mauro Sipsz and former Eurosport CEO Angelo Codignoni.

SOURCE: Autosport

ED: Given it gets the go-ahead, and they could compete successfully in it, could you see N.Technology in FOTA's Championship?

So now we have the FIA sueing Ferrari for leaving, while Mosley is still saying he is confident of a resolution. Left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing?

@Garfield360UK

I see F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport where some of the best drivers compete in the greatest cars. I'm happy for teams to spend what they like in the pursuit of fractions of a second, but I think they naturally reach a point where they can't sustain truly unlimited budgets. Races are won through the combination of having the best car and the best driver. Sometimes technical differences make it much easier for one team to do well, at other times it comes down to the drivers.

From the comments of FOTA during this I think they have realised that the days of totally unrestricted budgets may be over, but many of these teams are not just F1 teams - they are the public image of their road car company, and so success on the track is worth so much more than prize money. That's why you can't really have a straight comparison between the likes of Williams or Force India with teams like Ferrari, Toyota or Renault.

With a limited budget, homogonised components like 1 tyre manufacturer, frozen engines I think the cars end up too similar, and there are already plenty of other series to watch where that sort of racing takes place - A1 GP where all the drivers are in the same car and its the driver that is the main difference.

It may not be "fair" to new teams wanting to enter, but then why should a brand new team expect to enter a sport and be competing for wins straight away when existing teams have many years, some with decades, of experience and the best engineers. Much like UK football there are a few teams with massive budgets, and those without such backing either settle for finishing behind them, or compete in a lower division.

FERRARI REMAIN SILENT ON FIA'S LEGAL THREAT

Ferrari declined to comment about the FIA's decision to launch legal action against the eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) on Friday - but it reiterated that it had already gone to the courts to prove that the governing body had breached agreements that it had in place.

The FIA has vowed to take action against what it sees as 'serious' breaches of the law regarding contractual interference, breach of obligations and violations of competition law by all teams, but it singled out Ferrari for special attention.

Ferrari responded with a short statement stating that it was not going to get drawn into a public slanging match, but it did offer a reminder about the injunction it took out against the FIA's 2010 regulations because of a technical veto right it had in place.

"Ferrari does not intend to comment on the press release put out this afternoon by the FIA," said the Ferrari statement.

"However, Ferrari wishes to make it clear that on 15th June last, it already instigated arbitration against the FIA to protect its contractual rights in its dealings with this Federation, including those relative to the respecting of procedures as regards the adoption of regulations and the right to veto."

SOURCE: Autosport

ALONSO FEARS THE END OF FORMULA ONE

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso fears the row between the FIA and FOTA is leading to the death of Formula 1.

"Yes, more or less, yes," said Alonso on Friday when asked if Formula 1 was dead.

"It keeps going but obviously with the same engine for everybody, small teams, nobody knows those teams, nobody knows the drivers... So it's like A1GP, GP2, so it's a very nice category but no one cares."

The Spaniard admitted he was sorry to hear the news that no agreement was reached between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association, but he believes FOTA's breakaway championship can be a strong one.

"It was sad news, for sure, because we all hoped for a solution in the last moment and it didn't happen. So now it's a new thing," he added.

"A new category will arrive and Formula 1 may disappear, so we need to go the best category which at the moment is the FOTA one, with the best teams in the world and the best drivers in the world. I think it can be a good one.

"Obviously it's my opinion, but I'm sure 99 percent of the drivers will agree with me."

He added: "Everybody is losing. The teams are losing, the FIA is not losing anything because they don't put the money. The drivers we are losing, but I think the worst thing is for Formula 1. But we'll see.

"The new category seems very attractive, for the fans as well, with maybe better prices for tickets, and things like that. We'll become a new category, a new Formula 1. I believe that things can be done better than in Formula 1, so the new category maybe can improve a couple of things."

Alonso, however, reckons there is still a chance that the row could be settled in the near future.

"It keeps going. The entry list from the FIA is not arriving tomorrow because there are no teams to put on the list, so maybe the will wait a couple of weeks and everything goes back to normal and we see the FOTA teams running in Formula 1 maybe," Alonso said.

"It's not over, but it's not the teams' problem now. They did the maximum so it's up to the FIA. I think they had two months to do it. Now maybe it's too late. We'll see."

The former champion made it clear again that he would follow his Renault team into a new championship.

"Absolutely, one hundred percent."

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY: SPLIT UNLIKELY TO OCCUR

FIA president Max Mosley has dismissed the threat of a breakaway championship as 'posturing' by teams, and is confident a compromise settlement will be reached in time for the first race of 2010.

Following the bombshell announcement made by the eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) that they were commencing plans for a rival series, Mosley has made it clear that he is not too worried about the situation.

He believes that eventually the teams will soften their stance, and he thinks it highly unlikely that they will be able to afford to set up a second F1 series.

"I don't take it as seriously as some people do because I know that it is all posturing and posing," Mosley explained in a lengthy interview with the BBC on Friday. "It will all stop sometime between the beginning of 2010 and March 2010, the first race. All this will stop, it will all settle down and everyone will go racing."

When asked if he was totally sure there would be a solution that headed off the possibility of two championships, Mosley said: "Absolutely. I am completely confident because in the end people do what it is in their interests to do.

"It is in the interests of the teams to be in the F1 world championship and there is actually no fundamental or important issue that is stopping them taking part. It is all about personalities and power and who can grab what from whom, which is easy when nothing is at stake but when it gets to the first race and it is make your mind up time, they will be there."

Despite the hardline stance adopted by FOTA, Mosley believes that there is little chance of the breakaway reaching fruition - and said it was easy for teams to talk up their plans at this stage of the year.

"They can be very hard at the moment because it doesn't actually come to anything until March 2010," he explained. "So we are nine months away. Everybody can posture and pose, but we all know that when it gets to Melbourne 2010 there will be a F1 world championship and everyone who can be in it will be in it."

He added: "Always with these things there is a compromise because they cannot afford not to run in the F1 world championship, and we would be very reluctant to have a Formula 1 world championship without them, and I am talking about the eight teams there.

"I think some of them will disappear because some of the manufacturers will look at the amount of money being spent, the measures they are having to take within their companies, the people being laid off and accepting government money to keep going, and they are going to find it very difficult to keep pumping hundreds of millions into F1.

"So I think we will lose one or two or maybe three manufacturer teams, so we will need new teams to make up the space. But the great traditional teams, and I would include Ferrari in that, they need to be there and they will be there for sure. It will get sorted out."

SOURCE: Autosport

Max Mosley's Interview

This is developing, but I'm failing to find much weight on the side of the FIA. Force India are unsure about their F1 future (Source: Autosport), while according to BBC F1 reporter Lee McKenzie's Twitter feed:

Just asked Martin Whitmarsh about 'new' championship. Lola and Prodrive also likely to join

Twitter- LeeMcK

She also mentions that the 2010 entry list has been delayed, and won't be out tomorrow. But with Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Lola, Prodrive and possibly Force India, the FOTA championship would unquestionably sink F1 completely.. perhaps the FIA have realised this wouldn't be good, and that's why the 2010 entry list has been delayed? Or maybe it's for court proceedings to occur? This isn't over.

BUTTON: STAYING WITH TOP TEAMS IS PRIORITY

Jenson Button says his priority for 2010 is to race against the world's best drivers and teams - whatever happens in the FIA versus FOTA row.

With FOTA having announced its intention to launch a breakaway rival championship in 2010 after failing to reach agreement over future rules and Formula 1's governance with the FIA, Button is currently in line to leave F1 at the end of the year if the split goes ahead and he remains with his FOTA loyalist Brawn team.

The championship leader said he backed FOTA's stance but was more interested in ensuring he was fighting against the best competition than the political nuances.

"I'm sure that every driver that is involved with a FOTA team agrees with what they have got to say and I think a lot of people agree with what they have got to say," said Button.

"As a driver you want to be racing against the best in the world and that's what I want to do at the moment. I want that to continue and with teams that have been doing it for many years.

"Our team is a young team but it is full of people that have been around the sport for many years so in a way we are a very experienced team. To beat Ferrari in races is an amazing feeling and if we didn't have that situation next year it would be very different.

"So if racing against the best teams and drivers is what I want to be doing then I don't mind where it is. As long as we are racing - that is the key for me."

He added that he would try not to let the seismic row overshadow his home grand prix.

"When you are driving it doesn't make any difference," said Button. "You are focused and we've still got a lot of races this season and this is the world championship. When the people turn the TV on they look for good racing and that is exactly what we are going to try and do this weekend."

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY UNLIKELY TO STEP DOWN AMID CRISIS

FIA president Max Mosley thinks it more likely that he will stand for re-election in October if the controversy engulfing Formula 1 is not settled in time.

Although there has been widespread speculation in the paddock that teams are keen for him to follow through on his original intention to stand down at the end of his current term, Mosley said on Friday that the threat of a breakaway was actually having the opposite effect in forcing him to stay.

"I don't want to go on too long, but the difficulty they are putting me in is that even if I wanted to stop this October, they are making it very difficult for me to do so," said Mosley in an interview with the BBC.

"So actually everything they are doing is counterproductive because the people in the FIA are saying we have all this trouble, we are being attacked and you must stay.

"Whereas if we had peace and I said I would actually like to stop in October, then they are very nice. They all say they want me to stay, but they wouldn't really mind and someone else would come along."

Mosley stated that if him standing down would ensure peace then he would be more than happy to walk away.

"Absolutely," he said. "[But] everybody knows it wouldn't be [peace], because the next person they [FOTA] would want his head, and the person after that, his head, until they got what they wanted which is the power to run the sport away from the FIA. It would be exactly the same with Bernie..."

He added: "What you cannot do is walk away from an organisation in the middle of a crisis."

Mosley also dismissed claims that his dictatorial approach in the FIA was a cause for concern.

"The idea that it is me is a complete myth," he explained. "I am the figurehead because I happen to be the president, but I cannot move without the authority of all these different countries. We have 120 different countries and each is represented by the head of motorsport in that country. It is a huge organisation, so the idea that it is somehow me, that is really not the issue.

"What it is is that they want to take over the governance of the sport from the FIA and run it themselves. They want to take over the money from Bernie and have that for themselves.

"Well, the first thing they have to do is get rid of me, but then whoever replaced me would be exactly the same - he would defend the interests of the FIA because the championship belongs to them. So, unless they found somebody who was prepared to let it all go, it wouldn't work. If I dropped dead tomorrow there would be somebody taking exactly the same position."

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA SERIES COULD ATTRACT NEW TEAMS

The breakaway championship being put together by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) could be joined by even more teams, with both Campos Racing and Prodrive among outfits strongly linked with the new series.

While discussions about the rival category have focused on the eight current teams, sources suggest that a number of outfits have opened dialogue to find out more about the new championship.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh confirmed that FOTA was willing to accept more entrants to bolster its grid next year - as he was asked specifically about Lola and Prodrive.

"I think that certainly eight teams will be enough, but we would welcome any new teams or existing teams for that matter, and certainly there has been an expression of interest from some of the teams you mentioned," explained Whitmarsh.

"I think a lot of teams want to be racing against the Ferraris, against the Red Bulls, the Brawns and hopefully ourselves.

"Formula 1 has not done a good job in my view at developing a number of teams that compete, at developing a series that the fans want, and there is a lot opportunity to do a better job - to have some fresh energy.

"Whilst inevitably there is some sadness in a day like today, I think you have to be optimistic about the future. And sometimes out of these challengers are new eras and new opportunities, and we have to be positive.

"We've had already in the last few hours quite a lot of interest from some other teams that want to be part of the new series, and we are going to do everything we can to encourage them to be a part of it. Just as FOTA has already demonstrated its assistance to retaining teams and assisting the independent teams - that has to be part of the ethos of any organization."

The relevance of what the fans want was acknowledged by Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner, who apologised on behalf of the teams for the mess the sport found itself in.

"I only sympathize with the public, who must be as F1 fans confused and to a certain degree dismayed with what is currently going on. We have got a wonderful championship this year and Silverstone's last F1 grand prix and to have politics that quite simply are difficult for the general public to comprehend and understand.

"F1 should be about what happens on the track. It is taking up far too much of not only our time but other people's time."

SOURCE: Autosport

WILLIAMS STILL COMMITTED TO F1 AND FIA

Williams insists it remains totally committed to Formula 1 - after all but dismissing any suggestions it could join a rebel series in 2010.

The Grove-based outfit was the first of the current teams to lodge its official entry for the 2010 championship, and its CEO Adam Parr made it clear on Friday that his focus was solely on sticking in F1.

"Williams is an F1 team," he said during a press conference at the British Grand Prix. "That is all there is to say."

Parr acknowledged the benefits that manufacturers had brought to F1, but said that Williams had to honour commitments it made to the FIA and FOM a few years ago.

"We recognise what the manufacturers have brought to F1, tremendous status, as Frank [Williams] says, fantastic reliable engines and they have been in many cases very good friends to this team over decades," he explained.

"So it is awfully difficult to find ourselves on the other side of the fence. To some extent we are not bystanders, because that would be disingenuous, but I would say we have contracts in place with Bernie and with Max as well, and we enter the championship in light of those contracts."

Parr said that Williams would find itself unable to follow independent teams like Brawn in signing up to a manufacturer-based championship.

"I am impressed that Ross [Brawn], as of next year an independent team that has to raise money in the way we do, feels that he has the ability to do that in another championship. We simply could not," added Parr.

"There is no way we could walk away from our contracts and raise the sort of money we would need to compete with manufacturers and the Red Bulls, and so forth. So we have a mutual dependence with the FIA and with FOM, that is enshrined in contracts that we will honour."

SOURCE: Autosport

So now we have the FIA sueing Ferrari for leaving, while Mosley is still saying he is confident of a resolution. Left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing?

@Garfield360UK

I see F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport where some of the best drivers compete in the greatest cars. I'm happy for teams to spend what they like in the pursuit of fractions of a second, but I think they naturally reach a point where they can't sustain truly unlimited budgets. Races are won through the combination of having the best car and the best driver. Sometimes technical differences make it much easier for one team to do well, at other times it comes down to the drivers.

From the comments of FOTA during this I think they have realised that the days of totally unrestricted budgets may be over, but many of these teams are not just F1 teams - they are the public image of their road car company, and so success on the track is worth so much more than prize money. That's why you can't really have a straight comparison between the likes of Williams or Force India with teams like Ferrari, Toyota or Renault.

With a limited budget, homogonised components like 1 tyre manufacturer, frozen engines I think the cars end up too similar, and there are already plenty of other series to watch where that sort of racing takes place - A1 GP where all the drivers are in the same car and its the driver that is the main difference.

It may not be "fair" to new teams wanting to enter, but then why should a brand new team expect to enter a sport and be competing for wins straight away when existing teams have many years, some with decades, of experience and the best engineers. Much like UK football there are a few teams with massive budgets, and those without such backing either settle for finishing behind them, or compete in a lower division.

 

Avenger1324

I can see what your saying but with Honda pulling out I would have thought more would have followed as the money is just not economical in the current climate. I mean they are spending upwards of $200 million a year and very little comes back. Yes it may help brand image but to what extent does Formula 1 really affect it. I mean I would buy a Honda car but thats due to their really clever adverts and their percieved reliability. I would not buy a Ferrari as they just won the Formula One championship.

Another thing I would like to see is how Brawn are being financed as its very murkey, I suspect Honda are still paying for the team behind the scenes as they have essentially got near the same team as last year I believe?

If the teams coming in have no chance of winning then why would they enter is the problem, yes the other teams deserve it but we are creating a situation where no new teams will enter like previous years due to the budget problems. Super Aguri for instance should have been still in Formula 1 after memorable performances and even outscoring their constructor rivals Honda (who were part owners or something of Super Aguri or they supplied many parts to them).

I just dont want Formula One to be dominated by one name, others may be happy with that but my argument there is why watch it if you know who is going to win? Thats not exciting, the past 5 years before 2007 were very dull in F1 to me, I almost completly quit watching it as it bored me the Ferrari dominance. Now a new team is winning and suddenly the ones with the money seem to be throwing their toys out of the pram as there is talk of making an even field.

I am not sure what to think anymore, maybe this would be best for F1 to get rid of these teams and get more exciting ones in with characters like yesteryear like Eddie Jordan and Paul Stodart and the likes, we need the characters rather than what it is now of a pure marketing venture that is F1.

MONTOYA: SPLIT WOULD "KILL" F1

Juan Pablo Montoya believes a breakaway series would "kill" Formula 1, following FOTA's announcement that it plans to start its own championship in 2010 after failing to reach an agreement with the FIA.

Although the former Williams and McLaren driver believes FOTA starting its own series is a possible scenario, he says that would be the end of F1 as he knows it.

Montoya suggested that the only way forward for FOTA to remain aligned with the FIA would be a change governance in the ruling body.

"Making another series? Yeah - they would kill Formula 1," said Montoya. "If they (FOTA) go, then they would kill Formula 1, but I don't really care. All the manufacturers and everybody is there, you know what I mean?

"I think if they can get Max Mosley out of there, they'd probably stay."

The Colombian believes that all the political battling in Formula 1 can only make other series stronger, as happened in the United States with the Indycar split back in 1996.

He says the current crisis between FOTA and the FIA could end up being beneficial to NASCAR.

"I think if anything it will help NASCAR and bring more attention to NASCAR like when the Indycars split." said Montoya. "If anybody hasn't seen this live then they should come and watch it because it gets really exciting."

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who has been a fan of F1 for years, does not see how a split could be good for either FOTA or the FIA, and said he cannot imagine the world championship being run without the traditional outfits.

"I don't see how you have a Formula 1 series without a Ferrari in it," said Gordon. "I can't imagine the series out there without Ferrari or McLaren or Renault.

"They have so few teams as it is now, I would be very, very disappointed to see that happen. I really hope they get it straightened out. I've never seen that work for any sport out there and my fingers are crossed that they're going to get together."

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY DOESN'T EXPECT QUICK RESOLUTION

FIA president Max Mosley believes the row between the governing body and teams will not get resolved for some time, after blaming a power grab by Flavio Briatore for fuelling the current controversy.

With motor racing's governing body poised to begin legal action next week against Ferrari and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) over their bid to launch a breakaway series, Mosley sees no quick solution to the row.

However, he thinks there is no doubt that the teams will capitulate and sign up to F1 eventually.

"What will happen now is that this discussion will continue for a while and then at some point we will find that when it starts to get important to know what is actually happening, which won't be for some time, we will find some of the teams, the FOTA teams, will then come into the championship," he said in an interview with the BBC.

"Other teams will already be there. And how long that will take is very difficult to predict because people take entrenched positions and so on, but nobody wants this."

Mosley believes the stand off between teams and the FIA has been caused in part by the desire of individuals to take control of running the sport - and he singles out Renault boss Briatore in particular.

"It is not greed, it is more about power," he said about the row. "There are one or two individuals... well there is one individual who fancies himself as the Bernie [Ecclestone]. Whether he could do the job or not I don't know."

When asked to identify the individual he was referring to, Mosley said: "I think Flavio Briatore sees himself as the Bernie. He is fully entitled to that view, but I think Bernie would feel if he wants my business, or CVC's business, then he should come and buy it, he can't just take it.

"As far as the governing body is concerned, I don't know whether any of them actually want to make the rules, because they can never agree on the rules. And when they do agree on them, they disagree on what they mean.

"The famous double diffuser was entirely drawn up by the teams and then we had to settle who was right in their interpretation of the rules which they had drawn up. There is not a lot of future in that. This is what it is all about - certain people would like certain positions and you can understand that, but there are correct and incorrect ways to get it."

Speaking about his feelings on the legal action that the FIA is about to launch against teams, Mosley said: "The thing is we have got very good legal advice and it is very strong and very clear, so we are very confident."

SOURCE: Autosport

ROSBERG: SPLIT MAKES 2010 CHOICE TOUGH

Nico Rosberg says his future plans have been thrown into chaos by the plans by Formula 1 teams to launch a breakaway series.

The German driver has been evaluating his options for 2010 - having most recently been strongly linked with a switch to BMW Sauber.

However, with his Williams team one of only two current teams that has lodged unconditional entries to next year's championship, Rosberg now faces an extra dilemma in terms of needing to choose which category he wants to compete in.

"It makes it rather complex," admitted Rosberg about his future plans. "I don't know what the situation is. I mean they don't have a second series yet. They have just made a decision not to race in the FIA F1 world championship. It is a bit of a mess really at the moment and it makes it very difficult. We will have to wait and see."

Rosberg believes that the split between the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and the FIA has turned the sport into a 'big mess.'

"It's a pity I guess," he explained. "It's really quite a disastrous situation for the whole sport at the moment. I can't believe it has come to that actually. It's very strange.

"I think that the FOTA teams have now decided 'we are going, it is now in the hands of the FIA, either they make a change of we are gone'. So now it is up to the FIA to see if they just stick to what they want and have F1 without any of the FOTA teams next year.

"I have even heard that they may sue the teams, so it is just a big mess really. I wish in some way they might find a way together so that we can continue racing like this year which has been fantastic. But it is looking quite unlikely to be honest and that is a pity."

SOURCE: Autosport

SCHUMACHER FRUSTRATED BY F1 POLITICS

Former world champion Michael Schumacher says he has grown tired of the political wrangling that is overshadowing Formula 1 - but believes a breakaway championship is becoming a realistic proposition.

Schumacher hopes that the current controversy caused by a split between F1 teams and the FIA comes to an end soon, as he thinks it is damaging for the sport.

"I find it extremely unfortunate that in Formula 1 recently there is so much talk about politics and so little about sport," Schumacher wrote on his own website.

"I really hope those political games will soon be ended - they were already getting on my nerves during all my career. Because in the end doesn't it all come down to one simple fact: Motorsport is a great sport, Formula 1 has always been the best of it and has to remain the pinnacle.

"Formula 1 has always been the platform for the best drivers and the best teams. This is what is admired all over the world; this is what everybody wants to see. But if this is constantly put into question due to permanent uncertainty of rules it is maybe better to really defend that value, leave and establish it somewhere else in a reasonable way."

Schumacher says he is baffled by the fact that the teams and the FIA could not agree on rule changes that would have secured the long term future of the sport.

"It is simply not understandable that all teams share their view on how to approach the reforms and the governing body still wants to implement something else," he said.

"Of course this seems unimaginable in the first moment, but this time all big teams stick together. This makes a new championship much more realistic. It is starting to be a real alternative to me. As a motorsport fan I want to watch the best show which is where the best drivers and the best teams compete with each other."

SOURCE: Autosport

Gotta love Max's words of reconciliation - about the breakaway FOTA teams - they're loonies, and Flavio is looking to lead them!Avenger1324

Question is: would you rather have Flavio or max as a boss?

[QUOTE="Avenger1324"]Gotta love Max's words of reconciliation - about the breakaway FOTA teams - they're loonies, and Flavio is looking to lead them!The_Gabman

Question is: would you rather have Flavio or max as a boss?

FOTA BEGINNING WORK ON NEW SERIES

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) will begin formal preparations for its new championship as early as next week, after Ross Brawn made it clear the teams were focusing flat out on their breakaway series rather than finding a compromise deal with the FIA.

Although FIA president Max Mosley believes that teams will eventually capitulate and sign up to join F1 next year, Brawn is adamant that FOTA is only thinking of going its own way right now.

When asked if he believed that a compromise would be put together that resulted in teams signings up to F1, Brawn said: "No that won't happen, I mean the decision has been made by FOTA. FOTA now has to press ahead with its ideas and plans. We can't wait until January and decide which way it is going to go. As each day passes, and each week passes then the options for reconciliation will reduce."

Amid suggestions that television companies and promoters have already been contacted regarding the breakaway championship, Brawn says that work on framing the technical regulations for the championship will begin in earnest next week.

"Those meetings start next week and we will arrive at a technical specification that we think offers the best racing and is cost effective," he explained. "Things start next week and we will start to put some more detail to the proposal."

Despite the stand-off between teams and the FIA, Brawn confirmed that ironically motor racing's governing body would likely be the regulator of the new series.

"You would need a regulatory body," he said. "In fact ironically I think the agreement with the European Commission is that the FIA have to offer to do that to any competitive series that wants to set up, so the FIA have to offer to be at least the regulatory body.

"They may not be the body that sets the rules, they can be determined by some other mechanism. But if you want, the FIA can run the series for you. They can provide the stewards, the scruntineers and things of that nature. So that's available if FOTA wanted to take it up."

Although Brawn's stance appears to point towards there being no plans to get the FIA back around the table to discuss saving F1 next year, other team bosses are more conciliatory in their approach.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh said it would be foolish of teams not to accept an offer they are happy with if it was put forward by the FIA.

"I don't think FOTA rules anything out," said Whitmarsh. "At the moment, as we said earlier in the week, the team were presented with a deadline and, faced with that deadline, the teams did request that there was more time to find a solution.

"So within that deadline the decision was taken, but I think the teams are open to discuss with anybody how we go motor racing next year."

SOURCE: Autosport

DONINGTON NOT CONCERNED BY F1 CRISIS

Donington Park boss Simon Gillett is confident that the current political storms threatening to tear Formula 1 apart will not prevent his company from raising the finance to revamp its circuit to F1 standards.

The Leicestershire track has a long-term deal to host the British Grand Prix from 2010, but requires a multi-million pound rebuild ready for the event. The economic downturn cost Donington its intended funding source, and work is underway to secure replacement finance.

Although Gillett admitted that the uncertainty over F1's future had not made this project any easier, he said it was not an insurmountable hurdle.

"It's another speed bump, but you will see Donington has hit enough speed bumps and we are adept at getting over them and pushing forward," Gillett told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I wouldn't say it's hit the buffers. It's causing a bit of a slow down, but the people we're dealing with are intelligent people. They read the news and see it for what it is."

When asked if he would seek to renegotiate Donington's contract with Bernie Ecclestone in the event of F1 losing the FOTA teams and a rival series starting, Gillett replied: "I would have the right to a conversation with Bernie."

Although Ecclestone has softened his stance towards Silverstone - suggesting this weekend that the current venue could step in if Donington is not ready in 2010 - today's race is currently set to be the Northamptonshire track's F1 swansong.

Many drivers have expressed their sadness at the loss of Silverstone this weekend, but Gillett is certain that they will enjoy Donington just as much.

"Donington will provide a different challenge and it's new," he said. "A lot of them have grown up only knowing Silverstone so of course there will be some sadness, but there's no doubt that after five years of Donington Park they'll be saying how much they like it."

SOURCE: Autosport

MOSLEY OPEN TO TALKS WITH FOTA

FIA president Max Mosley says he has informed the FOTA teams that the governing body is ready for talks to resolve the bitter row between them.

At present, the eight remaining FOTA teams are committed to launching a breakaway championship in 2010 - a threat that Mosley described on Friday as "posturing" - having withdrawn their entries for the FIA world championship.

Mosley remains confident that the dispute will be resolved and the split averted. He believes there is now little fundamental difference between the teams and the FIA and that a solution could be quickly agreed if further talks were held.

"We are talking to people all the time," he told BBC Sport. "It will all be back to normal, it's just a question of when.

"We are very close. What divides us and the teams is minimal and really is something we could sit down and iron out very quickly."

He said the teams knew that the FIA was ready for talks when FOTA was ready to resume negotiations.

"We have said to the teams we are ready to do this," Mosley added. "Now it may take them a little time to get to the position where they want to, but when they do, we are ready."

Ross Brawn said earlier today that FOTA was pressing ahead with the arrangements for its own series rather than trying to resume talks with the FIA.

"The decision has been made by FOTA," said the Brawn team boss. "FOTA now has to press ahead with its ideas and plans, we can't wait until January and decide which way it is going to go. As each day passes, and each week passes then the options for a reconciliation will reduce."

SOURCE: Autosport

FOTA DENIES COMPROMISE DEAL IS CLOSE

Formula 1 teams have rejected suggestions that they are near to a compromise deal with the FIA over the future of the sport - as they insist they are wholly committed to their breakaway plans.

FIA president Max Mosley said at Silverstone on Sunday that he felt the teams and the governing body were 'very close' to a resolution that would avert the threat of a rival series in 2010.

But team principals have insisted that no progress has been made in their discussions with the FIA over the British Grand Prix weekend and in fact, AUTOSPORT understands that FOTA is planning to hold a meeting next Thursday to begin formal selection of championship promoters, technical regulations and a calendar.

Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who arrived at Silverstone on Sunday with Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, reckons that the time for talking with the FIA was now over.

"We are using so many words, and now is enough," he told AUTOSPORT. "We have made our statement and this is very clear - that is it.

"We will have it [the breakaway championship] ready in the next few weeks. We have been planning for several weeks already. We want a Formula 1 championship organised by FOTA. There has been no change in the last two days. I do not want to make anymore statements."

Toyota F1 team president and FOTA vice-chairman John Howett said that initial feedback from fans suggested huge support for the new series - which had galvanized a belief among the teams that they were doing the right thing.

"I think if you look at the overwhelming support we have got from the public, ultimately now there has to be a fairly significant move from the federation," Howett told AUTOSPORT in reaction to Mosley's comments.

"Overall we have a clear position and I think we made numerous concessions to achieve some sort of compromise. Now, we have made the decision, and at the moment we are moving forwards very positively on that vector."

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, when asked about Mosley's suggestions a deal was close, said: "No, I don't think so. It is difficult to make progress on a Sunday when you are concentrating on going motor racing.

"I think obviously we have to see what happens in the coming few weeks but I think it is not a situation that we set out to achieve. We have got to make sure that we concentrate on keeping all of the teams together and making sure that we are racing together in the premier form of motor racing."

He added: "FOTA has a number of meetings next week and we've got to look at the process by which we appoint people who are selling the media, looking at the way in which we engage circuits. There has been a lot of interest in working with us, and given our situation we are obliged to go forward with those arrangements and that planning."

FOTA has chosen to schedule its get-together for Thursday because it is the day after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meeting, where news of Mosley's future plans could be revealed.

Mosley had been expected to stand down when his term ends in October but there are mounting suggestions that he could stand for another term because of the current controversy in the sport.

News about the FIA's plans for legal action against the teams is also expected in the next few days, with perhaps a possibility the court threat will be held off if teams are willing to talk about finding a solution to the row.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said it would be foolish of teams to totally ignore the FIA, if there was the chance of a deal being found.

"I don't think the door should ever be shut to discussions as long as they are constructive," he told AUTOSPORT. "If the president is prepared to do that then it is good news."

SOURCE: Autosport

I do not get it though, Brawn has been reported in one of todays newspapers (possibly the Sunday Mirror) as working on the 2010 car, now then that opens questions:

A) Are they still making a car for next seasons specifications?

B) Are they intending to race in Formula 1 next year then?

C) Do the FOTA breakaway teams already have specifications ready for next season and thus have been planning this for some time thus whatever the FIA compramised with would not be enough?

ECCLESTONE WON'T LET F1 "DISINTEGRATE"

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to act to avoid the sport from 'disintegrating' over the row between the teams and the FIA.

With members of the Formula One Teams' Association denying a compromise deal is close, it looks likely that the row will continue for some time.

Meanwhile, FOTA has insisted it is pushing ahead with its plans to create a breakaway championship next year.

Ecclestone, however, has made it clear that he is not ready to let Formula 1 destroy itself.

"I have given 35 years of my life and more to Formula 1," Ecclestone told The Times newspaper.

"My marriage broke up because of Formula 1, so I am sure as hell not going to let things disintegrate over what is, in the end, basically nothing.

"If you analyse the problems, there aren't any that can't be easily solved."

AUTOSPORT understands that FOTA plans to hold a meeting next Thursday to begin work on the new championship.

The meeting will come one day after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meets.

SOURCE: Autosport

BRIATORE: TIME FOR DEAL HAS PASSED

Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes the time for teams doing a deal with the FIA over future rules has now passed.

With members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) scheduled to get together later this week to discuss the next step in their plans for a breakaway series, Briatore is adamant that the only thing on their mind is getting the new championship ready.

"We have tried to compromise, we have opened the door, we have tried everything," he said. "We have had the door closed in our face. The agreement has not been done by FOTA; it has been done by the manufacturers. All the ACEA people.

"Maybe the people aren't doing business, like somebody said, but the ACEA people are very firm, and this is their position, as simple as that."

FOTA is expected to get together on Thursday, the day after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meets - and when potentially news about whether or not Max Mosley will stand for re-election in October could be made public.

Although confirmation that Mosley will see through with his plan to step down has been viewed by some members of FOTA as vital if they are going to consider progressing with a deal with the FIA, Briatore says that the outcome on Wednesday will not sway the body's position.

"I don't know. I've no idea," he said when asked if what happens on Wednesday would change anything regarding the breakaway. "I don't think the World Council will change anything regarding the FOTA teams."

Briatore has also expressed his disappointment over Mosley's comments about him at the weekend - where he was accused to trying to become the new Bernie Ecclestone.

"Max is going personal all the time," said Briatore. "I'm too much of a gentleman to go personal. If he wants to go personal, I have a lot to say about Max. I know. He needs to stop insulting people."

When asked about comments from Mosley that he was a 'loony' Briatore responded: "I don't want to personally describe what Max is because in his private life we have already had a demonstration of what he was in the News of the World.

"If he is talking about lunatics and stuff like that, he needs to watch himself, to just do the best job possible for him, the teams and not go personal, insulting me, the people from FOTA, the people from ACEA.

"It's enough. If there is somebody who needs to be very quiet in their personal life, it's him because for sure he is not a [good] example, to be president with what he has in his personal life.

"He needs to stop making it personal all the time."

And Briatore has also played down suggestions that he is planning on helping run the FOTA series.

"I see myself exactly like I am. I am in FOTA. I believe in FOTA - I was one of the first to believe in FOTA," he said. "I believe FOTA is strong, we want a championship with the best teams in the world, the best drivers in the world, and want the people in F1 who have the knowledge of being in F1, not GP3 or GP4.

"We want real teams, not empty boxes. We are very curious because Friday was the deadline to announce the teams for the FIA 2010 championship.

"It was very hard for us to really be ready for Friday. This was supposed to be the day for the list of the new teams in Formula 1. I don't see this list. I am very curious to see this list."

SOURCE: Autosport

TWISTS AND TURNS IN F1 ROW EMERGE

As the British Grand Prix weekend has developed, more and more details of the behind-the-scenes political shenanigans have come out, and they make interesting reading.

The Mole's sources say that on Wednesday last week, the teams' umbrella group Fota had agreed a compromise with FIA president Max Mosley that would have seen everyone sign up for F1 in 2010.

It appears, though, that when Mosley sent through the documentation the following morning, he had changed the date until which the teams had to commit to F1 from 2012 to 2014.

For Fota, it seems this was the final straw - one more piece of evidence of what they see as Mosley's autocratic and arbitrary decision-making.

Later that day, the Fota teams had the meeting at the Renault factory in Enstone in Oxfordshire that culminated in them putting out their statement that they would be racing elsewhere in 2010.

The mood on Friday and even into Saturday morning was one of lightness borne of a decision finally taken. Sort of: "Well, we've done it then. That's it."

But over the weekend the sands have continued to shift.

Both sides continue to pursue contrasting ends. Fota talk about their breakaway championship, which they have started to organise. But at the same time McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh was on Saturday afternoon openly talking of "finding a solution if we can".

Mosley and the FIA have continued discussions with potential new teams - as of now, there are only five entries for the FIA F1 world championship in 2010, and even some of them are plagued by uncertainty.

But at the same time, Mosley's aide Alan Donnelly met with Red Bull's Christian Horner, Ross Brawn, Stefano Domenicali of Ferrari and Toyota's John Howett on Sunday morning to pursue common ground.

But there are serious issues still to address. Mosley's style of governance remains a major issue with the teams, who have not been impressed by the flood of press releases put out by the FIA last week.

Inevitably, these painted a pro-FIA picture, but the teams feel that they misrepresented - at best - what was actually going on.

Mosley made a number of major compromises in the course of the week, but faced with no guarantees that he would do what he said he would, Fota teams felt they had no option but not to sign up for next year.

And there were problems even with some of the promises he had given.

As an example, the 2010 technical regulations as published enshrine a two-tier system which gives a performance advantage to those teams who choose to operate within a cost cap.

Among these is the ability for the Cosworth engine used by the budget-cap teams to run without a rev limit, while any team not operating within the cost cap would be restricted to 18,000rpm, as they are this year.

Mosley has promised to remove the two-tier system but wants to retain the engine disparity.

Mosley claimed in a letter on 17 June that "any engineer will confirm that this will not give the relevant teams any competitive advantage whatsoever".

The problem is, no engineer will confirm that. One senior engine technician told the Mole this week that Mosley's claim was "total rubbish". Except he wasn't as polite as that.

Another engineer explained that Cosworth cars would be slower in the early laps of a race because their higher-revving engine would need to start the race with more fuel following the banning of refuelling next year.

But because they had more power - by around 10%, or more than 70bhp - they would be faster in qualifying. Overtaking is very difficult in F1, so they would be able to hold up the rev-limited cars in the early laps and would anyway be faster again at the end of the race once the fuel had burnt off.

There is a meeting of the FIA World Council on Wednesday - effectively the organisation's cabinet and legislature rolled into one - and there are rumours that Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who is expected to attend as the company's representative, may try to undermine Mosley in some way there.

Certainly, if there is one thing that has not changed it is the sense that if Mosley left office, the problem would rapidly go away.

(Even if there are other issues surrounding the amount of money the venture capital group that owns F1's commercial rights, CVC, takes out of the sport and the effect that has in such things as the places F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone chooses to hold races).

But persuading a man who appears to live for power and influence to give it up is perhaps the most intractable of the many problems facing F1's powerbrokers right now.

SOURCE: BBC's "The Mole"

FOTA's Rumoured 'new F1' Calander For 2010 Revives USA and Canadian Rounds

The Guardian claims to have details of the Formula One Teams' Associations' planned calendar for its rival F1 series in 2010.

As well as bringing back the United States and Canadian Grand Prix, it suggests race are planned in Argentina, Finland and Mexico. Plus, many of F1's most popular venues - with two unfortunate exceptions - are to be retained.

3 March - Buenos Aires, Argentina [last F1 race: 1998]
21 March - Mexico City, Mexico [last F1 race: 1992]
11 April - Jerez, Spain [last F1 race: 1997]
25 April - Portimao, Portugal
2 May - Imola, Italy [last F1 race: 2006]
23 May - Monte Carlo, Monaco
6 June - Montreal, Canada [last F1 race: 2008]
13 June - Indianapolis, United States [last F1 race: 2007]
1 July - Silverstone, United Kingdom
25 July - Magny-Cours, France [last F1 race: 2008]
15 August - Laustizring, Germany
29 August - Helsinki, Finland
12 September - Monza, Italy
26 September - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
10 October - Marina Bay, Singapore
24 October - Suzuka, Japan
8 November - Adelaide [last F1 race: 1995] or Surfers' Paradise, Australia

There are many interesting points to note on this highly speculative list.

Good riddance

First, many F1 fans will welcome the rejection of many unloved venues penned by Hermann Tilke: Bahrain, Fuji, Shanghai and Sepang are all missing, So too is his rather better Istanbul circuit, with its excellent turn eight bend.

Several former F1 venues are revived including some real gems: the tough, bumpy, rapid Mexico City track, and the cIassic season finale on the Adelaide street circuit (though Surfers' Paradise, formerly an Indy Car track, would be almost as good). However the same cannot be said of Jerez which, despite holding two memorable races in 1986 and 1997, is much too small for F1. The Motorland Aragon circuit (which, ironically, was designed by Hermann Tilke) would be a much better venue for the Spanish Grand Prix.

No Brazil - or Belgium

The cherished venues of Monaco, Silverstone, Suzuka and Monza all remain. The only 'big names' missing from the list are the sublime Spa-Francorchamps, which is believed to have a contract with Bernie Ecclestone until at least 2012, and Interlagos in Brazil (likewise until 2015).

The lack of any Brazilian round is a particular disappointment - it has been on the F1 calendar without fail since 1973, and Brazil has produced many championship and race-winning drivers. The absence of these two races, while San Marino returns as a second Italian round, is the least appealing aspect of this calendar for me.

The North American rounds return at their previous venues - the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal and the United States round at Indianapolis (presumably the road course which has now been re-configured for Moto GP bikes and is, it must be said, even less satisfactory than its previous configuration).

New venues

The Portuguese Grand Prix, last raced in 1996, returns but at the new Algarve International Circuit in Portiamo which is a splendid-looking facility and was warmly received by the F1 teams and drivers when they tested on it last winter.

The prospect of a Finnish Grand Prix at Helsinki is fascinating and long overdue. A return to Argentina, even at the slow, cramped version of the Buenos Aires track last used in 1998, would be a welcome re-acquaintance with F1's history. The new Potrero de los Funes circuit in San Luis would be a truly inspiring venue for this race, however.

The relocation of the German Grand Prix to the Laustizring is curious. Unless their intention is to use the oval circuit - which would be enormously exciting - the prospect of a race on the dreary road course within its bounds isn't one I'd relish.

That aside I have only one objection to this speculative calendar - I want a single, unified Formula 1 to race on it, not some weakened manufacturer-run series under a different name, and not something that calls itself Formula 1 which has driven all the biggest and best teams away.

What do you think of the rumoured calendar? Is it credible? Which races would you drop - and which would you like to add?

Source: F1 Fanatic

Edited the post so it was more reader-friendly :)

As for this suggested list, it looks good but I am really disappointed that we can't have Belgium until 2013, that's my main loss here. I also have to question why on EARTH we're heading back to Magney-Cours, it's a God-awful circuit, but on the plus side good riddance to Hungary - even if Button's first win was there. Not one of my ultimate favourites but Turkey wasn't too bad either - it just got boring having Massa win all the time there and after 2005, everyone had pretty much got used to the circuit and it didn't provide much excitment.

The big wins are definitely Canada and USA. Those two circuits have never failed to deliver in recent years, with the only exception being the 2005 US GP for obvious reasons.

I would say sommut's gotta give though. I'm thinking in particular the Argentinian, British, and Australian GP. According to the dates:

- The Argentinian GP is held on a Wednesday;
- The British GP is held on a Thursday; and
- The Australian GP is held on a Monday.

Whut?

MOSLEY READY TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION

A defiant Max Mosley has told the FIA that he now has no option but to consider standing once again as president, in light of what he sees as an 'unjustified' attack on the governing body by Formula 1 teams and manufacturers.

Ahead of what is being viewed as a key meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday, where the governing body is expected to react to plans by F1 teams to create a breakaway series, Mosley has made it clear that he will not be forced to walk away by the wishes of teams.

In a letter that Mosley sent to all FIA member clubs on Tuesday, he insisted that it was entirely up to the members of the governing body to decide if it wants him to continue to help stave off the threat posed by teams.

"Over recent weeks it has become increasingly clear that one of the objectives of the dissident teams is that I should resign as president of the FIA. Last year you offered me your confidence and, as I wrote to you on May 16, 2008, it was my intention not to seek re-election in October this year," wrote Mosley in the letter, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT.

"However, in light of the attack on the mandate you have entrusted to me, I must now reflect on whether my original decision not to stand for re-election was indeed the right one.

"It is for the FIA membership, and the FIA membership alone, to decide on its democratically elected leadership, not the motor industry and still less the individuals the industry employs to run its Formula 1 teams."

Mosley has told the member clubs that he views the breakaway plans and recent comments from the European car industry association ACEA calling for a change of governance in F1, as an assault on the FIA's authority.

"This is an attack on the FIA's right to regulate its Formula 1 World Championship but, worse, it is a wholly unjustified criticism of and direct challenge to the entire structure and purpose of the FIA," added Mosley.

"No president of the FIA could allow this to go unanswered...we are also preparing legal proceedings in case these are needed to protect the FIA's rights in its Championship and to discourage any dissident Formula 1 team from engaging in illegal acts."

Mosley has also cast doubts on whether the parent board of the manufacturers involved in the breakaway will be happy to offer financial support to a new series.

"The catalyst for the current dispute was the FIA's attempts to reduce costs in Formula 1. A reduction in costs is essential if the independent teams are to survive.

"Without the independent teams, the championship would depend entirely on the car manufacturers who, of course, have always come and gone as it suited them.

"It is extraordinary that at a time when all five manufacturers involved are in great financial difficulty and relying on taxpayers money, their Formula 1 teams should threaten a breakaway series in order to avoid reducing their Formula 1 costs.

"It remains to be seen whether the boards of the parent companies will allow precious resources to be wasted in this way."

SOURCE: Autosport

ANALYSIS: ALL EYES ON PARIS

The chances of a compromise deal being reached to head off the threat of a Formula 1 breakaway series will become clear in Paris tomorrow, when Max Mosley comes face-to-face with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo at a hearing of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

With the teams adamant that the ball is now in the FIA's court to react to the plans of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) to set up its own series, AUTOSPORT understands that the stance adopted by both FOTA chairman di Montezemolo and Mosley in Wednesday's meeting will define where the sport goes from here.

FOTA is due to meet on Thursday to start pushing the green light on its calendar, regulations and the appointment of media and commercial promoters - showing that it is serious in its intention to press on with the new championship.

However, there remains the possibility that a deal can be reached to bring the FIA, F1 and the teams back into the same championship - although the governing body will almost certainly need to express its willingness to do so tomorrow.

One factor is, of course, whether or not FIA president Mosley chooses to stand for re-election in October, or if he honours the vow he made last year to stand down when his current term comes to an end.

Mosley's decision on that front now appears to rest on whether he and members of the FIA perceive that the F1 teams are not launching an all-out attack on the governing body.

Sources within the WMSC have suggested that their biggest concern at the moment is not the way Mosley has handled the current situation, but that the FIA's authority is being targeted by the teams. That much was made clear in the letter that Mosley sent to the FIA today.

Should the stance of di Montezemolo in the WMSC hearing convince the members and Mosley that it is not the FIA's authority as such that FOTA wants to change, then that, along with a compromise deal being reached in time, could be enough to encourage Mosley to stand aside in October.

An all-out assault on the governing body would almost certainly encourage Mosley to stand again.

What has become clear since the announcement of the breakaway plans on Thursday night is that the teams are not going to go out of their way to get the FIA back around a table to discuss a compromise.

It is very much up to the FIA to come up with ideas to push forward some sort of deal, which is why the FIA not yet pushed the green light on threatened legal action against Ferrari and FOTA for the breakaway plans. It could do so, however, if the teams' stance is aggressive tomorrow.

Brawn CEO Nick Fry said at the weekend that all eyes were on the WMSC meeting.

"The FIA meeting on Wednesday is critical to what happens," he said. "The teams have very clearly stated how they see the future - we have entered the championship with conditions and the question now is whether those conditions will be fulfilled. The ball is in the court of the FIA and we hope that there is a balanced discussion at the world council on Wednesday."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, however, the teams were wholly focused on what they were up to, rather than waiting for the FIA to act.

When asked how important he viewed Wednesday's meeting to be, Whitmarsh said: "It is not important to FOTA because our agenda isn't there, our agenda is to work out the way in which we go motor racing in the future. The WMSC meeting is an FIA meeting."

Whitmarsh reckons also that it was important the FIA and the teams moved on from the 'loony' comments made by Max Mosley at the weekend.

"I think that is why, certainly for McLaren, we are not saying any of those things and we are not responding to them either," he explained. "I think there is a lot of emotion and ego, and that is one of the issues that perhaps is an impediment to making progress and working together.

"Hopefully we will keep our egos in check at McLaren and, if all the other parties do that, I hope we can have an environment where we can work together."

Despite the stand-off by the teams and the FIA, senior figures within the sport remain upbeat that a resolution can be found.

Former world champion Williams is one of only two current teams that has lodged an unconditional entry to the 2010 championship, but its technical director Sam Michael said he was eyeing some sort of compromise deal.

"From our point of view we are hopeful there will be some sort of solution where everybody is racing in the same championship," he told AUTOSPORT. "Williams' position is very clear, as we have made clear in the public domain. Hopefully there will be some common sense in the next few days.

"Ultimately there will be common sense and the teams will all be racing in the same championship. You could also say that we are probably in the best position because we are just busy getting on with what we do, which is making racing cars.

"Sometimes when you get involved in political situations you can end up getting so wrapped up in it, you can't see the wood for the trees. That's not really happened to Williams because the option wasn't there for us. There wasn't really a choice to make, we were contracted and that was it.

"It's not like we sat there and said, 'ooh shall we go with this group or that group'. It was absolutely clear, not just by regulation, but contractual law that we had to do what we did."

SOURCE: Autosport

Those tracks would be pretty awesome I must admit, and yeah, a Mexico GP FTW!

However I doubt it would work as Australia street race would be hard now if the track has not been used since 1995 and if the Australian Touring Cars dont use it then it would take a lot to get it ready.

According to many sources, including the BBC and Sky News, Max Mosley has said he will not stand for re-election as part of a deal with the breakaway teams that may have secured the future of F1..

MOSLEY: PEACE AGREED IN F1

FIA president Max Mosley has said he will not stand for re-election after claiming an agreement has been reached with Formula 1 teams to avoid a breakaway series.

Mosley had said this week that he was left with no choice but to run again following what he called an attack on the FIA's right to regulate the Formula 1 World Championship, but revealed after today's meeting of the FIA World Motorsport Council in Paris that a deal has been reached with the teams.

More to follow

Source: Autosport

F1 resolution found, says Mosley

An agreement has been reached between Formula 1's governing body and the teams to prevent a breakaway series, says FIA president Max Mosley.

The two parties had been engulfed in a bitter row over planned budgetary and technical changes for the 2010 season.

But it appears a resolution has now been found and, as part of the deal, Mosley has agreed not to stand for re-election as president.

"There will be no split. We have agreed to a reduction of costs," added Mosley.

"There will be one F1 championship but the objective is to get back to the spending levels of the early 90s within two years."

F1 surpremo Bernie Ecclestone added that he is "very happy common sense has prevailed", following a meeting of 120 members of the FIA in Paris aimed at resolving the crisis.

Ahead of the meeting, Mosley had insisted that he would not step down as part of any potential agreement and might even seek re-election as head of world motor sport.

He hit out at what he described as "wholly unjustified criticism" of the FIA, adding: "It is for the FIA membership, and the FIA membership alone, to decide on its democratically elected leadership, not the motor industry and still less the individuals the industry employs to run its Formula 1 teams."

However, it appears Mosley has now agreed to move aside when his fourth term as FIA president ends in October, saying: "I will not be up for re-election, now we have peace."

Furthermore, writs that had been threatened against Ferrari and the other teams in the Formula 1 Teams Association (Fota) - McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP - are likely to be shelved.

The agreement ends two months of wrangling since Mosley announced after a World Council meeting at the end of April that a voluntary £40m budget cap would be imposed from next season - a plan that prompted a rebellion from eight teams, with Fota announcing on Thursday they were planning a rival series.

"It's come as a bit of a surprise, given that Fota were planning to meet in Bologna on Thursday to discuss their plans for the breakaway championship," reported BBC sports news correspondent James Munro from Paris.

"But what we got today after a meeting of World Motorsport Council was an impromptu press conference and Mosley began by saying there will be no split, there will be one championship.

"He said that over the course of the negotiations he had been able to secure guarantees from the teams who were threatening to break away that they would try to reign back the levels of their spending to the levels they were spending in the early 90s.

"It was him that had come up with the idea that next season all teams would have a budget cap of about £40m, but there has clearly been a trade-off as he has also agreed to do what he says was always the plan - stand down as president of the FIA this October."

Source: bbc sport

ED: before we start cracking open the champagne lets see what the details of the agreement are, and lets not forget this isn't the first time an agreement has sorted only for something t go wrong. Lets see what FOTA has to say

Well in the one sense, it's good to finally have Mosley stepping down. He's had too much damage to his reputation over the past two years and he simply cannot go on.

Whilst it is good that peace is finally sorted, it does kind of bring bad news in too. For one, we still won't get back the Canadian and US GP's, and we still have to put up with Hungary, and eventually we will lose Silverstone to Donington. But the main thing is, a deal has been agreed and hopefully this will be the end. We'll just have to wait and see.