Ferrari to take their toys and go home

[Metar]

Wow. Who said something about Brawn, McLaren and BMW folding their tails and joining the FIA series?

FOTA teams to launch breakaway series

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, June 18th 2009, 22:43 GMT

The Formula One Teams' Association announced on Thursday night that it is setting up a breakaway championship.

Following a four-hour meeting at Renault's Enstone factory, the eight members of FOTA - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso - said they had grown frustrated with the FIA's stance against the organisation, and had no option but to create a series of their own.

"The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship," said a statement issued by FOTA after the meeting.

"These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

"The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."

F1 teams were given until Friday evening to remove the conditions attached to the provisional entries they posted earlier this month, or risk being left off the grid in 2010.

FIA president Max Mosley wrote to the teams yesterday offering them some of the concessions that they wanted to see regarding governance of the sport, but made it clear that he was sticking to plans for the introduction of a budget cap.

In his letter, Mosley also urged the teams to sign up to the championship before sorting out the final version of the regulations and a redrafted Concorde Agreement.

In response to that letter, the teams met at Renault's Enstone headquarters on Thursday evening for lengthy talks, where they finally decided that there was no way a compromise deal could be reached with the FIA.

The teams expressed frustration that their efforts to try and improve F1 had been rebuffed by the governing body and the sport's commercial rights holder.

"Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport," said the statement.

"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community. FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

"In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives. The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

"Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

"The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.

"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise."

The announcement by FOTA looks certain to overshadow the British Grand Prix, which takes place at Silverstone for the final time this weekend and which Mosley is expected to attend tomorrow.

With FOTA's stance now seemingly leaving no room for a deal possible, it's likely that more new teams will be added to the FIA's 2010 Formula 1 entry list.

The inclusion of Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso on that roster remains open to debate, however, with the FIA claiming that the teams committed themselves to F1 in a deal agreed several years ago.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Fold their tails? I think you mean putting their tails between their legs, Ziva.

If FIA comes out with a list of participants for 2010 then it is cemented.

Or FOM could buy back the grid slots and then offer them back to FOTA on the condition they negotiate and drop the threat of a rival series.

 

[Metar]

Fold their tails? I think you mean putting their tails between their legs, Ziva.

Same thing. Here, we say it "fold your tail".

Or FOM could buy back the grid slots and then offer them back to FOTA on the condition they negotiate and drop the threat of a rival series.

Err... what?

 

[Hun200kmh]

Wow. Who said something about Brawn, McLaren and BMW folding their tails and joining the FIA series?

I did. I was wrong. And I gladly admit it

Meanwhile, here's an interesting piece of news about Ferrari. It seems that even before the FIA did it against the FOTA teams, Ferrari initiated legal procedures against the FIA. Not in court, but through arbitration.

Press release

Maranello, 19th June 2009 - Ferrari does not intend to comment on the Press Release put out this afternoon by the FIA. However, Ferrari wishes to make it clear that on the 15th June last, it already instigated arbitration against the FIA to protect its contractual rights in its dealings with the Federation, including those relative to the respecting of procedures as regards the adoption of regulations and the right to veto.

No "blinking" from Ferrari then. And the FIA knew it since June 15th and didn't say a word about it. In fact, they said lots of things with several (and lengthy) press releases about FOTA, but no word on this.

 

[Alltidxx]

"Of course, there is also the question of fan loyalty: established teams having world-renowned drivers are by far a bigger attraction. In the short term FOTA will have that, while F1 might be fielding a 13-team field including 11 new outfits mostly unknown to the world.

From a fan's point of view, without forgetting the tedium caused by the constant politicking within F1, a new fresh start might be the thing needed to concentrate on racing as a sport and spectacle before anything else.

And for those fans, who now see the possibility of seeing a major new open-wheel series returning to popular venues left behind by F1 – instead of state -funded destinations where grandstands are either more than half-empty, covered under canvas or supplemented by off-duty soldiers in civilian clothing – the choice might be an easy one to make.

Perhaps it really is time for a change?"
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090619220453.shtml

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Here's something newsworthy: Sex Fiend talks sense! He says that this is not going to have a quick resolution, which is obvious. He also singles Flavio Briatore out as being a troublemaker:

"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.

Which I can believe. Briatore loves control (I'm hesitant to use the word "power" because I believe people with real power never need to fear losing it; it's those with conrol who think of nothing else, and Briatore's action suggest he has control); after all, he stole Schumacher from Eddie Jordan, gives referential treatment to his Golden Boy, and given some of his comments aimed at Jenson Button following Brawn's successes, it's obvious he thinks Formula One is in serious trouble unless his is the team out front.

And no, I'm not letting my dislike of Briatore get in the way of objectivity. I'm actually in the middle of a 3500-word assignment on this kind of thing, power relationships and organisational maangement. Briatore fits the definition of a "power"-phile (or, to use my term, control-phile) to the letter.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Mosley wants the teams to reduce budgets to allow F1 to survive but does he say anything at all about FOM costs to the race tracks to host a Grand Prix? If a track can't make a profit out of a race, that would be as dangerous to F1's long term survival as well.

 

[C-ZETA]

I say we change the title to the 2 teams that are not gonna be part of the so called rival championship stay, the others go. Since that just happens to be the case. Speaking of which, which teams are planning on staying?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Team Willy and Force Midholland.

 

[Metar]

Here's something newsworthy: Sex Fiend talks sense! He says that this is not going to have a quick resolution, which is obvious. He also singles Flavio Briatore out as being a troublemaker:

Which I can believe. Briatore loves control (I'm hesitant to use the word "power" because I believe people with real power never need to fear losing it; it's those with conrol who think of nothing else, and Briatore's action suggest he has control); after all, he stole Schumacher from Eddie Jordan, gives referential treatment to his Golden Boy, and given some of his comments aimed at Jenson Button following Brawn's successes, it's obvious he thinks Formula One is in serious trouble unless his is the team out front.

And no, I'm not letting my dislike of Briatore get in the way of objectivity. I'm actually in the middle of a 3500-word assignment on this kind of thing, power relationships and organisational maangement. Briatore fits the definition of a "power"-phile (or, to use my term, control-phile) to the letter.

• Max and Flavio have been enemies for a long while, and it's not surprising that Flavio, one of the leaders of the FOTA breakaway, is blamed by Max. And you love to believe that - I don't care which sort of papers you write confirm this, but you've openly stated your dislike of him so many times before, that it's really not surprising that you like to believe it.
• "Stealing" Schumacher from Eddie is called "Signing one of the most promising drivers on the grid, before he gets too expensive". According to your logic, Raikkonen was "stolen" by McLaren from Sauber, and that there is something wrong about hiring a fast, promising driver as early as possible. Schumacher's career prospered as a result of that move.
• Every healthy team-manager should think the sport is wrong if his team isn't at the front. Montezemolo, Dennis, Horner, Brawn and every other manager out there want their team to be best. And, for that matter, giving preferential treatment is sometimes the best way to achieve that.
• I also don't see exactly what's wrong in what Max says. The "leaders" of the revolt are probably Montezemolo and Flavio, and Flavio is an experienced businessman. He, by the way, is the FOTA's financial head (just like Brawn is the technical head). Obviously one of the managers will have to take the role of the financial manager - the "Bernie" role, because that's what Bernie does.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

"Stealing" Schumacher from Eddie is called "Signing one of the most promising drivers on the grid, before he gets too expensive". According to your logic, Raikkonen was "stolen" by McLaren from Sauber, and that there is something wrong about hiring a fast, promising driver as early as possible. Schumacher's career prospered as a result of that move.

One of my mates who has been following the sport since he was in swaddling reckons that Briatore basically paid lawyers to find a hole in the contract Schmacher signed with Eddie Jordan so that Schumacher could drive for Bennetton. I trust him to say something accurate and intelligent about the sport as much as I trust you to do the same.

 

[Metar]

One of my mates who has been following the sport since he was in swaddling reckons that Briatore basically paid lawyers to find a hole in the contract Schmacher signed with Eddie Jordan so that Schumacher could drive for Bennetton.

Of course he did. And I have my very strong doubts that Schumacher resisted this.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Ross Brawn has indicated that work will begin soon:

FOTA beginning work on new series

By Jonathan Noble - Sunday, June 21st 2009, 10:52 GMT

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."

What I find most interesting is the comment that the FIA may serve as the series' governing body. It speaks to me that this may be FOTA trying to force a hard reboot on the FIA: establish their own series and transfer the power away from the FIA, then re-introduce them in a limited capacity so that they can't influence the sport on this level ever again. The FIA serves its original purpose as governing body, Mosley is removed from the sport, and the sport is about the racing again instead of the politics. It's ... brilliant.