Overshadowing today’s practice sessions, the world of Formula 1 has gone crazy this morning, with the announcement by the Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) that its teams are going to leave F1 and set up their own series.
The eight member teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Brawn, BMW, Toyota, Renault, Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso - have said that they can’t ‘continue to compromise the fundamental values of the sport’.
FIA boss Max Mosley urged the teams to drop the conditions they’d attached to their entries for the 2010 F1 championship, but they have declined his, erm, urges.
Of the new series, FOTA says: ‘[We] 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.’
This is no doubt another power play by FOTA to try to get what it wants, but Mosley’s a wily old fox in these situations and rarely loses a fight.
What’s most likely to happen now is that Bernie Ecclestone will step in and broker a deal between the two camps, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Either way, it won’t threaten the racing this weekend, which promises to be epic.
What do you think about FOTA’s threat – is there anything in it?
UPDATE: according to the live text on BBC Sport:
‘The FIA is to issue legal proceedings without delay against the Formula One Teams Association following their threat to begin a breakaway series.’
Youch, I wonder on what grounds? Ferrari and the Red Bull teams are apparently contracted with the FIA to race in F1 for the next couple of years, but surely the others can do what they like?
This weekend is going to be messy off the track.
could be interesting but will they be able to set it all up in time
Question is, if they get it set up and running, will it get on the telly?
Not if Mr Eccle$tone has anything to do with it.
Just got F1 back BBC? Oh dear…
I’ll bet that Ecclestone is shitting bricks right now.
On the other hand I think this is good for F1-style racing. The racing (even if it has gotten better) is still boring. Now Ecclestone (and Mosley) really has to do his best to make a product that is worth the money.
The outcome of this is horrible legal battle which will most likely ruin both F1 and FOTA championships.
Bernie looked a worried man being interviewed in the paddock. This is a last resort I think from FOTA, they appear to have been willing to negotiate but Mosley wouldn’t budge. If they do set up a rival series (I have a feeling the FIA will fold and negotiate) then their series will almost undoubdtedly be the superior one. Perhaps they’ll be able to negotiate huge tv deals so that ticket prices can fall – or at least make the sport more accessible financially to the average fan. We can only hope!
ruin the next season, that is.
This has been coming for a while the FIA, Max Mosely and Bernie Ecclestone have been ruining F1 for several years now. It is time that FOTA stood up to them after all it is the teams that do the racing, no teams means no F1. Yes there may be thoise in the wings but who is going to travel to Turkey or China to watch a grid full of newbies and virtually no heritage in the sport.
Hopefully FOTA have the cohones to stick to their guns and put Bernie and Max in their place. The racing has already been vastly overshadowed by all the political dealings this year and I for one am getting totally fed up with B + M trying to ruin the sport. The fans want to see the best drivers in the world, driving the best cars in the world and not a championship that is influenced by two blokes who have more power and money than common sense! (Rant over!)
p.s. Go Jenson!
the FIA have shot themselves in the foot here they wee so adamant about getting ther own way that they didnt realise the consequences, and now because they couldnt compromise they have now lost the teams. F1 will be brilliant if they can listen to FOTA and agree to some of their connditions.
i reckon take away all the regulations governing how fast the cars can be it would be absolutely fantastic.
I can´t believe these business-b**ches (FOTA & FIA)
destroing the sport i love.
Jenson seems to be the last real F1-Champion.
Next years champion isn´t so hard to predict, well, he’s driving a Williams, obvious. So, no need to watch that next year. The new series will not get broadcastet.
Enjoy every GP you see this year, because it´s taking it´s final breath.
Oh, I got a name for the new Series: F**k-Off 1
Now that is .. a bombshell.
Considering prodrive aston martin and lola got rejected from F1 next year they’ll prolly join the new championship probably set up with the help of LeMans series.
I think FIA needs to remember that F1 is the teams and drivers, not the governing body.
It just proves that both sides are destroying the sport.
And can we please just talk about proper racing now? I think everyone finds themselves exasperated by all of this.
FOTA should call it’s new series Formula Unlimited…or F-U for short.
…but before we all start getting anxious, let’s remember that something very similar happened back in the early 80’s: The teams threatening to break off and form a new series (locking themselves in a room and refusing to allow anyone to give in, etc.), the governing body refusing to budge…but things eventually worked out. F1 survived.
This is all politics by other means…in other words: war.
Well, finally the championship is getting interesting.
Babies Ferrari, McL and all are growing up now. Good boys.
Bernie, Maxie, now it’s time for you to change your dipers. Go home. And take Frankie with you.
Mosley tried all of his usual tactics impose his will on the teams: 1. Join now or be excluded; 2. Threat of new entrants; and 3. Divide and conquer by giving preferential treatment to some rebels. In the face of FOTA resistance, he cleverly signed up some of the new applicants but kept two of the best aside (Lola and Prodrive) so that he’d still have further replacement threats.
Having seen these tactics before, the teams have been able to hold their ground. Their position is strong. Eight teams is enough for a series, as they could run a third car each. More likely, they’ll entice a couple of new teams in on a temporary customer basis. Prodrive McLaren is an obvious possibility, given the Mercedes-Aston Martin connection. (Perhaps Toro Rosso would be allowed to run as a customer team in reward for not sticking with the FIA.) There’s really no shortage of tracks out there. And there’s quite a bit to gain–the large proportion of the funds funnelled out of the sport by Ecclestone & CVC. That’ll limit the need to economise.
Bring on the Manufacturer’s Grand Prix.
F1 wont die… the teams will give in.
I seriously hope they dont though. Die F1 die!!!!! bring on the new championship
Just the new series the Grand Prix World Championship, simple name.
In every big money sport there is political wrangling. But it’s not unfair to say that the FIA has had alot of questionable / heavyhanded / unreasonable decisions and actions in recent times.
Is it a case of too much power for too long or perhaps the big boys overplaying their hands?
Personally the points FOTA were making made alot of sence to me, and FIA seemed to be almost blinded by the possibility of USF1.
Eitherway, I’d say there’s an office full of men not too far from this server room getting very worried.
Interestingly, Bernie owns the name GP1. Maybe he’ll help the breakaway teams set that up? Afterall, he knows best how to get it on the telly and to the tracks…
In this time of cost cutting, let’s see what Max and his rules has made so far, shall we:
1) Going for grooved rubber and narrower cars, forcing huge spendings on developing new cars
2) Replacing V10’s with V8’s, making the teams spend fortunes on development of engines and cars.
3) Making engines & gearboxes last for several races, making the teams spend fortunes on development of engines and gearboxes.
4) Coming up with KERS end new aero regs (although the aero changes has worked), forcing teams to spend millions on developing technology that isn’t really working – only to later suggest one supplier should deliver the KERS system.
This is only part of a long list, add the infinite number of changes to the quali format which forces teams to spend time and money to develop new tactics etc. and it is easy to see the people calling for huge cost cuts are actually the same people who are making F1 a lot more expensive. Well done, boys.
Then add one Bernie Ecclestone, who seems adamant to suck every last penny he can out of the sport not leaving anything for the teams and tracks which actually provide the show, and you have the recipe for disaster.
I understand the FOTA threat to break away is just that, but personally I hope one of two things will happen:
A) Bernie & Max will be forced to change their ways and bite a bullet or two to make life better for the teams and tracks, or
B) The FOTA teams will actually leave and form their own series. If that happens F1 is dead to me, I’ll follow the new series even if it’s only broadcast on radio.
I’m hoping for B).
Yesssssssssssssss, **** mosley, ecclestone and the rest of the money sucking fia, no more ugly cars, no more shitty V8s capped at 18K rpm
bring back F1, then v10s, the noise the good lucking cars
‘fundamental values’. As in their budget. Stop being selfish and put 60 odd million towards Red Nose Day or something, and everyone will love your team forever.
yeah f##k the fia,that horrible corrupt body,bye bye mosley and ecclestone,proper feral cars again,i hope the fota championship is shown on telly,hopefully sky sports,a proper channel,sorry beeb
unlucky bbc. turns out getting F1 was a bad idea and now ur not gonna ge as many viewers!
How about this for an idea if all the manufacturers who are in dispute with the FIA are determined to leave.
Create a breakaway LMES type series.
Instead of having different classes all in the same race (with the exception of endurance events like 24H Le Mans, 12H Sebring etc) have 3 races over the weekend. GT2, GT1 and Prototype sports cars.
Each manufacturer is contracted to enter all three classes, using the same or different drivers for each (NASCAR style)
On Saturday you can have 3 quali sessions and the GT2 race.
Sunday the GT1 and prototype races.
Each manufacturer can enter upto 3 cars in each class giving a field of at least 24 in each.
Each race to last 2-3 hours except the endurance races.
Points awarded to the top 10.
Examples of cars
GT2
Aston V8 Vantage
Ferrari F430
Audi RS4 or V8 R8
BMW M3
Porsche 911
Mercedes CLK Black
Toyota something?? (do they do quick ones anymore?)
Renault Megan??
GT1
Aston DB9
Ferrari Enzo/599
Mercedes SLK/SLR
BMW M6
Audi V10 R8
Then the prototypes/sports cars with Diesel/Petrol but not too many regs making it level(ish)
Thoughts? (like it’d ever happen anyway?!!?)
Brilliant f**k mosley I swear I promise I will watch this version but what should it be called
The FIA issues legal action, delaying the team list for 2010? Sounds more like the FIA finding more time for negotiations…
After LeMans, I realised that the main reason F1 is so popular is the personalities it has. To be honest, if there were a LeMans world championship I would watch that instead! Go LMES!!(and the BTCC)
its probably over ferrari redbull agreement with fia ptobably void other 5 can do as they please it will be better than a socialist f1.
will bernies wife get as much in the divorce now?
he probably is allowing the company to become worthless then screwing (not pysically) his wife in divorce like he did to the kirchs!
can i get a woopwoop… i am happy to see the teams stickin it to mosley the gimpy ol git!! the man likes pain and inflicting it on every 1 else! he has been sickening me for years and i think its down 2 his age the marbles are out of the pack and rollin endlessly around with no 1 home to gather them up(i call it the maggie thatcher effect),lets hope the great 8 do go on and make a break away championship that is whats needed more than anything f1 has come to its end and its the 2 ol gitts that have brought it on them selves im glad glad glad…
LOL i like Marcus’s idea of calling it Formula Unlimited hahahaha.
but yes, finally their going to break away! and i highly doubt the FIA will back down and try to create a mend to bring them back.. their egos are to large and anything that can be disguised as a loss they will not accept.
but the new breakaway series can probably have unlimited freedom here in America, since F1 does not take place anywhere near here. plus im sure the world has good tracks, hell they can return to Silverstone! and there would be many smaller TV station willing to broadcast the event. or even better the FOTA can set up a revolutionary internet TV and broadcasts the races on the net around the world lol.
to mattie the j??? that is the worst idea even dude
@JH: we all know about Mosley’s urges, don’t we?
I agree with Eddie Jordan’s comment on this one: it’s all powerplay to get into position for the next negotiations and I fear Mosley is by far the better Machiavelli. It’s getting ugly though. I’d love to see FIA and FOTA split: it didn’t work for IRL/Champcars but when they merged again they were all the better for it. The same might apply here.
@12: how about FM then? It’s already taken, but I like it.
I like the FOTA logo, never seen it before.
W00t, I’ll watch it if it is different enough from F1 such as:
allowing overtaking,
getting rid of electronic driving aids
more narrow tyres requiring a more skillful driver
the programme starting 10 minutes before the race and no more.
But I can’t see it – it’ll be worse.
in the new series mclaren and lewis will be safe from fia penalities
Let’s be clear: Neither side is right and neither side is wrong. FIA/FOM have been squeezing the sport dry in recent years whilst FOTA’s failure to address the budget cap issue is appalling. It is quite feasible to resolve this matter. There are two stumbling blocks: Max Moseley and (nobody has referred to on this board) Luca di Montizemelo. It is abundantly clear that the latter would swear that black was white if it had been said by Max. It is now a power dispute between the two and I am very worried about the role of Ferrari in FOTA. They are carving a very nice position whereby they are lead team, agreeing the regulations, administering the new series. Is that what the sport needs? Is that in the best interest of Brawn, Red Bull, Torro Rosso?
If the split happens both series will be poorer than now. Nobody will win but at least Ferrari will prove what they think (but should never be): that they ARE bigger than the sport.
thet’s go back to the good old days when you cross the line first you win.
SIMPLE
Well if they go a head with both series, well soon no who knows best
teams or the FIA
I’d like to see the new series I think, although without knowing the ins and outs of what’s been happening it’s hard to say… Certainly though I’d follow the current teams in a new series, this year and last has been pretty sucky, the only good bit is the actual racing.
Also did they not bring up legal action before but Fez said the FIA had altered the contract…? Good to see the FOTA getting their way though, from my point of view it seems they want to keep the fans happy way more than Eccles & Mosley
Well said Norwegian Stig.
On with the new series, you will be welcomed with open arms in Canada I’m sure! And I’ll be in the stands at Montreal watching
It’s a shame that it’s come to this but the unilateral BS from B&M is long overdue to come to an end.
Max Mosley what a fu***ng Nazi go have another orgy with those prozzies and leave f1 alone. If not Bernie should join the breakaway series and leave those FIA
tw*ts behind with the new sh*tty teams USf1, Campos and manor. it won’t be f1 with only one team with history Williams the new series should bring back imola and the American races as well as some of the other good old race tracks that are not being used ‘Silverstone’
I love the way people just swear and go back to “the orgy”
Great arguments guys
I just hope FOTA has the balls to stick it to the FIA.
As for neither side is right or wrong, no offense but the FIA clearly is all wrong here.
It’s not about safety, or the global financial crisis, or that the teams cant compete with higher spending teams (some teams have done well with a bit less, i.e. Renault in 06′, although the change to V8s also have a big effect on spending that year). it’s as simple as the cap and the rules with it is just really stupid..
Once Ferrari and McLaren are not the leading teams since years, everybody is going mad.
Too much money too much idiots on both sides!
Norwegian stig has it absolutely right. The Bernie+Mac Moseley era has brought too many changes,Rules should be applied, and changed with consensus of the teams, not just changed year after year, just for fun,with a “love it or leave it”attitude.
But the FIA(especially Moseley) has never offered compromises. No wonder,the teams are pi§§ed.
The teams want the fastest race possible, not the most restricted one.Because thats showing their possibilities.What the teams really need, is the fan support,they deserve.Then(and only then)they ll be able to pull it actually off, and create a new Formula series, which could rule well above everything else.Well, they ll have my support. There are enough awesome tracks,the FIA does not use.It could be absolutely brilliant, or fail horribly. Its a risky step, but imho a necessary one.
And people wonder why Super GT is the fastest GT class racing in the world.
Brilliant This is not i threat but a plan and I’ll watch the new series and the FIA F1 the weekends between FOTA GP F1 races to fill the gaps!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
GO FOTA GP F1!!!!!!!!DO!!IT!!!MAKE!! !THE!!!NEW!!!SERIES!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’LL WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rumours circulating that FOTA has Monacos support.They will have
Monaco.
Macau
Zandvoort
a1ring
Nurgbergring
Kyalami
Mondello Park with LOLAs support
Mount Fuji
Jerez
Buenos Ares
Imola
Monza
Magny-Cours
Indianoplis
Montreal
Adelaide
Silverstone
All tracks that do not have contracts with Bernie all top class tracks
The sooner max leaves, (and someone knocks sense into bernie), the sooner everyone can get back on concentrating with the sport that we,the fans, are supposed to be watching – F1!!! (that is if it lasts).
Bye bye Bernie and Max, nobody will miss you.
Would the death of f1 mean that BTCC would pick up?
Think about it.
Renault, Toyota, BMW could all easily enter teams into this series – for a fraction of the price of F1. They still get the racing pedegree, but with a more direct link to the road cars that they produce.
Going onto the others involved with F1 who could also potentially go into touring cars, including the BTCC:
Mercedes
Subaru (via prodrive)
Alfa Romeo (or Fiat, they are the same company as Ferrari after all)
Red Bull could enter a team
And with Saab being bought out, and the possiblity for the same happening for Volvo, they too may also join in.
This would make for an immence BTCC grid.
A new championship would mean better racing, more races at Silverstone, which is being dropped from F1 next year, hopefully better regulations that don’t strangle the cars’ abilities and cheaper entry to races, so it sounds fantastic – but will they actually go through with it? I have my doubts, but I sincerely hope so, or they make an agreement with the powers that be and improve F1 for 2010.
@47 – that’s a pretty damn good list! Would love to see Canada back and Silverstone still around.
*Pedantic moment* – it’s Fuji Speedway, “Mt. Fuji” means “Mount Mountain”. And I’m assuming it would still be the Nurburgring GP track?
Actually, what would the cars be like? I can only assume it’ll still be single seaters, but will the regulations allow for designers to just make them as fast as possible, instead of having the design constantly fiddled with year-on-year by the governing body until they look hideous and still can’t overtake?
They could have all the banned stuff – turbos, skirts, ground effects, as well as HANS devices and all the other super-safe bits and pieces to make the cars as extreme and awesome as possible whilst still being fast and safe!!
OK, not very realistic, but imagine that…
>OR< How about Formula MPV?! http://cupholder.blogs.to pgear.com/2009/03/24/rena ult-espace-f1/
FOTA are so greedy- Mosley offered them a compromise but they wouldnt take it.
They might manage to set up their own series but they’ll get to the first race and start argueing over the legality of each others cars- and then at the end of the season they will all have to withdraw becasue they will run out of money
I will refuse to watch the new series and if F1 dissappears I will just have to put up with touring cars- but theres more action there anyway.
#50 – with vauxhall quitting BTCC at the end of the year (because of the financial crisis), that means theres no (official) manufacturers in BTCC, but this could be a good solution, and make BTCC even more fun than it already is, especially as many of the manufacturers you have mentioned have been in BTCC before. This mean BTCC will become more popular. good times!
So all the manufacturers start their own series, take all the cars and drivers, leave the current league in limbo, and keep racing like it’s business as usual? So then it won’t be called F-1? A rose by any other name…
I forgot to mention (#48) – GO JENSON, go win the last GP at silverstone for britain.
I actually agree with FOTA that the 40 million pound budget caps are bad for the sport especially for teams like ferrari that need it to develop new technology.
I think they are serious about it and I think they will have to compromise with Max Mosley unless Max wants to have a rival sport and having only new teams in the season.
With the legal case I think that is max mosley trying to get ferrari and red bull on there side but ferrari are too powerful to lose that legal case.
As long as the new series awards the trophy to the person that crosses the line first I’ll be happy. It seems that system is just too simple for the FIA, who prefer to announce results in the news a week later.
Also, Ferrari and McMerc in the same corner? Who’d have thought it!
If the eight teams all stick together they can do what they want.
Stay strong FOTA, time for a new era.
i can not wait to see the FOTA world championship. imagine the things they could do… the cars would be insanely fast.
ps i hope its a little cheaper on the back pocket to get in.
About time why were they trying to limit F1 to make it financially fairer if you want a complete tactical sport go to A1.
There are so many motor sports designed to be as equal as possible but F1 is special it deserves to be so. It should not have the same rules apply that’s why people watch it and without that air of power and speed nothing else can achieve, i may as well become an anorak and watch BTCC following around Britain with my fold up chair and pack lunch.
PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME DO THAT. MAKE F1 (or this break away) SPECIAL!!!
spelled indianopolis wrong.but a rivalseries would be relatively easy to set up for the teams.less than $13millon bernie charges to host a race.
agree that entering “b” teams ferrari and red bull would destroy F1 completely.the teams will take a hit early on but it is unjustifiable to expect the teams to settle for half the revenues cos bernie conned a private equity firm.let it be about racing nothing else.the teams dont get a fair cut.
unlike CART/IRL this will work as neither had a ferrari or mclaren .
FOTA put it in hd please
I think there is something to this threat, and I think the teams are prepared to go through with this. And personally, I think it is necessary, the FIA and Bernie have to go, they are either going to kill the sport without this or they are going to have to leave. The teams are more than capable of managing themselves. an open governing body, racing back on silverstone and montreal. This is a GOOD thing, let F1 die, its been on life support for a while now.
F1 would die and the other series would take over, with teams like Ferrar, Mclaren, and Renault leaving there goes a huge fanbase for f1, not to mention most of the money in it.
The FIA wanted 13 teams, looks like they wi
I think the FOTA should “do it” I want to watch Alonso, Kimi, LH, etc all in real cars. I dont want to watch unknowns in F2 cars.
It is the drivers, the car manifactures and the passion of fans, that make the motor racing magic. During the last years the F1 business-lawyers mode was destroying all those. Ridiculously strict and complicated regulations almost wanted all car to look, feel and be the same. Innovation that could be applied to everyday motoring and even save lives like ABS, ESP, etc were all gone. The winner became the one that spent the minimum secs at pits and choosed the right tyre combination! And even then, the outcomes were finalized in courts. Lets hope the manifactures will bring back the soul of motor ultimate racing.
We need young blood, we need new thinkers but most of all we need commonsense.
If we look back at history we find time and time again that people with too much power and too much time in charge they think and act like dictators.
OUT MR MAD MAX, OUT MR BERNIE THE POWN BROKER, go and look after all the money have you earned thanks to the teams, small and big, go and lough all the way to the bank and have your lovely bodies nicely tanned in Barbados Sandy Lane or in all the lovely places you have been accostomed to live like GODS.
Is time you step down and let the sport that we dearly love be run by real professional people.
Shame FIA let it came so far. Hope the new series will kick ass. Still shame that F1 will be killed, such an heritage.. Can´t F1 operate without this bloody FIA??(which after all is just a stupid bond with old and grey ADAC/ANWB/RAC members).
“Either way, it won’t threaten the racing this weekend, which promises to be epic.”
Unless they decide to boycott the race like most teams did that time in the USA GP. If they decide to, please don’t do it during the British Grand Prix!
I’d call the new series “Formula GP” or “Formula Grand Prix”.
I’d completely support the break away series. As great as it would be to see the teams finally get some justice and fair treatment and give the fans what they want the FIA and FOM could make FOTA’s life very, very difficult.
FOM suing everyone in sight and FIA refusing to sanction a new series as well as revoke super-licenses from the drivers and denying any for new drivers wanting to drive in the new series. They’ll be big babies and use their power and influence to make sure FOTA’s new series never see the light of day anytime soon. Turning the new series into a pariah in the motor sport world.
They can turn up the prat meter so high on FOTA. If they want to make a deal then FIA need to bin Max because he’s really the only one in the way of a resolution. Bernie needs to take a pay-cut. Only then can F1 start to heal.
i think FOTA are right.America and canada wiil be pleased because then they will get a race again
P.S Go Jenson and Brawn and win the last F1 race at Silverstone
couple of thoughts: at 40mil, it’s actually possible that the big money teams could easily run in F1 and have enough change left over to run in an alternative series – particularly if they’re making the rules.
Celtic Tiger (thought he was dead) makes a point. The human effect of that drastic a change will mean huge direct and indirect job losses, pay cuts, three day weeks etc for the teams, suppliers and support industries, but unlikely to cost the FIA’s upper circle a nights sleep. Hardly equitable.
I’m so excited by this wonderful news that I’m still smiling every time I think about its consequences. Post#13 already reminded us about a similar situation that led to Mr. Ecclestones coup d’etat and to today’s situation. It’s just history repeating itself. And thank goodness for that! It’ll be great – or the end of F1 as we know it! Either way it’ll be better than today’s boring championship! And good riddance to the world’s most unpleasant couple Bernie & Max!
I definitely won’t watch a “formula 1″ with force india, campos and us f1.
I hope all the viewers just diss the sport and support the breakaway teams.
On FIA threat of legal action, how much will it cost to the teams? I’d say at most 40 million, which is 40 million for the big teams is small change.
The FIA trumps this legal action but it is a small price to pay to really see the purest fastest and most glamorous racing on the earth.
I mean just look at the cars now. It looks ugly. Like a grasshoper around a track. It used to look really mean and serious.
Seriously, we do not need the FIA and Bernie.
It will be tough, but the links and coordination should be manageable eventually.
Not to mention, countries that built tracks for this will shun the product no one wants to see and go for the one that everyone wants to see.
8 teams is more than enough. I mean, Ferrari McLaren Renault RedBull Brawn Toyota and etc. That’s good enough for me. Bring in Aston Martin.
Bring in marquee names instead of free-loaders like campos and USF1 who have no brand of luxury and add no elite value to the sport.
Mosley is just angry the teams nearly got him kicked out when he was having sex with nazi uniforms.
You can’t have someone governing a sport get all mixed in with his personal feelings.
in short…
BREAK AWAY FOTA! BREAK AWAY!!!!!
I seem to support FOTA in this. On the other hand, it would be a huge shame to see the name ‘Formula One’ go down the drain… that name is recognisable all over the world, and it is a name that as been at the pinnacle of motor racing for 60 years now. All the nostalgia, the great names, the historical races… it would be a shame to hear the name ‘Formula One’, and not be able to think of teams like Ferrari and Williams… could this be the end of a 60 year long era?
The ultimate bunking brigade…
Wait, if they quit Formula One then you can’t call it FOTA anymore can you?
(Formula One Bunkers Team Association = FOBTA)
I am in USA and I fear the battle will do to to tier F1/FOTA racing what the IndyCar vs CART battle did to open wheel racing here, e.g. divide the fans, divide the TV coverage and hurt the sport in the long term. THAT SAID, I am strongly on the side of FOTA. The teams should have more say in the rules and if you want to be TOP TIER, money is part of the equation. It should be up to the company that owns the team to decide how much they spend. In the FIA news release, a comment is made about “in the real world” Well all the teams are connected to the real world by economics. Even Ferrari can’t spend limitlessly on their racing team without eventually compromising the company as a whole.
The role of the governing body should be to mediate/enforce rules for safety, car size, car weight, and on track behavior. It is also attractive to make the cars in some way responsive to world demands on new car technology like alternative fuels and hybrid technolgy.
With that said, my humble proposal for FOTA is to limit total cost by spreading the expense bwn series. Specifically, I believe all the FOTA teams are also involved in Le Mans LMP1. It would be fairly simple to make the new series and derivative by allowing LMP1 chassis with F1 weight limits. Taking the LMP1 chassis and putting an open wheel configuration body on top would reduce weight. Beyond that, all the different fuels can be compared directly by carbon output and energy output for unit volume.
“Leveling” of the field could be simple if rules stated a minimum wt, car size, and energy limit per race, and minimum time for a “fuel only” pitstop. Each team could then choose the type of fuel or hybrid system they want. It might be moderate horsepower engine with great fuel milage to limit pitstops to tire change only, or a high horsepower fuel guzzler. Success would then be created by good driving and good pitstop strategy for the type of setup the individual team chose. One problem now is that fuel is delivered faster than tire changes, if that were not the case the skills of the Team would be a bigger factor in choosing pit strategy.
F1 and or whatever the new series is called should be the pinnacle of race technology. Not a spec-racer series or pseudospec racer series as Bernie and Max seem to want (e.g. cost limits and shared technolgy). A1GP is true spec racer and is attractice because of competition by nation and Indycar is darn close and not that attractice at all. F1 deserves better.
Surely if they feel the OPTIONAL budget cap is such a wrong, then they could all just not do it?
Only one team is still using KERS (Ferrari) and no-one seems to care, so if you don’t want your budget capped, then don’t cap it. Simple. Maybe debate with FIA instead about the amount of testing allowed for high-budget teams.
I fully agree with FOTA, enough is enough, signing a contract before all conditions are known is a form of …..mail. Max calling the FOTA members loonies is really showing what the man is made of. In America, being called a loony is ground for legal action. It also shows disregard for the fans, and I wonder what Mr. Max thinks of the fans, fans follow teams and drivers, not the FIA. Costcutting is not spending millions on KERS, that is wasting money, costcutting is not forcing teams to go on a “welfare budget”, that is nothing less than unfair. Changing specification and rules each season does certainly not reduce costs. Way to go, FOTA please, please start you own series, go to those tracks, Silverstone, Zandvoort, Montreal, Laguna Seca etc.where Bernie is not welcome.By the way there is a top-five for Bernie, Max and FOTA(seperate of course), which has no purpose at all, but maybe it can make someone smile.
Bernie’s top 5
Money makes the world go round (Cabaret)
Money, Money (Abba)
Goldfinger – S. Bassey
Fool on the hill – Beatles
Silence is golden (tremeloes)
MAX:
Gow now! (Moody Blue)
Hit me with your rhythem stick (I.Drury + Blockheads)
Dirty Old Man (Three Degrees)
Suicide is painless (MASH)
War (Edwin Starr)
FOTA
I will survive (G. Gaynor)
Break Free (Queen)
Breaking up is hard to do (N. Sedaka)
Divorce (T. Wynette)
Time is on my side ( Roling Stones)
Bernie thinks he has the power to sort this out, but FOTA may only get back on board if Max goes.
Has Bernie got the guts to kick Max out ?
Or will Bernie jump ship and join FOTA (don’t laugh, it IS possible), leaving Max with his dream of running F1 ?
ferrari and the other teams are only kicking up a fuss cuz they all know theyve go the money to build a car that can kick everyones ass and with the budget cuts they cant do it
Ferrari will send a B team to F1, simple as that. It’s not like their not allowed to race anywhere but in F1