FIA examines legality of Toyota departure

Reuters - Thu, 05 Nov 00:41:00 2009

Formula One's governing body has sought urgent clarification from Toyota about its departure from the sport.

2009 Turkish GP FIA - 0

The FIA said in a statement that Toyota's decision on Wednesday to quit caused concern, as did the announcement by tyre supplier Bridgestone that they would leave at the end of 2010.

"Bridgestone has given almost 18 months' notice of its intentions, thereby allowing the necessary arrangements to be made for the future supply of tyres to the championship," the FIA said.

"Toyota's decision, however, comes just weeks after its F1 team signed the new Concorde Agreement until 2012.

"Urgent clarification is now being sought from the Toyota F1 team as to its legal position in relation to the championship. This will have a direct bearing on the admission of any future 13th entry."

Toyota did not say in a statement issued in Tokyo what they would do with their Cologne-based team, although a source there told Reuters that the plan was simply to close it down.

The former BMW-Sauber team have been named as reserves to take up any slot vacated by one of the 13 teams due to compete in 2010.

However their entry cannot be officially given the green light until Toyota confirm what is happening to their team. By signing the confidential Concorde Agreement in August, Toyota had committed themselves to Formula One until at least 2012.

The FIA said it had repeatedly warned that "motorsport cannot outpace the world economic crisis" and had acted accordingly to cut costs and allow new, independent teams in.

"The FIA accepted the cost-reduction measures put forward by the teams on the basis that they would ensure a long-term commitment to the championship," it added.

"Toyota's announcement demonstrates the importance of the original cost-reduction measures set out by the FIA.

"The FIA will now work to ensure that Toyota's departure is managed in the best interests of the championship and will continue to encourage the F1 teams to undertake the necessary cost-cutting measures for the good of the sport."

Reuters

Comment 22 - 41 of 41

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  1. Woof Woof. Nice man at the gate stopped us going in­­ again, but i still got my treat, so everythings ok.­­ Woof Woof.

    From Zak, on Sun 8 Nov 6:54PM

  2. EVERYONES CRAZY EXCEPT ME

    From PLOWKING, on Fri 6 Nov 2:14AM

  3. AT LEAST BRUCE LEE WRITES A DECENT COMMENT MCLAREN AND­ LEWIS ARE THE BEST,I CANT READ WHAT POTTER POSTS ITS­ ALL ASUN THIS ASUN THAT,WTF IS AN ASUN..I KNOW POTTERS­ AN AS*HOLE

    From LEEROY, on Fri 6 Nov 1:25AM

  4. Ive seen your spats with touronroute Biggles and do I­ comment ? No. pls dont involve yourself in mine .­ thanks.

    From brucef1lee, on Fri 6 Nov 12:45AM

  5. Bruce Lee - officialy equal 1st with the potter family.

    From Biggles, on Fri 6 Nov 12:36AM

  6. Potter: YOU obviously can't forget about Hamilton.­ Is it because you get a hardon when you think about­ him? Please answer. We all want to know.

    From Biggles, on Fri 6 Nov 12:33AM

  7. Brawn........Bumfluff Button with his FLUKE and­­­­ unearned title will be the "new"­­ Barrichello­­ at Brawn..Nico's whipping­­­­ boy..
    -
    Ferrfarti.....Alonso will cause no end of­­­­ trouble at Ferrfarti and Massa is a none­­­­ starter...
    -
    USF1 ...... U S h it F aggots­­­­ 1
    -
    Williams... yeah what ever.
    -
    Red bull-cr ap...­­­­ hahahahaaaa..
    -
    Toyota......nail biters
    -
    Manor­­­­ Cosworth.... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
    -
    Force­­­­ India....... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
    -
    Torro­­­­ Rosso....... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
    -
    Sauber ......­­­­ F1's very own deadwood­­ collection.
    -
    Lotus........­­ Resigned to the history­­ books forever.
    -
    Campos­­ Meta.......Spanish work shy­­ fops.
    -
    Renault...........­­ Lucky to be on the grid­ at­ all the French surrender­­ monkey's. (drivers­ need­ death wish)
    -
    -
    ...McLAREN­­ ..still under FULL­ control­ of the great Ron Dennis­ will­ have the­ YOUNGEST EVER­ WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPION and­ PROUD­­ Englishman Lewis­ Hamilton at the front next­ season­ ...­ no matter who­ gets the other drive..
    -
    ==­­ McLAREN WIN­ 2010­ CONSTRUCTORS == HAMILTON WINS 2010­­ WORLD DRIVERS­­ CHAMPIONSHIP ==
    -
    ...............­­ McLAREN TAKE­ 3rd..........Ferrfarti 4th­­­ .......yyyyyyyyyeeeeessssss!!!
    -
    -
    ...............­ POTTER = OFFICIALLY THE THICKEST ON F1­ SITE....YYYYEESSSS!!!!!.....

    From brucef1lee, on Fri 6 Nov 12:27AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    who cares its so OLD HAT F1 is dead about fkin time.

    From freeman, on Thu 5 Nov 10:06PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the real adrian: they can't. health and safety­ regulations.....

    From licantropop, on Thu 5 Nov 9:46PM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Mandy piles:

    you see, this youngsters seemed to have­ lost all the british humour sense?....

    you are a­ comment away from getting a xenophibic/homophobic­ wahter the phobic (he is panicking all the­ time...'he suffers' for britain while you sleep­ and so on.....)

    He did even sang Victorian stuff so be­ careful....

    ;P

    From licantropop, on Thu 5 Nov 9:46PM

  11. The FIA are probably going to have to get in line with­ all the other legal supplicants who wish to take a bite­ out of Toyota. I would not be surprised that the court­ doesn't find that FOTA are indeed the losers from­ Toyota's retirement from F1. They, not the FIA are­ the entity that Toyota were joined to. FOTA has a­ contract with the FIA through the Concorde for the FIA­ to manage F1, not own the participation of the­ teams.

    A further thought. When Renault do, in fact­ announce that they are leaving, they will do so as a­ corporate member of FOTA terminating their interests in­ F1. The FIA may try to be difficult, but I cannot see­ any sensible court finding for damages because a team­ ended its relationship with what is essentially a­ racing club.

    From larsonrc41, on Thu 5 Nov 9:44PM

  12. mandy piles/Stephen W: why don't you go back to­ potato picking?

    From the real adrian, on Thu 5 Nov 6:29PM

  13. HaHaHaHaHa Mandy piles having a little paddy.
    Was you­ stamping your feet where you wrote that.
    Fu kcing IDIOT­ :D

    From john s, on Thu 5 Nov 5:50PM

  14. Mandy piles The answer is YES
    Fu kcing Idiot.

    From john s, on Thu 5 Nov 5:14PM

  15. Hey Brian iv got a full head of hair.
    You are a Slap­ Head.
    So who's the Looser here.

    From john s, on Thu 5 Nov 5:13PM

  16. um ...no-one else has mentioned Mclaren, this is a­ discussion about Toyota and the FIA, I was just­ repeating what everyone (including the media) had­ observed on double-standards in Crashgate

    From JOhnny Groats, on Thu 5 Nov 5:02PM

  17. Just an extra little point Brian.

    You say that it is­ negative comments that are ruining our beloved sport­ and then your next post is just a negative comment (ie­ calling us all losers).

    Be consistent as well please.

    From Sir Stanley Gubbins, on Thu 5 Nov 5:01PM

  18. No Brian there are many Ferrari, Red Bull, Brawn,­ Williams supporters who log in here and do not get­ thumbed down, for example Wizzo. I personally have a­ soft spot and follow Williams. So to say that this is­ a McLaren site only is rubbish.

    Your earlier post was­ thumbed down because it was rubbish - simple as.

    Let­ me ask you a question, would you have been happy if Ron­ Dennis had of gotten Todt's job in the FIA? I­ personally am unhappy that a neutral did not get it, I­ think the sport needed someone with no past links, at­ least to the big teams (ie Ferrari, McLaren).

    Try­ harder in the future and get involved, please don't­ just lecture at people.

    From Sir Stanley Gubbins, on Thu 5 Nov 4:59PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    THIS IS NOT A FORMULA ONE FORUM....THIS IS SO OBVIOUSLY­ A MCLAREN FORUM........YOU CAN DISH IT OUT BUT YOU­ CAN'T TAKE IT ....LOOSERS.

    From Brian, on Thu 5 Nov 4:33PM

  20. Mclaren were fined an unprecedented 100 million despite­ the fact they never risked the lives of drivers,­ stewards or spectators, Renault were given a free lunch­ in comparison, the FIA deemed thier presence in the­ sport more valuable than the lives of drivers, stewards­ or spectators, which Renault had endangered

    From JOhnny Groats, on Thu 5 Nov 3:41PM
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