F1 faces split as eight teams break away

Eurosport - Fri, 19 Jun 15:57:00 2009

Formula One has plunged into its biggest crisis in 60 years with eight of the 10 teams announcing plans to set up their own championship.

FORMULA 1 - FERRARI - FIA - 0

The teams association FOTA said BMW-Sauber, Brawn, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault, Toro Rosso and Toyota were united in a decision that would split the sport in two if carried through.

"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.

"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."

The governing FIA had set a Friday deadline for teams to make their entries unconditional or risk exclusion in favour of would-be new competitors.

The eight FOTA teams had submitted entries conditional on the 2010 rules, which include a controversial budget cap, being rewritten and the signing of a new commercial agreement governing the sport.

Attempts by both sides to reach a compromise failed, with the FIA accusing teams earlier in the week of wanting to take over the sport.

FOTA said their new series would encourage more entrants, listen to the wishes of fans and have transparent governance.

The teams, who are due to race in the British Grand Prix on Sunday, also promised "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," it added.

There was no immediate comment from the FIA or Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Former champions Williams and Force India have already committed unconditionally to the FIA's world championship along with three new entrants - Campos, US F1 and Manor - who have yet to build any grand prix cars.

The FIA has put another group of applicants on hold pending the outcome of talks with existing teams although one would-be new entrant, chassis maker Lola, has already withdrawn its application.

It remains to be seen whether the new entrants, who have all agreed to race with a £40 million budget cap, will still be willing to commit to a series without glamour teams such as Ferrari and McLaren.

The stage is also set for a legal battle, with the FIA saying champions Ferrari and the two Red Bull teams have contracts that commit them to the existing championship.

Sponsorship and broadcast deals will also come under scrutiny with television networks facing the loss of the big name teams and drivers that bring in the viewers.

The eight FOTA members met at Renault's Enstone headquarters on Thursday evening after receiving letters from FIA President Max Mosley urging them to drop their conditions and sign up.

Their statement accused the FIA and Ecclestone, who represents commercial rights holder CVC, of trying to divide them.

"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored," the statement said. "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."

FOTA will have plenty of options when it comes to drawing up a calendar, with Formula One having discarded several European and American venues in recent years in favour of lavish new facilities in the Middle East and Asia.

Silverstone, which hosted the first championship race in 1950, will join that list after Sunday.

Reuters

Comment 551 - 570 of 570

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Ferrari International Assistance will become Ferrari­ Organized Team Assistance. The teams in FOTA better­ sleep with one eye open if they get into bed with­ Ferrari.

    From rumteetum, on Sat 20 Jun 2:06PM

  2. The biggest problem the 8 teams have is under the FIA­ rulings that're being introduced the FIA President­ (currently Herr Mosley) will be able to change the­ rules governing F1 & other championships at a­ moments notice without consulting the relevant teams. I­ for one am against this. It'll give him the power­ to turn F1 & other championships into 1make series.­ F1 is about innovation, compeating teams making their­ own cars. Having stock bodies & engines would just­ be a slightly faster version of the new F2. What'd­ be the point, if we want to watch F2 we will, we WANT­ F1!!!!
    Mosley needs to be outed, you CANNOT have the­ FIA president being best mates with the commercial­ rights holder. It causes problems... the current one­ being perfect example

    From cory364, on Sat 20 Jun 10:14AM

  3. RICHARD M,I agree, but as an avid fan of all­ motorsport, i have sat on wet grass at Le Mans and been­ completely happy to do so, at 42euros. for 5 days­ entertainment.
    Or stood in the rain at goodwood and­ been transixed by the racing there.
    Hostility suits and­ grandstands are ok, but i long for the entertainment,­ not the comfort.
    Good comment though.

    From justblowinoffsteam., on Sat 20 Jun 6:41AM

  4. Tried emailing the FIA website?...No chance

    From justblowinoffsteam., on Sat 20 Jun 6:37AM

  5. Of the nearly 600 comments hardly any support the FIA­ ideas, Mosely and Ecclestone should be sent all these­ comments so they can see where they've been going­ wrong. Formula One cars would have developed the way­ they have without M & E, fans would have been able­ to go watch F1 without having to take out a second­ mortgage.
    What is Bernie doing with all his billions­ that he has milked from the sport and the fans, he­ can't spend all that on himself and his family so­ why not put a lot back into motor racing and give BRDC­ enough money to turn Silverstone and its infastructure­ into a world beater, we don't want hospitality­ suites, we want proper facilities for the genuine fans­ and proper roads to get there without queuing for hours­ on end. Permanent grandstands at the best vantage­ points big enough to take thousands of spectators, if­ Bernie paid for these then the seat price would be­ within the reach of all and hospitality suites (which­ quite often contain people who've no interest in­ motor racing, they're only there for the beer)­ could be replaced by grandstands holding many times as­ many genuine fans. Come on Bernie and Max, bite the­ bullet realise you've no backing from the fans or­ FOTA and clear off to let people run the sport­ who's interest is the fans and not lining their­ huge pockets.

    From RICHIE, on Sat 20 Jun 6:09AM

  6. do you want to watch bmw,mc laren,ferarri,brawn or­ manor racing,lola and the other who-evers.The TV money­ will follow the big teams,it s time for a change,time­ to change who controls formula one,the­ teams/fans/sponsors or a nazi perv and bernie krankie

    From bobbypenman, on Sat 20 Jun 5:12AM

  7. I would watch a fota championship,provided there was­ racing,even this year despite having an Englishman up­ front in a fast car,it is still a procession, too much­ depends on making the correct decisions on tyre­ choice,when to pit,choosing the correct fuel load etc­ and Ross is a planning genius.For real racing,last­ weeks moto gp was fantastic,more exitement in the last­ 3 laps than 3 F1 races.
    But do not get too hopeful­ ,dictators and devious fabulously wealthy men have a­ habit of getting their own way until they depart this­ world,or others take their place.
    I would like to see­ real racing,so for example they should get rid of­ ridiculous tyre choice rules,fear of penalties for­ minor racing collisions and lots of other silly rules­ and regulations also,reduce pit control by getting rid­ of telemetry and radios, let the driver control the car­ ,plus the future plans for standard engines and other­ fanciful so called cost cutting schemes which would­ probably put a final nail in the Fi coffin.

    From N M, on Sat 20 Jun 5:07AM

  8. @ gunterv, I agree with you up until the twenty years­ ago, personally I'd like to turn the clock back 40­ odd years. The cars then weren't much slower on­ the straight, and racing was much more exciting. Yeah,­ I know the rantings of an old fart...

    From Rick T, on Sat 20 Jun 4:20AM

  9. F1 is the pinacle of research and developement in the­ motor industry where most of the technology in our­ every day cars have come from, if Bernie & Max are­ allowed to have their way and stifle the competition­ between teams then pretty soon a company rep in his­ mondeo/vectra with all the new techno stuff on board­ will be able to lap Silverstone fast than the then­ equivalent F1 car. most of us like to see the big names­ out doing one another and if one can get the edge over­ others by making a clever gadget and how the others­ react to catch up its not just about racing.Just watch­ A1 its rubbish and thats what F1 is becoming. Ray.

    From ray.sissins, on Sat 20 Jun 4:11AM

  10. If the FOTA succeed in a breakaway serious, it will be­ one of these overnight sensation successes. TV­ companies from all over the world, will want a piece of­ the action, sponsors will be knocking on the door, just­ like they are now at brawn. I just cannot see a down­ side, even Silverstone will be back on the calendar­ 2010. Hooray

    From paul t, on Sat 20 Jun 4:07AM

  11. I hope these teams leave like f1 left montreal.

    From JohnC, on Sat 20 Jun 3:52AM

  12. Amidst all the controversy surrounding this issue, the­­ one thing I haven't seen yet is any commentary/­­ response by the commercial sponsors about the B1­­ (breakaway 1) series...What if Intel, Vodafone, RBS,­ et­ al fall in behind B/M and say "Alright,­ boys...go­ ahead and play on your own...We're not­ going to pay­ for it"

    From Richard, on Sat 20 Jun 3:52AM

  13. I'm just afraid that F1 will die and that the new­ series won't take off if it can't get the tv­ rights that f1 has...
    What will we watch then...
    The­ FIA will have to U-turn....

    From Ian, on Sat 20 Jun 2:50AM

  14. About time for a return to proper formula1 racing not­ this wishy washy @#$% that gets changed after every­ race.
    BERNIE & CO why dont you go and start a class­ of 100cc stock carts then all will have the same chance­ and the budgets would be pretty low. However one draw­ back is you would not make the millions you have in the­ past from suckers like us, who want to watch racing­ like it was 20 years ago.

    From gunterv, on Sat 20 Jun 2:31AM

  15. Max Mosley and Bernie E are both a pain in the exhaust.

    From KEN, on Sat 20 Jun 2:06AM

  16. The U.Y.M.M. The Up Yours Max Mosely

    From duncan, on Sat 20 Jun 1:44AM

  17. That would be awesome!!!! Get Top Gear to host the BBC­ coverage and it will be the best show on TV

    From andrewherrington, on Sat 20 Jun 1:31AM

  18. How about the GRC, Global Racing Championship? ­ It's global, it's racing and it is a­ championship. It's bland but at least it­ doesn't pertain to any country.

    From David, on Sat 20 Jun 1:27AM

  19. I cant believe the amount of comments on this story­ when it is only a few hours old, Max pay attention to­ the voice of the people, to which there would not be an­ F1 without us

    From duncan, on Sat 20 Jun 1:26AM

  20. Just get those FIA politics out of the way! get back to­ racing! scrap, reshuffle, remove, replace, what ever it­ takes. Go back to basics. there is too much hindering­ the sport!

    From Allan, on Sat 20 Jun 1:23AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account