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FOTA teams stage fresh walkout
Wednesday 8th July 2009
<!-- /storybox --> The future of Formula One is again "in jeopardy" after the eight members of FOTA walked out of a meeting with the FIA.
Just two weeks after peace appeared to have broken out in the wake of FOTA's threat to form a breakaway series, the battle lines have seemingly been drawn again.
The latest dispute centres around the legality of the eight teams' entry into next season's world championship, and voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations.
The furore follows a meeting of the FIA's Sporting Working Group chaired by Charlie Whiting, the FOTA eight - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP - as well as Williams, Force India and the three new teams in US F1, Campos Meta and Manor Grand Prix.
A statement issued by FOTA read: "Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nurburgring today.
"During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.
"It will be remembered all eight active FOTA members were included on the "accepted" entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24.
"In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today's meetings.
"This was rejected on the grounds no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved.
"However, it is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris.
"As endorsed by the World Motor Sport Council and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of June 24 'the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to April 29, 2009'.
"At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed.
"To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula One in jeopardy.
"As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation.
"The FOTA members undertook the Paris agreement and the subsequent discussions in good faith and with a desire to engage with all new and existing teams on the future of Formula One."
In their own statement, the FIA put it more bluntly as they said: "Following the decision of the World Council on 24 June to revert to the pre-29 April version of the 2010 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations, the FIA today met the teams which have entered the 2010 championship to seek their agreement to these changes.
"All changes have now been agreed subject only to the maintenance of the minimum weight at 620kg and the signing of a legally binding agreement between all the teams competing in 2010 to reduce costs to the level of the early 1990s within two years, as promised by the FOTA representative in Paris on 24 June.
"The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010.
"Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting."
The walk out has again thrust F1 back into an unsavoury spotlight at a time when the sport finally appeared to be getting its act together after weeks of feuding.
Wednesday 8th July 2009
<!-- /storybox --> The future of Formula One is again "in jeopardy" after the eight members of FOTA walked out of a meeting with the FIA.
Just two weeks after peace appeared to have broken out in the wake of FOTA's threat to form a breakaway series, the battle lines have seemingly been drawn again.
The latest dispute centres around the legality of the eight teams' entry into next season's world championship, and voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations.
The furore follows a meeting of the FIA's Sporting Working Group chaired by Charlie Whiting, the FOTA eight - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP - as well as Williams, Force India and the three new teams in US F1, Campos Meta and Manor Grand Prix.
A statement issued by FOTA read: "Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nurburgring today.
"During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.
"It will be remembered all eight active FOTA members were included on the "accepted" entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24.
"In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today's meetings.
"This was rejected on the grounds no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved.
"However, it is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris.
"As endorsed by the World Motor Sport Council and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of June 24 'the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to April 29, 2009'.
"At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed.
"To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula One in jeopardy.
"As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation.
"The FOTA members undertook the Paris agreement and the subsequent discussions in good faith and with a desire to engage with all new and existing teams on the future of Formula One."
In their own statement, the FIA put it more bluntly as they said: "Following the decision of the World Council on 24 June to revert to the pre-29 April version of the 2010 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations, the FIA today met the teams which have entered the 2010 championship to seek their agreement to these changes.
"All changes have now been agreed subject only to the maintenance of the minimum weight at 620kg and the signing of a legally binding agreement between all the teams competing in 2010 to reduce costs to the level of the early 1990s within two years, as promised by the FOTA representative in Paris on 24 June.
"The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010.
"Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting."
The walk out has again thrust F1 back into an unsavoury spotlight at a time when the sport finally appeared to be getting its act together after weeks of feuding.
