Team alliance 'walk out' of FIA meeting

Looks like the battle between the FOTA and the FIA has ignited again and like the article says a breakaway series will look pathetic now after they first agreed to stay with the FIA

After a summer of dispute, negotiation and finally some agreement, the so-called breakaway threat from the eight Formula One Teams' Association came to nothing as the group agreed to compete in the FIA sanctioned Formula One World Championship next season and beyond.

FIA President Max Mosley declared that he would not stand for re-election later in the season while the £40m (€45m, US $62m) cost cap for next season was seemingly dropped in favour of a vague promise of competition costs coming down to levels seen in the early 1990s – which presumably is not a million miles from £40m... It did seem that FOTA had won the battle for a short time.

Then of course the FIA President said that he may run for re-election after all and this week it has emerged that the budget cap may not be so easy to remove from the regulations without the consent of not just the eight FOTA members, but also the three new teams as well as the Williams and Force India outfits. Of course, FOTA has yet to agree a new - more favourable - commercial agreement with Formula One Administration either, but that’s another matter.

Today all of the teams met in Germany for the latest gathering of the Technical Working Group in which the 2010 rules were scheduled to be hammered out and signed off once and for all. However, the FOTA members ‘walked out’ of the meeting according to the FIA and should this be confirmed by the team alliance, this emphasises the lack of progress and tolerance between the alliance and the governing body.

"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," a statement from the FIA read.

"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 chassis weight limit may be an issue, but the fact that FOTA has yet to sign any agreement to reduce costs for next year's championship is significant. As is allegedly ‘walking out’ of the meeting...

"The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010," the FIA statement continued. "Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting."

FOTA (Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, BMW, McLaren, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn) had made a lot of noise about setting up its own championship for next season. The group of eight met on numerous occasions, put out press releases and pushed their cause before retreating to the fold of the FIA and FOA.

Indeed, it is hard to see why FOTA finally agreed to enter an FIA championship next season when the group still has little or no control over the rules, little or no progress in terms of their commercial deal and the head of the FIA is seemingly wavering as to whether he will stand down from the post or not.

Clearly FOTA are unhappy with the current situation, but the reality is that the group had their chance to stand up and be counted, before deciding 'better the devil you know'. They cannot now turn around and re-launch their ‘breakaway’ series as they would have no credibility... unless they act swiftly and state their case once and for all.

We await the comments from FOTA with interest.

F1 : Team alliance 'walk out' of FIA meeting - FOTA - F1-Live.com

Today the Formula One Teams' Association, alongside Force India, Williams, Campos, Manor and US F1, met officials from the FIA governing body in the hope of signing off the rules and regulations for participation in next year's FIA Formula One World Championship.

A short time ago however the FIA announced that 'unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting.'

FOTA claim that they are not currently entered into next year's championship, despite the FIA publishing an entry list on June 24th listing all eight members, and hence the decision to walk out.

"During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Mr 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," a statement began.

"It will be remembered that all eight active FOTA members were included on the 'accepted' entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council 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 that 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 WMSC and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of 24 June 'the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 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."

Quite where FOTA, the FIA and Formula One Administration - the commercial rights holders - can go from here is far from clear. If, as FOTA claim, the team alliance does not have entries into next year's championship, then the World Motor Sport Council meeting of last month is effectively null and void.

As it stands, FOTA has no agreement regarding governance of the sport, no new commercial agreement and at the same time has managed to put itself in a situation where they have no real power for negotiation...

At the same time, the FIA seems to have reignited a battle that many perceived to be over. The question as to why remains.

F1 : FOTA explain Nurburgring ‘walk out’ - FOTA - F1-Live.com

man the amount of crap

Frankly, this is doing more harm than good to the sport..

^ i don't see how they can bring the costs down to the 1900's range, and that too in 2 years. That's honestly absurd!

Basically the idea is to accommodate Force india and the lesser teams isn't it?
And when that moron Max has said he will quite, where is the question of "his standing for re-election"

THe first thing F1 needs to do is to pack him up to Germany where he can spend a whipping retirement life

lol +1 to that and webber on pole!