FIA 'not surprised' by BMW announcement

The FIA admits BMW's decision to withdraw from Formula One didn't come as a surprise to them.

The car manufacturer announced on Wednesday that they will cease their F1 operations after the 2009 season. The decision comes less than a year after Honda's departure from the sport.

A statement from the organisation read: 'The FIA regrets the announcement of BMW's intended withdrawal from Formula One but is not surprised by it.

'It has been clear for some time that motor sport cannot ignore the world economic crisis. Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula One when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer.'

The FIA also took the opportunity to take another dig at the Formula One Teams' Association. The teams who form FOTA earlier this year threatened to pull out of the sport if the FIA goes ahead with its plans to introduce a budget cap.

The statement added: 'This is why the FIA prepared regulations to reduce costs drastically. These measures were needed to alleviate the pressure on manufacturers following Honda's withdrawal but also to make it possible for new teams to enter.

'Had these regulations not been so strongly opposed by a number of team principals, the withdrawal of BMW and further such announcements in the future might have been avoided.

'Nevertheless, as a result of a sustained cost-cutting campaign by the FIA, new measures are in the process of being agreed which should make it easier for new teams to enter and enable existing ones to participate on much reduced budgets.

'It is no secret that these measures do not go as far as the FIA would have liked but a compromise was needed in the interests of harmony in the sport. Hopefully it will be enough to prevent further withdrawals and provide a solid foundation for Formula One.'

FIA 'not surprised' by BMW announcement - Planet-F1 News - from planet-f1.com