FIA article 66: Unanimous agreement
July 7, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under Parc Fermé, Top Story
A letter,according to Autosport, was sent to FOTA members that restated Article 66 of the International Sporting Code:
Article 66 of the International Sporting Code states that: “No amendments shall be made to the Supplementary Regulations after the beginning of the period for receiving entries, unless unanimous agreement is given by all competitors already entered, or by decision of the stewards of the meeting for reasons of force majeure or safety (see Article 141).”
The intention of this letter is to relate the legal process of changing the rules for the 2010 season. FIA president Max Mosley has clearly stated that he will require that article 66 ISC is sated prior to making any changes to the regulations for 2010.
You may ask yourself why the changes for 2010 that FOTA and the FIA agreed to in a meeting in June require unanimous consent from all FOTA and non-FOTA teams. You may suggest that Mosley was changing the rules at his whim without the unanimous consent of the teams when he developed the 2010 regulations. That would be a good point but the answer to that question is buried in article 66. Specifically this line, “after the beginning of the period for receiving entries”.
The period specified is the time after the entry applications were being accepted so this would preclude Mosley from need unanimous consent while developing the regulations back in March or earlier.
How will FOTA receive this call for unanimity with non-FOTA members of which 2/3’s of them are entering F1 purely due to the attractive budget cap regulation? That remains to be seen but what we do know is that John Booth, Manor Motorsports team boss, said the budget cap was the main reason they chose to enter F1 and it would be difficult to comment on the situation until he knows what the glide-path cost reduction amount will be. Specifically the 1990’s level spending.
Mosley knows that the Williams F1 and Force India teams brok ranks with FOTA and applied unconditionally for the 2010 season. He also knows that by demanding unanimity under article 66 will present FOTA with an issue of two groups needing to agree. Two groups who have different opinions on the regulations. In this authors opinion, it is another effort by Mosley to upset the unity of FOTA and use legal process to stir unrest among the teams.
Will this article 66 gambit work? After what we have seen so far this year, I am inclined to say no. The concept of a FOTA breakaway series is not dead and while the reality becomes all the more unbeilivable the longer Mosley drags the process out, I would suggest that FOTA knows this and knows a drop dead date that they need this issue resolved. My hunch? The end of July.
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I can honestly say that when I saw this today I was more surprised than when I read what Bernie said last week!
Isn’t this Max basically throwing the FIA agreement with FOTA out the window and starting the war all over again? I’m not sure what FOTA will do, but I think they should come out and say “look, we negotiated an agreement with you the FIA, and if you, the rules making body, knew you had a rule that would negate those negotiations, then you negotiated in bad faith. After the sport almost disintegrating, and then everyone involved from the teams, to the drivers, and especially the fans breathing a collective sigh of relief that an agreement was reached, to then cite these rules now either means the FIA is not aware of it’s own rules, and thus incapable of doing it’s job, or this was known prior to going into the negotiation, and then you are a liar Max!”. But that’s why I don’t speak for FOTA.
So all teams need to agree, well it looks like the FIA is calling in it’s chips from Manor who everyday looks to be more and more indebted to just about everyone in the FIA it seems. You know I’m actually starting to hope that Manor does make it to the grid next year, if even just to give both Ferrari and McClaren fans (or any fan for that matter) someone else to hate. Like a Darth Vader team of F1!
So Manor would have it’s own theme music if it ever won a race:
(Think Star Wars Theme)Dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun,
(higher key) dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun…
Great imagery – I can picture a driver in all black wearing a cape walking into the pits with an entourage of men in white uniforms trailing – helmet on and the sounds of heavy breathing like Vader, too.
They could even paint it like a Star Destroyer.
Now we understand why Lola and Prodrive has been rejected for Manor..
I hope isn’t too late for a new championship.
There is no other choice with this cheat liar.
even if they can organize only 6 gp, they can do 2 manches for gp, and run 3 cars..
Nobody can trust in this Fia ruled by Mosley.
Any team who’s primary reason for entering FORMULA 1 (the most expensive and highly technical sport in the world) centers on a budget cap doesn’t belong in Formula 1. Manor is essentially going to become the manifestation of Max Mosley on track…who is going to be a “fan” of Manor? Who is going to support Manor’s sponsors? It would be fun to “love to hate” them…cheer as their motors implode or as they spin off the track…but not if it means giving Max a backdoor in to stay involved in the sport. Maybe CVC or FOM will sponsor them?
So if Manor caused an accident during a race next year people would think it was the will of Mosley to take someone out? Cool, it’s a new conspiracy theory that would trump the “Red Factor” theory.
I actually think that the “all teams have to agree” is another way to keep the FIA in charge…. It should be changed to a majority of the teams.
John “just my .02″ Stone
I am hoping there will be a movie adaption of entourage at some point, my favourite series by far.