FOTA walk out of FIA meeting: WAR ON!
July 8, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under Top Story
The fuse has been reignited in the war between FOTA and the FIA. As we discussed earlier this week, the FIA said that the teams technically have run afoul of article 66 and are mere observers to the process and that no regulation changes can be made without unanimous consent from all teams—including the new teams which are not part of the FOTA membership.
We stated then that this was another attack by the FIA to dislodge the FOTA unity and weaken their position and it seems FOTA agrees.
Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nürburgring today.
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.
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 (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 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 1 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.
From FOTA’s position, this arrangement is completely unacceptable and antithetical to the spirit and nature of their agreement with the FIA made back in June. It is no wonder they walked out of the meeting as the FIA have chosen to offer polemics and bravado in the hopes that FIA Max Mosley can save face or his office come October which signals the end of his term.
The intertwined politics, legislation and legal padding Mosley has placed around himself is astoundingly thick with little to no hope that a legitimate contender to his position could ever unseat the incumbent. The power struggle for regulatory control of the sport is not over and many are suggesting that the previous threat by FOTA to form their own breakaway series will now be launched in to full motion.
Autosport reports that the commercial rights holder of F1, the CVC, are furious with the turn of events today and they should be. Their investment will be worthless should FOTA leave the FIA World Championship and with CVC representative and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone fighting his own PR battle after praising Adolf Hitler this weekend; it is only a matter of time before the entire situation explodes in to a million pieces.
Fans, sponsors, teams, drivers and even the CVC are growing tired of the Max and Bernie show. The thread bare blanket of financial security born at the working hands of a dire economy is adding massive pressure to the mix and from this authors point of view—FOTA must break away from F1 in order to have any hope of ever continuing sanely. Making a deal with Mosley and Ecclestone has become nigh on impossible as the two seem to have lost their minds under the tremendous weight of their egos and desire for power, control and money.
“Mosley must go!” says many signs and avatars around the web. Ecclestone may have assumed that he and CVC were insulated from the war and that progress was made in Paris back in June but his dear friend Mosley has reignited the war machine over ego and pride and launched the first mortar at FOTA’s trench. These political games that Mosley is playing are patronizing to the teams, sponsors, derivers and fans. Talks of Ari Vatanen running for FIA President, Mosley stepping down, a peaceful deal cut with the FIA is just nonsense. There is no deal with the FIA as long as Mosley is at the helm. The only way to rid the sport of Messrs. Ecclestone and Mosley is to form a breakaway series and leave them to toil in their collapsed empire.
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The FIA continually oversteps what should be its purview: safety. The teams slowly allowed Max to get so much power, I think this kind of serious breaking / cracking is the only way to turn things around.
Great picture to illustrate this, Todd.
Todd, you are -and I say this with great chagrin – right, it is time to blow up the house cards of Bernie and Max.
Now, if someone out there has video -or even a snapshot – of Bernie in his own Hitler gear at one of Max’s sex parties, maybe, just maybe, they can be shoved out.
There are three other hands at play here… Spain (angry – it is their circuit), France (it is their 65% Renault), and Monte Carlo (Monaco)… Bernie wants to play in their backyard. These dealingsmay force them to tell him: Out (as in “Out out damn spot!” with him playing Lady MacBeth as usual to Max’s MacBeth).
Tell you what why don’t we just wait til Melbourne 2010 and see what teams are there then we will know the outcome for sure
Does this really surprise any of us, Neg you are right on once again, Max and Bernie must now go. Time for a new regime and maybe it has to be a FOTA run sport now.
Let them schlepp out Williams and Force India to fight it out for the Championship. I am sure Fisi or Rosberg will still proudly call themselves a World Champion or maybe that wildcard Nakajima may be a factor in the chase…sounds very exciting to me!
I was realy looking forward to the German GP. For the first time this year, there was calm. People were actually discussing the upcomming race….Brawn v Red Bull, which team would show improvement after 3 weeks of development,would Vettel have a back to back victory and win his home GP, how would the weather impact the race. German GP was fast approaching and oh no….ALERT#1 we have Bernie with the Hitler thing. Things are getting hot for Bernie, he calls Max for help. No problem Bernie says Max, I have just the distraction you need. ALERT#2 FIA/FOTA war back on again. This crazy M&B side-show is getting totally silly and must be a massive turn-off for the sponsors. Max keeps talking about teams/sponsors pulling out of F1. It is not the cost of engineering and racing that will drive them out, but you Max and you Bernie. I can only conclude that they are either fully insane or they are fully intent on destroying the sport. Either way, they must go or FOTA should get out now before it is too late. GP1 2010 is is then, I see no other alternative.
In related news, I’m once again taking orders for Monza 09 merchandise. Very reasonable handling costs. :)
“Ferrari’s last stand” T-shirts are can’t be missed!
I am saddened, but not surprised by this. The FIA leadership continues to have an exaggerated view of their own importance.
Saddened but not surprised. FOTA has to maintain its solidarity. Decisions are made on three levels. Once they made the emotional decision and announced their intention to pursue a separate series, they should have stayed committed. The wavering — decision remorse — is expected and this episode should right them. They need to pursue the tracks, fans and the sponsors, though. I expect this Bernie/Max tango to continue this year. Xorpheous said it best, Bernie and Max believe they are F1.
Cheers
Thanks to Max it seems that F1 is taking one step forward and two steps back. Bernie seems to be trying to keep himself above (yet has managed to drag himself into) this dispute, and I really wonder how much more of this FOTA can possibly be willing to take! I also wonder if at this point the FIA remember the rules about the minimum number of cars on the grid for a race (i seem to recall it being 16), and I wonder if they think that these 5 teams can seriously field more than 3 cars a piece. I feel that the actions of the FIA (acting under Max) just adds yet more support to the fears that FOTA had and all it will do is just force more people to side with FOTA!
You’re not alone JC. I think many people involved must be asking the same question…how much is enough???
” I say to hell with FIA now. They have shown their true colours. Come on FOTA, what are you waiting for, let’s get organizing on the new F1 series :
” Formula Ultimo Grande”
Neg. Camber and Foxxbatt,
I totally agree, but would add that whilst ever Mosley, or Ecclestone, have anything at all to do with F1 there will be total chaos.
FOTA don’t take anymore of this rubbish, set up your own series. To those who agonise over a split, there is no split; all the Teams and Drivers we the fans want to watch will be in the new series.
Also we can then have Silverstone, Canada and perhaps most important the US GP back on the list.
I agree with all of you guys this has to be enough.
no way of comin’ back, I hope fota in this w.end will announce the breakaway.
If they are serious, and i think they are, now is the end of the story and also the end of Max and Fia. Maybe not for cvc and Bernie.
Just announce the new series,and don’t come back no more and in the next future they’ll fix everything. There is still time, and no matter if everything will not perfect at the firs year.
Without this Fia and Mosley, it’ll be a wonderful F1, whatever will be the new name.
I’m so for the breakaway too, I wish we could vote for it on FOTA’s site!