To the FIA: STOP IT! Just stop it!
July 10, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under Top Story
I was going to write an overall recap of the FIA/FOTA nonsense and was growing so weary of the issue that I was having a hard time keeping my thoughts clear. No, I wasn’t lazy I just couldn’t really take all of the frustration I have and temper it in to a story worth reading.
But I soldier on and attempt to point out yet another dodgy move by the FIA. I know Max Mosley is behind it but I think the FIA could use all of the bad publicity they can get now so this is leveraged at teh FIA and all of its members who support its actions. That means you AAA, ADAC and others who belong to the FIA. The FIA is tearing my sport apart and I have had it.
Suffice to say that something is a miss and I am damn mad about it. If you recall that in June the FIA released a list of the teams officially entered in the 2010 F1 championship. This included Ferrari and Red Bull (FOTA members who filed conditional applications). Remember the issue that saw Ferrari take the FIA to a French court as they felt they had veto rights, per the Concorde Agreement they signed to break up GPWC in 2005. After failing to win in court, Ferrari declared that they were not legally bound by the 2005 Concorde Agreement as the FIA had violated their obligation to allow Ferrari their rightful veto position during regulation development.
Follow me here. The FIA, on June 12th 2009, released this list:
“Following the completion of the applications process for teams to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the following teams have been confirmed.
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
RED BULL RACING
AT&T WILLIAMS
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM
CAMPOS GRAND PRIX
MANOR GRAND PRIX
TEAM US F1
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES*
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM*
RENAULT F1 TEAM*
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING*
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM*
*These five teams have submitted conditional entries.The FIA has invited them to lift those conditions following further discussions to be concluded not later than close of business on Friday 19 June.”
Twelve days later we were met with this release from the FIA that stated an agreement had been reached:
The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris on 24 June 2009, the following decisions were taken:
FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
All currently competing teams have committed to the FIA Formula One World Championship.
There will be no alternative series or championship and the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009.
As part of this agreement, the teams will, within two years, reduce the costs of competing in the championship to the level of the early 1990s. The manufacturer teams have agreed to assist the new entries for 2010 by providing technical assistance.
The manufacturer teams have further agreed to the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body. They have also committed to the commercial arrangements for the FIA Formula One World Championship until 2012 and have agreed to renegotiate and extend this contract before the end of that period.
All teams will adhere to an upgraded version of the governance provisions of the 1998 Concorde Agreement.
The following teams have been accepted for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM
RENAULT F1 TEAM
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
RED BULL RACING
AT&T WILLIAMS
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM
CAMPOS META TEAM
MANOR GRAND PRIX
TEAM US F1
This week we posted a story about the FIA/FOTA meeting on in which the FOTA members walked out. It was centered on this story we ran about a warning letter to the teams from the FIA in which they restated Article 66 of the International Sporting Code.
After reading the above statements from the FIA pertaining to the teams officially entered in the 2010 season, does anyone see anything that would contribute to or corroborate the fact that the FIA yesterday announced that the teams are, in fact, not entered and have no voting rights? Let me highlight that statement in FOTA’s press release:
“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.”
Is there no end to Ecclestone and Mosley’s madness? I have received some insider rumors* that suggest the member clubs of the FIA such as the RAC, AA, ATC UAE, and the AAA are calling for Mosley’s commitment to step down. If he does not commit to stepping down, they will call for his resignation at the next General Assembly meeting. I have also heard that the shareholders have asked for Bernie to resign his position after his Hitler comments.
*Now this is rumor folks and you know how that can be. I would not place a significant amount of weight on this until we hear from a motor club member of the FIA or CVC shareholder.
Having said that, I have received it from a reputable source. If it does not come to pass, I suggest that the politics of staging such a demand may have been thwarted or decided against. FOTA have a long road to travel for independence but if there were ever a time for it, now would be that time. I sent a letter demanding that the AAA remove themselves from the FIA or I will cancel my membership and never again join.
Ecclestone and Mosley have lost the plot of F1. They have slathered themselves in the wealth and power of the sport for so many years that they honestly felt that they were beyond reproach and as the sport boasts 5.5 billion viewers, I can’t help but guess that number is dwindling quikly.
CVC is holding the bag as they bought in to the notion of Ecclestone’s gambit of floating the bond for F1 and hedging future revenue of the sport. They will lose massively if they don’t get the two insufferable curmudgeons out of leadership roles and start dealing with FOTA directly.
FOTA knows this and had this statement today. I think it’s clear that the FOTA unity that Ecclestone and Mosley so desperately wanted to destroy has actually started to destroy the unity of FOM, FOA and the FIA. Good luck boys.
Luca is coming and hell is coming with him!
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Well done Negative Camber – one of the most sensible articles on the story that is F1. Generally there is some purpose to even the maddest of dictators. Even the Emperor Caligula when he made his horse Incitatus a consul in the Roman Senate there was a purpose – to humiliate the rest of its members. What purpose does the FIA (or Max as it seems to be the same thing) have in antagonising FOTA with this this game play, like Caligula simply to try to humiliate? Further why did Bernnie mention Hitler – it so random in the context of what he was trying to say which seems to be that Max is a good dictator (because he is being controlled by another GOOD dictator – Bernie himself). The silver-lining to this very dark cloud is that FOTA are talking to CVC directly and thereby side-stepping the madness and that the teams that did have voting power have currently no intention of picking a fight with FOTA. Possibly this is the beginning of the end of the B & M show and we should welcome such stupidity as it will leverage change in the regulation of the sport.
I try and keep to my self on most matters that don’t involve me directly, but it comes a time where we all have to pick a side and make some kind of stand.
I’m tired, so tired, so very tired of these two and their games. Can’t wait till Max is dragged into some EU courtroom and made to answer for his crimes. As for that 88 lover, he negated any respect I ever had for him.
I hope Luca and the boys know what their doing, for all our sakes.
PS Thanks N.C. for all that you do.
Fruuuuuuniks
Well written Neg…Well Written!
What an honorable man Max Mosely is, agreeing to a deal and sending out press releases then basically backing out of the deal with stupid loopholes that only serve one purpose and that is his personal purpose. All of this while the sport’s future looms in the balance because of this so called honorable man’s ego.
This is sickening, disgusting, deplorable…they don’t care one little bit about F1, track owners/promoters or the Fans (and of course the MFGs/FOTA) or the sponsors they only care about themselves. They both must go!
Well pointed out NC. I’m dying to find out now if the teams are registered or not for the 2010 championship. Do you think Max is doing everything possible to delay the teams as much as possible so they have no time to pursue their own series next year?
Oh, and two days ago I went to AAA on my way home to complain about Max. They thought I had trouble with my policy. All I was continuously asking was that AAA demand Max to step down. Poor ladies, including the branch manager, had no clue what the hell I was talking about.
Great article NC, you hit it right on the head. We are all frustrated with MadMax and BraindeadBernie to the point where I am *gasp* loosing interest in the worlds best sporting event.
Max and Bernie MUST go in order to protect the integrity and sanity of F1.
Keep up the great work!
off to straighten out the road :)
Thanks for the kind words folks. I am just venting my frusttration but it appears I am in good company. ;)
“Ecclestone and Mosley have lost the plot of F1″
Isn’t it more accurate to say that Ecclestone and Mosley (mainly Mosley) have lost the plot of the FIA? I won’t pretend to be an expert on the FIA, but my understanding is that its primary reason for existence is to provide a framework for safety in motor sports. Isn’t that the goal of the FIA and its members such as AAA, since when did this change to complete control of the sports direction and essence? Why are more of these member organizations not standing up when Max is outwardly stating that he is motivated and guided by spite for the FOTA.
I can only assume that it was the perceived need to slow the cars down (for SAFETY sake) that first got the FIA involved so heavily in the direction of car design and specs. What does KERS have to do with safety? What do budgets have to do with safety? Even if you take the relatively recently expanded scope of the FIA’s stated reason for being as an automotive consumer advocate you can still ask these questions.
I know the FIA is more then just a safety regulator, but isn’t that supposed to be its primary function. It actually does that pretty well, why this need to dominate (and subsequently destroy) F1?
Fantastic last line NC. Love it.
Thanks BT. I must admit my sad existence in that all of my best one-liners are borrowed from a film. ;)
Max is an old perverted, demented idiot !
Bernie is a short fool and unscruplous crack-pot !
BOTH NEED TO GO !
Dammit, I want the breakaway series. The Telegraph’s Tom Carey was interviewed on Radio Five earlier where he said (I can’t remember the exact quote so I paraphrase) that they were all as bad as each other and they should sort it out because a breakaway won’t ever happen because the sport can’t support two rival championships.
Good. I’m pissed off. I want a breakaway that will be a step change that will destroy the existing system. I want a series that goes to good tracks and doesn’t bankrupt promoters by making them run F1 as a loss-leader to stay famous. I want a series that doesn’t seem to have rules made up on the hoof by an imbecile (no matter how many of the press say he’s really intelligent or Bernie thinks should have been prime minister), I want a series with the drivers and manufacturers I enjoy watching that goes to race tracks that pull punters in.
I enjoy reading Tom in The Telegraph but today’s interview had me shouting swearwords in the car. Bring on the breakaway, not “they’re all rubbish and they should stop messing around like they’ve been doing for the past ten years.”
Sorry, rant over, just wanted to get that off my chest.
I have to give it a look-see Gordo. Haven’t seen that yet and usually Telegraph are somewhat anchored on subjects like that.
You couldn’t really be bothered to write it and man, I counldn’t be bothered to read it (this is no reflection on you NC). I’ve had enough of the whole situation and will attempt to avoid any political news until the start of next season.
Please someone, wake me up when 2010 starts and point me in the direction of the most valid series (if there are more than one).
Thanks in advance,
Karl
I know mate. I really do. The political war has all of us under siege. The problem is that I can’t avoid it as it is the very fabric of the sport that is being torn apart so it is news worthy. The balance, which i have so wrongly ignored is trying to keep our finger on the pulse of the sport without getting too far in to the politics. I haven’t balanced that as well as I would have liked to so I have been trying to make amends for race fans who don’t give a hoot about the politics. Sorry about that mate.
I understand fully, and it wasn’t s criticism of this great site.
What I’d most like to know is where was the “Is there enough mindless politicing in F1″ question in all of the recent F1 surveys! I’m sure I wouldn’t have ticked the “strongly disagree” option….
Then again I’m sure I stated that I didn’t think there was enough overtaking either. Were the Overtaking Working Group drunk on expenses the whole year? And what did they achieve, filthy ugly looking cars with bog awful wings and LESS (unsubstantiated) or equal overtaking… Sheesh, I digress.
LOL. I agree. Completely. ;)
Well written NC,
FOTA : The return of the manufacturers..
Well Max and Bernie tried their usual tactics to break FOTA, the difference is M&B have found more than a match in Luca…Max deprived of his spanks has become a mad man bitten by a rabid dog and stung by a scorpion all at the same time.
If only FOTA could bite the bullet and part ways they would complete the full circle. Almost all who care about F1 are on their side, even after paying for all the legal costs and other expenses needed to cut off from F1, they would galvanize the sport….come on the entire fan base is behind them, what else are they waiting for?