Timo Glock - Toyota 2009

The 2009 Toyota driver Timo Glock has signed for one of the new Formula One team’s expected on the grid for the 2010 season Manor Grand Prix.

According to rumours, the new team are expected to change their name to Virgin F1 before the beginning of the season, possibly to take place at their public launch which is expected later in the year.

Despite missing the final two rounds of the 2009 championship after being injured in the qualifying session of the Japanese Grand Prix, Glock has been consistent and fast, notching up three podium finishes.

Glock said;

“I had several options for 2010, some of them with more established teams. Every driver has the same overall objective – to win the world championship one day – but the way I want to succeed is to be part of the process of building a team and to play a key role in developing the car. This is why the opportunity with Manor Grand Prix is so exciting for me.

I have spent a lot of time with Nick Wirth, John Booth and other members of the team, and what I liked most is that this a real racing team run by true racers. The team may be small and new, but it has big ambitions and a very impressive car and development programme. I am confident that I can play a big role in terms of my technical input, and that’s a fantastic opportunity for me. I can’t wait to start testing the new car early next year!”

FIA

On Wednesday, a meeting to place in Germany involving the governing body of Formula One and the FOTA, not including of course, the two suspended team, Williams and Force India, to discuss proposals for the 2010 season.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), issued the following statement;

“Unfortunately, no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting.”

After a meeting in Paris last month, it appeared that the threat from FOTA to form a break-away group had been averted, however, now FOTA have said that once again the future of Formula One is again in jeopardy.

The meeting was arranged ahead of the German Grand Prix this weekend, and it’s aim was to bring together the eight FOTA members, Ferrari, McLaren, Brawn GP, Toro Rosso, Renault, Red Bull, BMW Sauber and Toyota, plus Williams and Force India and also to include the new teams coming into the sport in 2010, Campos, Manor and US F1.

Trouble arose when the FOTA members were told that they had no voting rights as they had not yet fully entered for 2010, meaning that the remaining five groups were the only ones with a right to vote as they were the only confirmed members for the following year.

The FIA have since issued their own statement;

“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 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 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.”

Stalemate yet again, maybe it is time for a break-away group, I, like many other fans across the world, am getting sick and tired of the political back-biting surrounding the once great sport!

Ross Brawn - Head of Brawn GP F1 Team

Rumours have been circulating for sometime about Richard Branson’s sponsorship move with Virgin from the Brawn GP Team to the new Manor Team in 2010, and an alleged email has all but confirmed it to be true.

The ‘Guardian’, has today published the email, sent by Max Mosley’s right-hand man and chief steward Alan Donnelly, stating that the deal was completed weeks ago.

The Formula One teams are said to have already sent a letter of complaint to the World Motorsport Council, concerning Donnelly and questioning a conflict of interest,  Donnelly has insisted however, that he has “no direct involvement”.

The Sheffield-based Manor F1 Team, had already raised suspicion when it was announced that they would be working with former Benetton designer Nick Wirth, head of  Wirth Research.  It was Wirth who founded the Simtek Research company alongside Max Mosley before putting his own F1 Team on the grid in 1994.

Off we go again!