Buzzin F1 – Formula One Blog

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!