|
|
|
FOTA to FIA, Sod Off |
|
|
Thursday, 18 June 2009 |
Sky news is reporting the group of leading Formula One teams are to quit the sport and set up a rival championship next year.
Many of the teams who competed in the Turkish Grand Prix will not be in F1 in 2010
Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso have all declined to enter F1 for 2010.
The eight teams, which together form the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), failed to reach a compromise with FIA president Max Mosley over plans for a £40m budget cap.
Motor sport's governing body had issued a deadline of Friday for teams to enter next year's championship unconditionally.
The split was announced ahead of the British Grand Prix, which takes place at Silverstone on Sunday.
FOTA said it had tried to work with the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone, who holds the commercial rights to F1, to "develop and improve the sport" since forming last September.
But it added in a statement: "It has become clear, however, the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 world championship.
"These teams, therefore, have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners."
Many of the team bosses, including Brawn GP's Ross Brawn, were originally in favour of the voluntary budget limit, although Ferrari were not.
FOTA said it had already achieved "substantial measures to reduce costs" and had agreed on further voluntary budget cuts.
But Mosley angered the teams when he announced the introduction of a cap at the end of April without consulting them.
The teams accused the FIA boss and Ecclestone of trying to divide them and ignoring their views on the future of the sport.
As things stand, next year's F1 championship now consists of Williams and Force India, along with the three new teams, USF1, Campos and Manor. |
| |
