Photo: Ross BrawnA split in any organisation or sporting series does not work and is often a result of a fight for power and money. If we see this happen in Formula One for the 2010 season this will only be for the detriment of the sport.
Eight teams (McLaren, Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull, Brawn GP, Toro Rosso and Renault) belong to the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) and will not agree to race next year under the sweeping changes that the F1 governing body, the FIA, has implemented. Unless a compromise is found they will set up there own championship next year. The key is a budget cap of $40 million Euro and the restraints that this imposes on the current teams.
The FOTA announced that: "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."
Friday 19th June 2009 was ‘D-Day’ for the announcement of the entry list by the FIA for the 2010 F1 championship. This was the day that the FOTA entries had to agree with the new changes for the championship. This has come and gone and now the official entry list has been delayed by the FIA.
The FIA have released a statement: “The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series. The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law. The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay.
Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights.”
This could be viewed as a minor victory for the FOTA. Why?
If you step back from the FIA and the ‘arguments’ that take place with the teams and there is often one prevalent factor and that is the president Max Mosley. He has a no compromise, take no prisoners, attitude to dealing with Formula One. This could be viewed as a steamroller management style.
Fortunately this is often tempered by Bernie Ecclestone. While the FIA own F1 it is Ecclestone that owns the commercial rights of the sport. Many a time has he stepped in and brought about a compromise within the F1 fraternity.
It is the view of this writer that Max Mosley and the FIA are mad in their no compromise approach dealing with the FOTA and their entries for 2010. It comes across as merely a fight for power by the FIA, however if you look at what the FOTA are fighting for it is for respect.
In last nights press conference (click here) team principals from McLaren, Red Bull and Brawn GP were questioned closely. Ross Brawn said the following which I believe sums up the intentions of the FOTA. “…. the teams have a massive investment in Formula One and they want their investment respected. Formula One doesn’t belong to the teams. I don’t believe it belongs to Formula One. It belongs to the people. Formula One belongs to all of us. It is not something which is owned by anybody. It is like the Olympic Games, the World Cup. It is an entity in itself. It needs respecting and nurturing and it needs to be developed.”
There is no doubt that Ross Brawn would command the greatest respect of anyone currently in Formula One at the moment. He was an integral part of all Michael Schumacher’s world championship successes both at Benetton and Ferrari and has now brought the Brawn GP team to the edge of one of the most successful seasons in F1 history. He has everything at stake.
One has to listen to what such a respected figure has to say. In reading the press conference (click here) there appears to be a genuineness from the FOTA on holding onto to what is absolutely essential to what F1 is to about to the teams, fans and the history. It is hard to argue against these values.
A split will have massive consequences for both parties. The FIA will no doubt have contractual issues with sponsors, TV, circuits and governments while the FOTA will have to set up all these systems for itself. It did not work in the USA with IRL and CART. It didn’t work with rugby league and is potentially destroying the America’s Cup in yachting.
See also
- Future of F1 at stake - the view of team princpals
