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[EwanM]

Ecclestone joins FIA/FOTA meeting

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, May 14th 2009, 09:46 GMT

Bernie EcclestoneFormula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is to join a meeting between FIA president Max Mosley and teams in London tomorrow to discuss the row about a two-tier category next year.

After a week in which Ferrari, Toyota, Renault and the two Red Bull-owned teams have all confirmed that they will not lodge entries to the 2010 championship if the rules are not changed, tomorrow's talks look set to be crucial for the future of the sport.

Teams are unhappy that the imposition of a voluntary £40 million budget cap could lead to a two-tier F1 in 2010, and they are also aggrieved at what they believe has been a lack of consultation at the imposition of new regulations.

With the entry deadline for the 2010 championship closing at the end of this month, the FIA, Ecclestone and the teams only have two weeks to come to a compromise.

But despite the swell of opposition to the new rules among teams, Ecclestone believes that the main issue is sorting out Ferrari's position - as they are the most important team in F1.

"The key to F1 is Ferrari," Ecclestone was quoted as saying in the British press on Thursday. "They have been there for 60 years. They are partners of ours.

"They are the people we need to take into consideration. At the moment everyone is hanging on to their apron strings. Sort that out and we will be OK."

Of the other manufacturers in F1, only BMW and Mercedes-Benz have not yet joined those outfits stating that they will quit the 2010 championship if the rules are not changed.

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said in Spain last week that his team's stance would be made clear after this week's meeting, while Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug has said his company is not looking for an exit.

He was quoted in the German press as saying that threatening to withdraw from F1 was 'not a topic at Mercedes'.

He added: "I know that from conversation with (Ferrari president) Luca di Montezemolo and (team principal) Stefano Domenicali that Ferrari has thought about this threat very well..

"After 60 years in Formula 1 they would not do so without some serious thinking. We will try to help to find a solution. All the teams are agreed that there cannot be two regulations in one series."

Ferrari has made it clear that its threat to withdraw from F1 is not just sabre-rattling, and that it is serious about switching to other racing categories.

Enzo Ferrari's son Piero Ferrari told The Guardian: "I strongly believe that if you look at the past of Ferrari, today's image is born from victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and sports and GT racing.

"We cannot forget our beginnings, and the passion of my father is still in the company. But we want racing with clear rules and starting from the same point."

When asked about his father's threat to quit F1 in 1986 and switch to an assault on the Indianapolis 500, Ferrari added: "He wasn't bluffing. He was serious. And so are we."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75293

[Frosty]

I think Bernie being there will be a good thing because he will tell Max the reality to what will happen to F1 if those teams leave.

[pilotfriend]

I reckon that Max Mosley cannot have enjoyed enough spankings by lady camp komondants to have come up with the two tier system in the first place.

I can just imagine how they would ever enforce that a team was spending under 40 mil. The idea was absurd and ill thought out.

[Corrado]

Of course the teams won't leave, very simply because neither the FIA or Bernie would risk a grid without half the field.

That's the crux of the situation. Assuming BMW decides to leave with Toyota, Ferrari, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, and Renault, that's a decent start to a series, especially if they craft the rules to run 3 cars per team. I would be surprised if McLaren stuck around in Bernie's F1 series with the other teams gone, but I'll assume they stay in F1 for this discussion.

The voluntary budget cap is clearly attracting the attention of teams who *are* willing to operate under those conditions and are being drawn into the sport in a time of economic hardship. The absence of the deep pockets of the factory teams may also bring the likes of VAG, Mazda, Aston Martin, Peugot or any number of other manufacturers who have been looking for an opportune time to get [back] into the F1 game (speculation/examples on all but VAG for F1 entries).

How many of the potential & existing teams for 2010 will end up backing out if the favorable conditions for their entry are neutered as a result of the threat of the exodus of the manufacturer teams? The Mfg teams aren't griping about the budget cap, they're griping about the competitive edge that will be given to those teams and their belief that accounting won't be able to police the regulations. Assuming the Mfg teams won't be happy with anything short of a big buff to the budget cap and a substantial reduction in the performance & testing advantages granted to the other teams, will that agreement still encourage other teams to enter the series?

Looking at Canada as an example, Bernie is crafting race deals such that he gets his piece and then everyone else gets to fight over what's left. With those agreements in place, he may not care about the health of the sport if he's got a guaranteed paycheck every 2 weeks for 2/3 of the year regardless of whether Ferrari & McLaren are racing or Lola and Proline are racing.

[MAD MAX]

Any news coming out of Heathrow

[bud]

Any news coming out of Heathrow

Monte didnt make it due to the death of his father, Domenicalli was sent instead!

[scotty]

Sorry if this has been posted in another thread...

Teams vow to find cost cutting solution

Formula 1 teams have vowed to keep working towards finding a cost-cutting solution acceptable to the FIA, despite the failure to reach an agreement in Friday's showdown talks with the governing body.

With time ticking down to the closure of entries to the 2010 world championship later this month, the teams failed to convince the FIA to back down on plans for a £40 million voluntary budget cap.

Members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) held a meeting after their talks with the FIA, but no firm plan was put in place and most team principals left without wanting to comment on the situation.

However, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was encouraged that all teams remained united in their efforts to find a way forward - with further talks now set for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

"I think that the meeting shows that on one side there is a very united group of teams that were discussing with the president of the FIA about the future, and above all this regulation. That is what I can say," he said.

Ferrari has joined Toyota, Red Bull and Renault in threatening not to enter the 2010 championship if the rules are not changed.

When asked if there was the possibility of finding a compromise deal: "I think that, as we said, it is a work in progress. We are working hard to find a solution and I think today with the teams we showed our unity, with a different perspective but it was important to reiterate our concept"

Domenicali also made it clear that the matter was more than simply agreeing on cost cuts.

"I think that is not only the case. We need to discuss about other things regarding the governance and the way the rule is done. It's not only this point on the table of the discussion."

Speaking about the looming May 29 deadline, Domenicali said: "You know what our position is. I think that the time is short, but we will try to work very hard."

[EwanM]

Very interesting.
Tuesday is the crucial day. Its up to the French courts. Whatever they say is going to have a massive bearing on how the negotiations go.

[scotty]

The powers that be will change their stance, i'm positive of that. They may be stubborn and whatever other names people want to use, but they will admit defeat and 'lose a battle' for the good of F1 in general, because it's ultimately good for them. They're not stupid... if maybe slightly weird/senile/crazy....

[EwanM]

The powers that be will change their stance, i'm positive of that. They may be stubborn and whatever other names people want to use, but they will admit defeat and 'lose a battle' for the good of F1 in general, because it's ultimately good for them. They're not stupid... if maybe slightly weird/senile/crazy....

I think your right, Bernie is saying no to a two tier system, and Max has even said he will drop the idea after today. The stumbling block appears to be the cap now.

And I agree scotty, despite the FIA and FOM appearing to be only concerned about their own interests, they do need the teams and do have to make concessions. For the good of their profits more than anything...

[bud]

The powers that be will change their stance, i'm positive of that. They may be stubborn and whatever other names people want to use, but they will admit defeat and 'lose a battle' for the good of F1 in general, because it's ultimately good for them. They're not stupid... if maybe slightly weird/senile/crazy....

I think your right, Bernie is saying no to a two tier system, and Max has even said he will drop the idea after today. The stumbling block appears to be the cap now.

And I agree scotty, despite the FIA and FOM appearing to be only concerned about their own interests, they do need the teams and do have to make concessions. For the good of their profits more than anything...

i dont think its just the cap anymore, stability of the rules is a major part of Ferrari's decision making now. and for good reason! continual changes of the sporting regs for the teams to spend more money.

[headless]

40 mil was abit hopeful.