- 14 Jun 09, 21:25#126517From Planet F1:
Ferrari: A reasonable FIA or a breakaway series
Sunday 14th June 2009
Ferrari and FOTA President Luca di Montezemolo says the outcome of the current political crisis can go one of only two ways; either the FIA reforms or a breakaway begins.
Despite Friday's publication of next year's team line-up, the feud between the Formula One Teams' Association and the FIA is far from over.
Not only are Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso believed to be on the verge of challenging their inclusion in the 2010 Championship but the five FOTA members provisional pencilled in have until Friday 19 June to sign up unconditionally.
FOTA, though, are standing firm in their belief that the 2010 Championship cannot run under the regulations that FIA President Max Mosley wishes to impose.
And should he press ahead with his planned budget cap, di Montezemolo says the FOTA members are prepared to walk away from Formula One.
"In a couple of years the problem with Formula 1 will be solved - as I really hope, with a responsible FIA, as we want, or, as happens in other sports, organising our own Championship," he told Autosport while attending the Le Mans 24 Hours.
"Because when you have engines, gearboxes, brands, technology, organisation, capability to invest, it is not difficult. So the problem will be solved, I hope very soon."
Following Friday's announcement, FOTA approached the World Motor Sport Council asking the members to intervene in the political war - something di Montezemolo hopes will happen as he doesn't want to pull Ferrari out of F1.
"We cannot repeat every day that we will not enter the next Formula 1 Championship with these rules and without taking care of the Ferrari rights," he continued.
"I hope that we will solve our problems because for me, I started to work as Ferrari team manager in 1973. We are the only car manufacturer to have been in Formula 1 since the beginning, without any interruptions, and Formula 1 for Ferrari is part of the life, the blood, the DNA.
"I am not happy. We are not happy. We are very unhappy with the situation as it is, mainly for the public, for the spectators. We don't want Formula 1 to become Formula 3.
"We want not only to maintain but also to improve the F1 DNA, technology, innovation, and competition. We want to cap in a very important way the cost, because everybody has been too far, and I think FOTA has done a strong demonstration to be able to cut costs in 2009 for 50 per cent more of the general cost for engine and gearbox."
He added: "We will continue in this direction. We are together and we want to find a solution, and I am sure that inside the FIA there will be people responsible enough to understand that now it is absolutely necessary not to create trouble, to destroy Formula 1, but to solve the problem."
As for claims that FOTA are the bad guys in the war, the organisation's president insists they are only doing what they feel is best for Formula One as a whole.
"I think our conditions are constructive, are very clear: governance, stable rules - the people don't understand any more rules that change every six months, one day it's KERS, another day it's standard engines - and looking ahead to have a balance between cost and revenues, to let new commerce enter.
"I'm very pleased to have new teams, and when I say teams I mean Formula 1 not Formula 3."
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998,
1999, 2007McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
