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[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

By Jonathan Noble Sunday, July 12th 2009, 11:58 GMT

The Italian MSC organisation, parent company of the N.Technology team, is taking the FIA to court in Paris over the new Formula 1 team selection process for 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The N.Technology outfit had hoped to make it onto the grid next season but it withdrew its application in June after what it felt were 'irregularities' and uncertainties about the 2010 championship.

Those frustrations have now resulted in MSC applying to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last week for a legal hearing into the selection process for new teams. The team told AUTOSPORT that the judge accepted it had a valid case for a hearing, and the matter will now be heard on September 15.

MSC board member Angelo Codignoni, who is a former CEO of Eurosport, told AUTOSPORT: "We are doing this in the name of sport. From our point of view, the procedure for dealing with new entrants was not respected and there was not transparency about the process and preparations for the 2010 championship."

The MSC action follows claims that some of the rejected teams were unhappy about being told they needed to run Cosworth engines if their entry was going to be accepted.

AUTOSPORT understands that FOTA has also asked the FIA to clarify the team selection process, although team figures were keen not to get drawn into the controversy over the Nurburgring weekend.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "FOTA clearly doesn't have a vote on the selection process, so consequently it is not right to have a voice on it.

"We were not involved in the selection process. I think FOTA's position is that we are very happy to see new teams. It is healthy to see new teams in F1, and if FOTA can assist any team to make a successful start in F1 then we should be doing so."

[EwanM]

Good, as has been revealed, suspicion surrounds the selection process for the new teams. Why were bigger names such as Lola or Aston ignored? Was it purely out of fear of them siding with FOTA? Who knows.

Good on N.Technology - now get that Lada working in the WTCC

[racechick]

Good, as has been revealed, suspicion surrounds the selection process for the new teams. Why were bigger names such as Lola or Aston ignored? Was it purely out of fear of them siding with FOTA? Who knows.

Good on N.Technology - now get that Lada working in the WTCC

Yes Stuff you you cheating FIA!!!

[myownalias]

More courtroom F1; oh what fun

[NateDawg80126]

I don't expect much will come of this, but I hope I'm wrong, I hope they sue the bar stewards for all their worth!

[FerrariFan63]

I don't expect much will come of this, but I hope I'm wrong, I hope they sue the bar stewards for all their worth!

What would be the legal basis of the court case. Is there any legal requirement for the FIA to treat applications properly and fairly? Or would they be suing based on differences between what they were told before applying (written, verbal, etc.) and what happened?

[headless]

I don't expect much will come of this, but I hope I'm wrong, I hope they sue the bar stewards for all their worth!

yeah nothing will come from it.
Well the average Tom, sausage and Harry fans don't really care do they?

[billindenver]

I don't expect much will come of this, but I hope I'm wrong, I hope they sue the bar stewards for all their worth!

What would be the legal basis of the court case. Is there any legal requirement for the FIA to treat applications properly and fairly? Or would they be suing based on differences between what they were told before applying (written, verbal, etc.) and what happened?

That would depend on what the FIA said in order to entice the application and how much it cost to put that application together. If it was inferred, which I very much believe, that the application process would be merit based (which team is best qualified) and that certainly was not the case...then they have a case and it will be heard by a court. Being that the court allowed the suit, I imagine there is enough of a case there to warrant a look. You can't draw companies into spending big sums putting together an application on false pretense...or someone is going to get bent out of shape. Their company name takes damage when they are passed over for a no-name nobody because the rest of the planet believes that no-name has more merit. Corporate image is everything. I don't blame them for bringing the suit, I hope they take for a ton but we will never know. Remember that corporate image means a lot to those being sued as well, so more than likely there will be a quiet deal made behind the scenes and this will fade away.

All in my humble opinion of course

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

An unsuccessful team applicant for 2010 has filed a complaint against F1's governing body with the European Commission.

Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper said the Serbian company AMCO, after trying to obtain one of the three 2010 vacancies for 'Stefan Grand Prix', alleges that the FIA's unofficial requirement that new teams sign engine deals with Cosworth broke anti-competition laws.

"There is an element of plot behind our back which we are not capable of getting rid of without the Directorate General for Competition," the complaint indicates.

The report said an EC investigation is now possible.

Fronted by chief executive Zoran Stefanovic, the AMCO complaint seeks an annulment of the team selection process, which saw the Cosworth-powered Manor, USF1 and Campos outfits granted entries for 2010.

In the days following last June's selection, it was suggested by rejected applicants that the FIA had strongly favoured teams partnering with independent firm Cosworth and not with any of the major manufacturers, which were at war with FIA President Max Mosley at the time.

It was alleged that potential entrants having secured engine deals with manufacteurs were told that a switch to an independent supplier was strongly recommended.

An FIA spokesman had admitted that an independent engine supply was considered a priority within the selection process, to avoid the grid being "at the mercy of the car industry."

A disgruntled unsuccessful 2010 applicant considered the new teams were "hand-picked for political, rather than sport criteria."

Cosworth insisted it "in no way, shape or form requested that the FIA make demands on its behalf of potential entries to the Formula One world championship."

D.B. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM