- 25 Mar 09, 18:21#96904
Bernie Ecclestone has claimed that Renault and McLaren threatened to throw the start of the new season into chaos by leading a teams' boycott of the Australian Grand Prix over a money dispute.
Formula 1’s commercial supremo told The Times that the threat was made during discussions over a new Concorde Agreement between Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, McLaren chairman Ron Dennis and Toyota president John Howett and himself last week.
Ecclestone alleged that Briatore and Dennis warned him they wouldn’t fly their respective team’s car out to Melbourne as planned unless he paid them commerical money they claimed was owed to the squads, with the pair also said to have warned that the rest of the FOTA teams were prepared to follow suit.
Bernie goes on to say he called there bluff and said he would cancel the flights
They should boycott the race if he has not paid them as he was quick enough to cancel GP`S who had not paid him
Formula 1’s commercial supremo told The Times that the threat was made during discussions over a new Concorde Agreement between Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, McLaren chairman Ron Dennis and Toyota president John Howett and himself last week.
Ecclestone alleged that Briatore and Dennis warned him they wouldn’t fly their respective team’s car out to Melbourne as planned unless he paid them commerical money they claimed was owed to the squads, with the pair also said to have warned that the rest of the FOTA teams were prepared to follow suit.
Bernie goes on to say he called there bluff and said he would cancel the flights
They should boycott the race if he has not paid them as he was quick enough to cancel GP`S who had not paid him
What they achieve in life echoes through eternity
