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[EwanM]

Thing is we'll probably be presented with someone like that, so maybe the best of a bad bunch.

Unless the teams weren't prepared to return to the fold without certain concessions that we haven't heard about yet.

True, suppose we'll find out with FOTA's press release tomorrrow.

[FerrariFan63]

True, suppose we'll find out with FOTA's press release tomorrrow.

My belief is that there will be a lot of things agreed, on both sides, that we won't hear about formally ever. But we may notice certain things going the teams' way over the next couple of years, if it was the FIA that backed down first.

If someone associated with any of the rebel teams, such as Todt or Dennis, suddenly became FIA president, that would be an example of what I mean.

[EwanM]

True, suppose we'll find out with FOTA's press release tomorrrow.

My belief is that there will be a lot of things agreed, on both sides, that we won't hear about formally ever. But we may notice certain things going the teams' way over the next couple of years, if it was the FIA that backed down first.

If someone associated with any of the rebel teams, such as Todt or Dennis, suddenly became FIA president, that would be an example of what I mean.

Yep I agree. I can't wait till the next time a political problem arrises and the teams/FIA reveal all about this agreement.

F1... so predictable huh ? hahaha

[bud]

I dont think the FIA even needs a president.

[EwanM]

I dont think the FIA even needs a president.

Again I'd do it voluntary. I would be a silent Pres.

[FerrariFan63]

Again I'd do it voluntary. I would be a silent Pres.

Silent but deadly?

[EwanM]

Again I'd do it voluntary. I would be a silent Pres.

Silent but deadly?

If I needed to be.

[EwanM]

Howett pleased with FIA resolution

By Edd Straw and Dieter Rencken Wednesday, June 24th 2009, 15:36 GMT

John HowettFormula 1 Teams' Association vice chairman John Howett is delighted that the FIA has adopted his organisation's proposals for the sport, averting the threat of a breakaway series.

Howett, president of the Toyota team, has been a major player in the negotiations between FOTA and the FIA and is upbeat about F1's future.

"I am pleased that FOTA's proposals have been endorsed and approved by the WMSC today," said Howett. "This will ensure that we move forward on the basis of stable, proper governance and this will ensure an outcome which is very good news for all of F1's many stakeholders.

"This has been a challenging period but thanks to the unity of the FOTA teams and the foresight of the World Motor Sport Council members, we have achieved the right result for F1.

"We look forward to working with the FIA Senate to achieve a prosperous and exciting future for F1 and its millions of fans around the world."

FOTA will meet tomorrow in Bologna to finalise the framework for the cost reduction regulations that will be introduced in 2010.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76500

Erm, will Williams and Force India be allowed to formalise the cost cutting proposals for next year?

[bud]

good question, seeing as this is all out the window, i think FOTA will allow them back into the fold.

not that it means anything their logos still appear on the FOTA website. could mean they expected them to return or its just a lazy web master.

[EwanM]

More details of the deal which saved F1

June 24, 2009 by James Allen

The FIA has issued the entry list for next season’s F1 world championship and it features all of the existing teams and the three new ones who entered last week.
Montezemolo: Played a strong hand

Montezemolo: Played a strong hand

Meanwhile more details of the deal which saved F1, brokered by Luca di Montezemolo, Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, are staring to emerge. The crucial points are that the rules for next year will be the same as 2009, costs will be brought right down, but there will be no budget cap and the teams and manufacturers have committed to the sport until at least 2012.

The rules may be as in 2009, but this is really only a starting point. The devil will be in the detail; will they go ahead with the ban on refuelling, for example? There is still more work to be done on this and FOTA meets tomorrow at noon, to move forward on finalising things in conjunction with the FIA.

There will be no budget cap, instead teams will act together to drastically reduce costs, down to a level of around £40m million in two years time. They will provide some ‘technical assistance’ to the new teams, although as all three of them are signed up to Cosworth, cut price engines will not be part of that. It will be interesting to see whether all three of the new teams are still using Cosworths when next season starts. Asking the teams what this ‘technical assistance’ consists of, the answer is rather vague at the moment.

The teams and manufacturers have agreed to commit to 2012, but the deals with the FIA and FOM are different. This is a key point for FOTA. The FIA deal is open ended, recognising the FIA’s right to be the regulator of the sport, but now with the F1 commission in place to decide on future rules, which was not the case recently. With regard to FOM, the teams are signed up until 2012, presumably on the same commercial terms, but they have separated their dealings with FOM from their dealings with the FIA.

Max Mosley will not seek re-election in October when his current term expires. In the meantime he has relinquished his position as the main contact man at the FIA for F1. Instead the FIA Senate will deal with any issues in F1. Mosley is a member of the Senate and, under FIA rules, he will remain a member in future as an ex president. There is a sense here that if this deal were to fall through then Mosley would be on hand to take up the FIA’s side again. Meanwhile there will be an election for a new FIA president in due course.

The deal was hammered out in a two hour meeting between Luca di Montezemolo of FOTA/Ferrari, Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley. The meeting took place in the FIA building and the three then went across to the world council meeting room to get everything ratified. The three men broke out of the WMSC meeting part way through to finalise a few details and then returned to report their agreement.

Both sides have achieved much of what he wanted, by pushing the teams over the brink, Mosley has got new teams into the sport, forced the manufacturers to commit and got them and the teams to wake up and smell the coffee when it comes to budgets.

So what provided the breakthrough? Well on the FIA’s side it was FOTA’s acknowledgement of the FIA’s authority, their right to govern and regulate F1. On FOTA’s side it was Mosley’s agreement not to stand again and the return of the F1 commission for setting new rules.

FOTA has achieved a lot and will no doubt continue as the body which represents the teams and manufacturers in dealings with the FIA and FOM in future. I imagine that Williams and Force India will be readmitted to FOTA, having sat on the sidelines throughout this most recent process.

Leaving their respective methods to one side, to me this episode shows that Mosley has always been a long term thinker, whereas the teams are more short term. It has been painful and it’s not completely over yet, but F1 should emerge stronger.

2010 F1 ENTRY LIST
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM BMW SAUBER
RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING TOYOTA
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR TBA
RED BULL RACING RBR TBA
AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS TOYOTA
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN TBA
CAMPOS META TEAM CAMPOS COSWORTH
MANOR GRAND PRIX MANOR COSWORTH
TEAM US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

Also good the team's dealings with the FIA and FOM are finally separated.

[EwanM]

good question, seeing as this is all out the window, i think FOTA will allow them back into the fold.

not that it means anything their logos still appear on the FOTA website. could mean they expected them to return or its just a lazy web master.

You have to admit the FOTA website is pretty cheap looking. Cost cutting in more ways than one.

[texasmr2]

I dont think the FIA even needs a president.

I agree mate as I believe the decisions made should come from a majority vote note a heavy hammer. Thats what you mean right?

[Denthúl]

I dont think the FIA even needs a president.

I agree mate as I believe the decisions made should come from a majority vote note a heavy hammer. Thats what you mean right?

Not always a great idea.

[McLaren Fan]

Presumably the Cosworth engines won't be limited to 18,000 RPM...

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

The first details of the peace deal between rebel FOTA teams and the FIA are beginning to emerge.

Max Mosley, now to step down as FIA President in October, announced after Wednesday's World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris that a cost reductions package had paved the way to a compromise deal between the warring sides.

But it is also believed that Michel Boeri, currently President of the FIA senate and head of the Monaco automobile club, will immediately begin to handle all relations between the sport's governing body and the teams.

It seems that Mosley's planned budget cap, meanwhile, has been completely scrapped, although the kinds of other cost reductions agreed by the eight Formula One Teams Association members should lead to radically smaller budgets by 2011.

However, Mosley appears to have backed down on all fronts.

He had been pushing for the executive boards of the manufacturers involved in F1 to commit to the sport in writing through 2014. Instead, all the teams will simply sign a new Concorde Agreement, but valid only to the end of 2012.

The published 2010 regulations are to be completely torn up, replaced - as per FOTA's wish - with this year's rules but modified for the cost-cutting measures agreed on Wednesday.

The World Motor Sport Council was the culmination of an intense amount of pressure: not only about the viability of Mosley's ongoing tenure, but also the looming breakaway.

FOTA had this week appointed a PR company to inform a wider media audience about the plans, and was preparing to push forward with a meeting to discuss preparations - including inking initial contracts - on Thursday in Bologna.

Lawyers for F1's commercial equity owners CVC, meanwhile, had travelled to Silverstone last weekend and apparently pushed the warring sides very hard - particularly Mosley as the regulator - to broker a solution.

Wednesday's developments are likely to be immediately formalised with FIA and FOTA press statements, and the publication of a final 2010 entry list.

"This for me is an enormous relief," Mosley said in a hastily convened press conference in Paris, also referring to "personal difficulties" he has faced.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was also in Paris and said he was "very happy that common sense has prevailed."

D.B. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM