FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[EwanM]

I made this thread so we can discuss the "rumblings" that are sure to take place between and after the 29th of May submission date for the 2010 championship.

First up: Williams make the first more

Williams submits F1 entry for 2010

By Jonathan Noble Monday, May 25th 2009, 10:02 GMT


Williams has become the first of the current teams to enter next year's world championship, despite the continued uncertainty about the regulations.

Just 24 hours after Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) members claimed that the current grid was 'united' in its efforts to get the 2010 regulations changed, Williams has decided to lodge an application to compete in next year's championship.

Williams CEO Adam Parr told Reuters that his team's decision did not mean that the outfit was breaking away from FOTA, however.

"The unity of FOTA is of paramount importance to Williams," said Parr. "Yesterday we joined the other members of FOTA in writing to the FIA (International Automobile Federation) to request a continuing effort to find a compromise concerning the regulations for 2010."

Teams have written to FIA president Max Mosley saying that they will commit to racing until 2012, and sign a new Concorde Agreement, if the FIA scraps next year's regulations.

Speaking about the Concorde Agreement, Parr said: "We believe that under the leadership of (Ferrari president Luca) di Montezemolo and (Toyota motorsport president) John Howett, FOTA has extracted some very significant concessions from the FIA.

"These include not only the procedural aspects of the budget cap but also other elements that will enable the higher budget teams to participate.

"Having said that, Williams has -- and has always maintained -- that we have a binding contract with both FOM (Ecclestone's Formula One Management) and the FIA to participate in the world championship from 2008 to 2010."

He added: "We have been paid in full for our participation and we feel both morally and legally obliged to make it clear that we will participate in Formula One in the future as we have in the past 30 years.

"We owe this to our employees, our sponsors and the fans, all of whom are affected by statements that the teams may not enter next year's championship."

"We will continue to work within FOTA and with FOM and FIA to find a compromise but no one should be in any doubt about our commitment to the FIA F1 world championship."

Other members of FOTA are expected to meet this week to decide what to do about their entries to next year's championship, with the deadline closing this Friday.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75626

[racechick]

I know this perhaps isnt the place to post this since its about WTCC but it might shed light on BMW's current mind set regarding the FIA. BMW are so fed up with the regulations of this series (FIA) that it is considering withdrawing form the series next year.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75577

[WildWalker]

I know this perhaps isnt the place to post this since its about WTCC but it might shed light on BMW's current mind set regarding the FIA. BMW are so fed up with the regulations of this series (FIA) that it is considering withdrawing form the series next year.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75577

Might have more to do with the massive financial loss BMW posted earlier this month? I wouldn't be surprised if BMW and Toyota withdrew. The one thing that I have no idea is how much the teams get in sponsorship. The manufactureres themselves may put very little of their own money in to the team, I don't know. If that is the case then they may carry on. But this does make a 40Million (or at least a cap, whatever the teams decide) budget cap a consideration in these financially uncertain times.

WW

[racechick]

Im sure money is a factor and capping has to be done. It's how. But if you read that article it looks like the FIA have been making pisspoor decisions again.

[bud]

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6209

i tried this, got no love!

[racechick]

I can open that link but it might be only because i subsribe. Sorry about that here's the article:-


BMW considering its future in WTCC

By Steven English and Dieter Rencken Sunday, May 24th 2009, 12:27 GMT


BMW Motorsport is considering quitting the World Touring Car Championship, following on-going disputes over the technical regulations.

The championship has been plagued by the continued wrangling over the equalisation of BMW's 320si and the turbo-diesel SEAT Leon TDi hatchbacks, and BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen has admitted that BMW's patience with the series is wearing thin.

"In my opinion the situation is not sustainable and we are presently examining our WTCC commitment very critically," he told the press in Monaco.

"We have always been in touring car racing in some form or other, and we will continue in that way. But we have a very broad base of customers so it doesn't necessarily have to be a works engagement."

BMW ended last season frustrated that its car was unable to compete with the turbo-diesel-powered SEAT Leons. SEAT had its boost pressure restricted to 2.5 bar prior to the beginning of this season, but BMW was still unable to win any of the opening six races.

A protest from BMW after the Marrakech round earlier this month revealed that SEAT had been granted a variable increase in its boost pressure to counter atmospheric conditions in the first three races, which the rival manufacturers had not been informed about.

Theissen believes the WTCC's governing body, the FIA, is responsible for the situation and admits that there is no easy solution.

Last weekend at Pau, the row over the rules intensified as nine cars were excluded from qualifying for exceeding the maximum rev limit during downshifts. Fifteen cars then went unpunished for doing the same in the two races.

"This isn't so much a SEAT situation but an FIA situation," he added. "As far as we are concerned, it is extremely difficult to resolve.

"There were far too many decisions taken that were not clearly thought through. Sometimes after a race, and sometimes even during a race when the regulations were changed or the parameters were changed.

"The decisions taken were not communicated cleanly - that means competitors did not know what the situation was, and under which circumstances and conditions the other competitors were racing. This only became clear when there was a protest."

Theissen admitted that BMW is currently investigating opportunities in other touring car series and that it could choose not run a factory programme for an unspecified length of time.

"We are looking at other touring car categories," he said. "If we do come to a decision where a works commitment doesn't make sense in any given series, then it could be for a period of time that we may only lend support to our customers, as opposed to competing ourselves."

[bud]

"Having said that, Williams has -- and has always maintained -- that we have a binding contract with both FOM (Ecclestone's Formula One Management) and the FIA to participate in the world championship from 2008 to 2010."

ok this i do not get, if the teams have a binding contract for 2010 and have been paid in full then why then is it possible for some teams to miss out if they don't sign up by this deadline?
Surely if they have been paid and are contractually obligated to participate in 2010 then it shouldn't matter if they decide not to sign up by the 29th....

[scotty]

"Having said that, Williams has -- and has always maintained -- that we have a binding contract with both FOM (Ecclestone's Formula One Management) and the FIA to participate in the world championship from 2008 to 2010."

ok this i do not get, if the teams have a binding contract for 2010 and have been paid in full then why then is it possible for some teams to miss out if they don't sign up by this deadline?
Surely if they have been paid and are contractually obligated to participate in 2010 then it shouldn't matter if they decide not to sign up by the 29th....

...and considering Bernie threatened legal action against Ferrari if they pulled out because of a contractual agreement, it would make that threat (not getting a spot on the grid by missing the deadline) even more void and ridiculous than it already was!

Seems like the FIA's political game is crashing and burning!

[billindenver]

Court fights over contracts tend to get pretty convoluted. I guarantee Bernie's case of Ferrari breaking contract will be countered by Ferrari showing Bernie breaking the veto contract. Each party will claim the other broke the contract first and dirty laundry will be thrown into the air for months on end. The attorneys will make a fortune and nothing positive will come of it. As far as the other teams not participating while being under contract to do so...they will back their position by saying something along the lines that Europe has dictated that the FIA may not shove rules changes down the teams throats...yet they did, so therefore...blah blah blah. Contracts are wonderful things in that they make us all feel warm and fuzzy inside...but the truth is there are so many ways to break them that it is typically a false feeling of security.

I am also quite certain that each teams F1 organization is a separate corporation from their mother ship....and when they decide not to compete, they will fold up the F1 corporation ...leaving nobody for Bernie to sue. Bernies lawsuit threat is posturing.

[Jensonb]

I suspect Brawn and Force India will lodge entries soon enough too. They don't have the resources to back up any threat, even as it stands it rings hollow.

And with the F1 Fraternity cruising towards a solution, it's likely we'll only lose Toyota (Who we already expected to go) and possibly BMW.

[Gert]

Williams got bought off before the season had even started. They went begging to Uncle Bernie to make up the cash that thy'd lost as their sponsors left as fast as their little legs would carry them & Bernie, being the kind of guy he is, made them promise to stay in F1 un til at least 2012. None of which is news.
We also know that Bernie has threatened to sue any team that has signed up until 2012 (tought to have been a dig at Ferrari) but as we already knew he'd done the deal with Williams it's no suprise at all that they have signed up. Had they not done so Bernie would have sued them into oblivion.

[FerrariFan63]

Same old strategy. Divide and conquer. In trying to make sure that the F1 championship remains credible, the FIA needs to target teams which can be bought off, and have a long and illustrious history. Surely Williams is at the head of that list.

[Gert]

Same old strategy. Divide and conquer. In trying to make sure that the F1 championship remains credible, the FIA needs to target teams which can be bought off, and have a long and illustrious history. Surely Williams is at the head of that list.

They are behind Ferrari surely?

[FerrariFan63]

Same old strategy. Divide and conquer. In trying to make sure that the F1 championship remains credible, the FIA needs to target teams which can be bought off, and have a long and illustrious history. Surely Williams is at the head of that list.

They are behind Ferrari surely?

It certainly appears that Ferrari can't be bought off this time. So, no.

[Gert]

You'll admit that they've been bought off before though?

IE, caught putting their own needs ahead of those of the sport?