The war of words continues as the FIA have released a statement over Martin Brundle s most recent Sunday Times column.
The trouble started a few months ago when Brundle wrote a column in the newspaper criticising the way that the FIA had handled the espionage saga. At the latest meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, Brundle s column was on the agenda and it was decided that some of the FIA s funds would be released to sue the Sunday Times over the column.
Brundle then hit back over the weekend saying that the FIA s lawsuit saying that it was “a warning sign to other journalists and publications to choose their words carefully†when writing about the FIA s decision not to punish Renault despite finding them guilty of spying, a decision which mirrored the original decision against McLaren.
Speaking to Autosport, an FIA spokesman said, “It is regrettable that instead of applauding the achievements of motor sport’s international champions, who were recognised this weekend in a Gala prize giving ceremony in Monaco, Martin Brundle chose to continue his campaign against motor sport’s governing body.
“Instead of celebrating the results of the closest F1, WRC and WTCC championships for years, Martin has again sought to call into question the integrity of the FIA World Council.
“Of course Martin is perfectly entitled to his opinion but he should try to understand that to accuse the regulator of a worldwide sport of conducting a witch-hunt against one of its licensed competitors is a very serious charge.
“The FIA World Council unanimously decided that this could not be left unchallenged. He will now be given the opportunity to try to substantiate his claims in front of the courts.”
