...if the budget cap regulations as recently enacted by the FIA for 2010 remain in place.
It's an all out shooting war now between the FIA and FOTA, with Ferrari swinging its heavy hammer but with neither likely to emerge as the winner. If Formula 1 cannot credibly exist without Ferrari and the other major manufacturer teams, Ferrari and all cannot really afford to be without F1 either. Sure, FOTA could organize a rival series, but this has enormous complications not the least of which would be the agreement they have with Ecclestone and the FIA up to 2012.
Will manufacturers win or will formula one go back to a modified "garagistes" era? Your thoughts?
The full statement is after the jump
The Board of Directors (have) examined developments related to recent decisions taken by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile during an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on 29 April 2009.
"Although this meeting was originally called only to examine a disciplinary matter, the decisions taken mean that, for the first time ever in Formula 1, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.
"The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari's uninterrupted participation in the World Championship over the last 60 years - the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 - would come to a close.
"The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams.
"The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations.
"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future.
"If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 World Championship.
"Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia's approach to motor sport and to Formula 1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values.
"The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company's interests."
I think Mosley & Ecclestone need to go. Let the present Team Owners & Principals figure something out. Those two have caused more trouble and controversy than need be.
ReplyDeleteThat said, to me Formula 1 was all about seeing the pinnacle in automotive development. But now it seems that the FIA & crew want to make it like a glorified European version of the IRL/Indy.
My thoughts are all over the place but F1 does need the big teams but at the same time they also need the "smaller" teams. Hopefully they can find a reasonable balance. All the F1 politics is taking away from the incredible crop of young talent out there. As a fan it is getting annoying but also interesting. I'm divided, I don't know! I'm just rambling on.
I wonder how many people will think Ferrari is jumping ship because of an embarrassing and lackluster season.
ReplyDelete@Umai well, that never stopped them before and god knows they had many embarrassing and lackluster seasons!
ReplyDelete@Umai - Ferrari knows that they can't always be top contenders in everything all the time. They're in it for the long haul, plus this season is a wildcard of sorts and caught a lot of teams out. Once these damn rules stabilize some order might return however much I dislike Ferrari I agree with their move.
ReplyDeleteI've been a Ferrari fan since I was a child and I saw Gilles race wheel to wheel for lap after lap with Rene Arnoux in Dijon for 2nd place, but this disgusts me, not just Ferrari but all the teams who are whinging about a 2 tier F1 and the Budget cap.
ReplyDeleteIn the current economic state how can any company justify the level of spending we've seen in recent years? when they are laying people off and whinging about losses?
Also if the teams don't want a 2 tier F1 then why not accept the budget cap and the additional freedom to inovate within that playpen, but no instead we the fans get this "it's my ball and I'm going home" bull-erm-manure
Let's Face it F1 has always been 2 if not 3 tier, based on the size of the budget, front-runners, mid-field and the tail-enders. The FIA want to restrict that, so the best engineers, along with the best drivers will have a chance of winning a championship or maybe even a race and the teams with the biggest budgets are doing everything they can to cling onto some elitist idea of what they think F1 'should' be. Shame on them!
Sorry for the rant, but as a life long fan I've had enough. The Teams are doing there utmost to push me away from the sport not the FIA.
I guess Ferrari has made the business decision of keep spending, 'cause it will benefit them in the future... sounds reasonable to me.
ReplyDeleteFerrari had parallel teams, one for testing one for racing... with the budget limitations the testing team needs to go home... since I'm not a stockholder for Fiat nor Ferrari I want to be given the best show and the bet technology in the field and that requires money... if they think they can still throwing money to the F1 I don't see the issue.