FOTA Rumblings: RedBull broke budget agreements

It's all a bit murky (wow in F1...really?) but the story goes more or less like this: some FOTA members are not happy that, while playing the moralists with regards to their supposed lack of team orders, Red Bull were breaking a gentlemen's agreement on spending, the so called "“Resource restriction agreement”.

Teams had agreed on a self-imposed spending ceiling of 100 Million Euro on external contracts, salaries and infrastructure for the 2010 season. Italy's Gazzetta Dello Sport is claiming Red Bull spent some 160 Million Euro in their quest for the 2010 double championship.

Now the rub, according to the above mentioned "rule" within the manufacturers association, any overspending from one season needs to be subtracted from the following season's agreed upon budget, Red Bull would need to limit itself to 40 Million in 2011.... you know that's not happening.

Also not happening right now is FOTA. Of course Red Bull will do every it can to undermine a group that might force them to abide to an inconvenient agreement, and there is no agreement on the 2011 spending ceiling. Also there is nobody, as of yet, who has volunteered to take over from Mclaren's Martin Whitmarsh as the head of that shaky club. Who would want that job?

Crowing on the sidelines is certainly Max Mosley, who had always maintained that FOTA was fundamentally improbable. Between this budget squabble and manufacturers already rumbling over the supposedly decided upon 2013 engine specs, he can't wait for his "I told you so" moment.

As Formula 1 turns...
end of post

Massive Mosley Hissy Fit: No deal!

What we have here is another inexcusable hissy fit: Max Mosley, unhappy how his defeat was conveyed in the world media now says the deal is off and he might stand for re-election in October and will not give up day to day operations in the meantime...

To think that some journalists were accusing di Montezemolo of "creating Opera" just last week.

At this point I, and I'm sure many fans, wish Formula 1 as it exists now gets shut down, ended, you had a good run baby but it's time to call it a day.

Start something new. Something that works for teams and something that works for fans. Enough with old men bitching, let's go racing before there is nobody left to watch.

(read this in Autosport.com) After the jump the full text of the letter sent from Mosley to diMontezemolo



Dear Luca

We made a deal yesterday in Paris to end the recent difficulties in
Formula 1. A fundamental part of this was that we would both present
a positive and truthful account to the media. I was therefore
astonished to learn that FOTA has been briefing the press that Mr.
Boeri has taken charge of Formula 1, something which you know is
completely untrue; that I had been forced out of office, also false;
and, apparently, that I would have no role in the FIA after October,
something which is plain nonsense, if only because of the FIA
statutes.

Furthermore, you have suggested to the media that I was a "dictator,"
an accusation which is grossly insulting to the 26 members of the
World Motor Sport Council who have discussed and voted all the rules
and procedures of Formula 1 since the 1980s, not to mention the
representatives of the FIA's 122 countries who have democratically
endorsed everything I and my World Motor Sport Council colleagues
have done during the last 18 years.

If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you
and FOTA must immediately rectify your actions. You must correct the
false statements which have been made and make no further such
statements. You yourself must issue a suitable correction and apology
at your press conference this afternoon.

Formula 1 is run entirely by our 25-strong team without any help from
me or any other outsider. There was no need for me to involve myself
further in Formula 1 once we had a settlement. Equally, I had a long-
standing plan not to seek re-election in October. It was therefore
possible for me to confirm both points to you yesterday.

However, given your and FOTA's deliberate attempt to mislead the
media, I now consider my options open. At least until October, I am
president of the FIA with the full authority of that office. After
that it is the FIA member clubs, not you or FOTA, who will decide on
the future leadership of the FIA.

Your sincerely
Max Mosley

(via racefax.com)

di Montezemolo: "The dictatorship is over"

While most publications seem to be reporting that Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo had nothing but praise for ousted FIA president Max Mosley and F1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone, Gazzetta dello Sport quotes him:

"The dictatorship is over...It was a success due to the unity of the teams, of the manufacturers. Ecclestone used to say that he fed FOTA papers to his dog and Moslay clamed he never heard of FOTA. I think today they sang a different tune"

I think the vernacular is "bitchslap"

(GdS)



home

An easy way out...

There is of course an easy way out of the current F1 crisis: next Wednesday the FIA's world council can announce what it should have announced last year: that it will drag Max Mosley out of the building no matter how deeply his fingernails gouge into his desk as they pull.

Mosley has put the conflict on a personal level with di Montezemolo and John Howett (or Toyota). The money men won't stand for hissy fits and personal vendettas, faced with the choice between a Mosley in denial and the combined commercial value of Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, BMW and Toyota, Lewis Hamilton, Alonso and now Button, it's going to be like that scene in the Godfather... "leave the gun, take the cannoli".

Nobody will much care about the 2009 British GP, a shame because Silverstone is one badass old school f1 track. Here are some highlights from Friday practice.

And here is the rest of it.

Good Bye Formula 1, Fota starts break away series.

FOTA calls Mosley's bluff.

Press Release

Date:

19 June, 2009

FOTA UNITED ON THE FUTURE

Silverstone, 18 June 2009 - Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport.

Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community. FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives. The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.

The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.

It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.

These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.

Note to Eds: Statement issued by FOTA on behalf of BMW-Sauber, BrawnGP, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toyota.

(FOTA)



And here is the rest of it.

Mosley jumps the shark

In what essentially boils down to a massive hissy fit, FIA president Max Mosley lost any credibility by lowering the FIA-FOTA struggle to a a personal battle between himself and Luca di Montezemolo.

The FIA released selected correspondence between its and Ferrari's lawyers and a long rambling justifications for it's recent actions. This statement, which essentially blames di Montezemolo for the whole current mess, is set on the premise that the whole of Formula1's success is based, in it's entirety, on the FIA's work. Apparently the reason people watch sports is not for the stars or the teams, it's because of the rules. Brilliant!

read it and weep for F1...

FIA Statement

And here is the rest of it.

Can I have 4 laps of your time, Mr Mosley?

...and you too Mr. Ecclestone. Signor Di Montezemolo, Herr Haug, you might take a look as well for future reference. I would like you to pay particular attention to the roar of the crowds and urge you to compare it to the last race Formula 1 had in that cradle of motorsport that is Turkey. Consider it a clue.

Does not get much better than this fight amount the two Yamaha team riders on Sunday in Catalunya. I won't spoil it in case you missed it.






And here is the rest of it.

Formula 1 slips the noose around its neck...

As someone who has been following Formula 1 for way longer than I would ever care to admit and who has always enjoyed the behind the scenes politics of it, I must say I'm bored and disgusted by the current situation.

Mr. Mosley wants to have a Formula Cosworth? Fine but it needs to be understood that if people were so eager to watch teams like Brawn, USF1, Campos and Manor battling it out, GP2 would be a ratings success. Last I checked, very few people cared about GP2.

That's really all there is to say about it, with all due respect to those new teams trying to join the party.

Mr Mosley may have stepped too far now. The European Automobile Manufacturer's Association has come out against him

ACEA MEMBERS SUPPORT CHANGES IN GOVERNANCE OF FORMULA ONE


Brussels, 12/06/2009 - Today, the members of the Board of the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association discussed the current situation prevailing in Formula One, and have concluded that the current governance system cannot continue.

ACEA has come to the conclusion that the FIA needs a modernised and transparent governance system and processes, including the revision of its constitution, to ensure the voice of its members, worldwide motorsport competitors and motorists are properly reflected.

The ACEA members support the activities and objectives of the Formula One Teams Association to establish stable governance, clear and transparent rules which are common to all competitors to achieve cost reductions including a proper attribution of revenues to the F1 teams, in order to deliver a sustainable attractive sport for the worldwide public.

Unless these objectives are met, the BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Toyota along with the other teams are determined to find an alternative way to practice this sport in a manner which provides clarity, certainty of rules and administration, and a fair allocation of revenues to the competing teams.

About ACEA
The European automotive industry is key to the strength and competitiveness of Europe. The ACEA members are BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT Group, Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen and Volvo. They provide direct employment to more than 2.3 million people and indirectly support another 10 million jobs. Annually, ACEA members invest €20 billion in R&D, or 4% of turnover.

For further information, please contact Sigrid de Vries, Director Communications ACEA +32 485 88 66 47 or sv@acea.be Please also visit http://www.acea.be

home

Renault joins Ferrari in 2010 boycott

Renault have joined Toyota, Red Bull and Ferrari in announcing their intention not to contest the 2010 Formula 1 championship under the proposed budget and rule changes. BMW has hinted it would follow suit and this leaves only Mercedes as the sole manufacturer not to comment. One must wonder if the recent suspended sentence deal for the Mclaren "lie-gate" comes into play but also we must remember that Mercedes now powers the dominant car in the field and it's very likely to win the constructor's championship this year.

Here is the full ING Renault F1 Team statement

"The decision of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to introduce two sets of Formula One technical regulations for the 2010 Formula One season has caused the Renault Group to reconsider its entry in next year’s FIA Formula One World Championship.

There is frustration that FOTA’s constructive proposals, including major cost saving measures to be adopted progressively between 2009 and 2012, which were carefully constructed by FOTA members, have been completely ignored without any form of consultation by the FIA with the teams.

It should be stressed that FOTA has set the same, if not lower, financial objective as the FIA, but Renault strongly believes that this must be introduced through a different procedure agreed by all parties.

Renault also believes that it is paramount that the governance of the sport is coordinated with a spirit of consultation with all parties (FIA, FOM, FOTA) in order to achieve a better balance between the costs and the revenues. Renault is also of the

firm view that all entrants in the World Championship must adhere to and operate under the same regulations.

President of the ING Renault F1 Team, Bernard Rey, commented: “Renault has always considered Formula One as the pinnacle of motor sport and the perfect stage to demonstrate technical excellence. We remain committed to the sport, however we

cannot be involved in a championship operating with different sets of rules, and if such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out from next season.”

ING Renault F1 Team Managing Director, Flavio Briatore, commented: “Our aim is to reduce costs while maintaining the high standards that make Formula One one of the most prestigious brands on the market. We want to achieve this in a coordinated

manner with the regulatory and commercial bodies, and we refuse to accept unilateral governance handed out by the FIA. If the decisions announced by the World Council on the 29th of April 2009 are not revised, we have no choice but to

withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of 2009."

And here is the rest of it.

Ferrari to decide F1 future today.

At 9 am EST Ferrari's board of directors will meet in Maranello, the only item on the agenda anyone is interested in will be the decision to participate in the 2010 Formula 1 championship or to decline, as Toyota, BMW and Red Bull more or less decided to do, if the proposed two-tiered system is introduced, the FOTA-FIA war in now officially "hot".

It will be interesting to see if the Mosley-Ecclestone bad cop-good cop act worked out in the compromise sure to come out of this latest F1 soap opera.

home

FIA flinches: no new Formula 1 scoring system

The Formula One Constructors Association simply pointed out the FIA's own regulations prohibit rule changes so close to the start of the season unless there is unanimous consent from all parties.

The FIA had no choice but retreat to literally "fight another day" and communicated the unpopular rule would be implemented starting with the 2010 season.

Score one for FOTA, but the scoring system still needs a well thought out overhaul.




And here is the rest of it.

Formula Chaos

One week before the 2009 season start in Melbourne and Formula 1 is in turmoil. If you have not followed the pre season dramatics let me try and summarize for you:

On track:

No doubt you have heard about Brawn GP's miraculous testing times by now. Bernie Ecclestone himself tipped Button for as a possible world championship contender (poor Rubens...).

While the Brawn is obviously a good car, it must be remembered that this is testing and there are no obligations for cars to pass tech inspection. Further scrutiny of slow corner exit acceleration hints the Brawn could be running below fighting weight. Barring vastly superior mechanical grip, the 5 to 6 mph differential observed cannot be explained otherwise, especially as the Brawn is not getting any help from a KERS system.

The buzzword in this 2009 pre-season has been "diffusers" and there have been accusations, starting with Flavio Briatore, but in the last week also Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali, that some teams have interpreted regulations a bit too loosely.

The teams in question are Brawn, Williams and Toyota. Just yesterday the FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting told Auto Motor und Sport that while no official complaint have been made to date, the diffusers in question were designed exploiting a gray area in the regulations.

Will there be a protest similar to Mclaren's protest of Ferrari's sprung floor? A good possibility, especially as limited testing makes successfully coming up with a copy more complicated.

Other assorted tidbits and rumors:

Mclaren's troubles are in part due to a structural problem with their diffuser which flexed enough to disturb the airflow. They tried a different extractor design but if we see a MP4-24/b soon we'll know this was more than conjecture.

Red Bull is sandbagging.

Off Track:

Briatore may like it but I have read not one single positive comment about the last minute scoring change the FIA dictated this past week amongst fans. Stunning, especially as this change was purportedly the result of a fan poll.
While last year Hamilton was crowned champion with one less win than Massa, with the new system you might have a champion scoring less points than second place. You might also have the season decided very early in the season. Quite a difference coming from two seasons decided in the last few laps. A simple increase in the points awarded to first place would have worked so much better.

The mandated two tier budgets from 2010 on, unlimited but with technical restrictions or 30 million pounds ($42M) with technical innovations allowed, is very much about money but also about a power struggle between the FIA and the constructor's association, FOTA.
FOTA had, amazingly, managed a very united front in its brief existence, the FIA's newfound love for the little guy aims squarely at driving a wedge in the group. It's fairly complicated and appropriately Machiavellian, if you want to delve into it more I highly recommend you read Chris Sylt about F1's commercial rights and then GrandPrix.com's "The danger of getting what you want"

Teams will of course pick the option with allowing technical innovation, and the budget cap? Well there is an obvious solution already used by Red Bull: you run two teams.

Home