Impudent Americans and Bone Picking Serbian Vultures

"...This is the legacy of the holy war waged by the former FIA president. The cause in question was to allow smaller teams to get into Formula 1. This is the outcome: two teams will limp into the start of the championship, a third is being pushed into the ring by an invisible hand – you can be sure it is not the hand of Adam Smith – and, as for the fourth, well, you would do better to call on Missing Persons to locate it. In the meantime, we have lost two constructors along the way, in the shape of BMW and Toyota, while at Renault, there’s not much left other than the name. Was it all worth it?..."

Blogging has gone mainstream in F1 now, what with the highly entertaining Ferrari "Horse Whisperer" column taking on the tone and arguments writers have been making in blogs for months.

Ferrari takes the opportunity to kick Max Mosley in the butt for using the selection of unlikely teams as cannon fodder for his war against manufacturers. A war which Mosley, on evidence, won. Ferrari's asks if it was worth it. Frankly, I'm not sure Toyota would still be in F1 (the one place they could have used some acceleration) even if they had decided to contest the 2010 season.

You can read the full "Horse Whisperer" column after the jump.


Maranello, 22nd February - Only less than three weeks to go until the ultimate form of motor sport, the Formula 1 World Championship, gets underway, while celebrating its sixtieth birthday this year. For many of the teams, this coming week is a crucial one, as the bell rings to signal the final lap, with the last test session getting underway in Barcelona. It is one last chance to run the cars on track, to push reliability to the limit and to try and find some performance. That’s the situation for many teams but not for all of them. Of the thirteen teams who signed up, or were induced to sign up, for this year’s Championship, to date only eleven of them have heeded the call, turning up on track, some later than others, and while some have managed just a few hundred kilometres, others have done more, but at a much reduced pace. As for the twelfth team, Campos Meta, its shareholder and management structure has been transformed, according to rumours which have reached the Horse Whisperer through the paddock telegraph, with a sudden cash injection from a munificent white knight, well used to this sort of last minute rescue deal. However, the beneficiaries of this generosity might find the knight in question expects them to fulfil the role of loyal vassal. All this means, it is hard to imagine the Dallara designed car showing its face at the Catalunya Circuit, with Sakhir a more likely venue to witness the return of the Senna name to a Formula 1 session.

The thirteenth team, USF1, appears to have gone into hiding in Charlotte, North Carolina, to the dismay of those like the Argentinian, Lopez, who thought he had found his way into the Formula 1 paddock, (albeit with help from chairwoman Kirchner, according to the rumours) and now has to start all over again. Amazingly, they still have the impudence to claim that everything is hunky-dory under the starry stripy sky.

Next, we have the Serbian vultures. Firstly, they launched themselves into a quixotic legal battle with the FIA, then they picked the bones of Toyota on its death bed. Having got some people on board, around whom there was still a whiff of past scandals, they are now hovering around waiting to replace whoever is first to drop out of the game, possibly with backing from that very same knight in shining armour whom we mentioned earlier.

This is the legacy of the holy war waged by the former FIA president. The cause in question was to allow smaller teams to get into Formula 1. This is the outcome: two teams will limp into the start of the championship, a third is being pushed into the ring by an invisible hand – you can be sure it is not the hand of Adam Smith – and, as for the fourth, well, you would do better to call on Missing Persons to locate it. In the meantime, we have lost two constructors along the way, in the shape of BMW and Toyota, while at Renault, there’s not much left other than the name. Was it all worth it?

Max Mosley is an a-hole

Let's be honest, how else could you describe Mosley after his latest pronouncement?

“Any thoughts that after this election everyone in motorsport can unite and work together can now be forgotten. It is not possible to make statements like Vatanen’s and then expect the victims of those insults to forget what has been said. The simple fact is that Vatanen will lose the election and lose badly, not least because he chose to denigrate the FIA and those currently in office.”

The Guardian reports this was the content of a letter Mosley sent to the Middle East FIA members who are not supporting Mosley's choice, Jean Todt.

Aside fron an obvious case of too much sand in his girly bits, Mosley would have us believe Vatanen's criticism of the FIA's as less than transparent and autocratic is bringing disrepute to the FIA? Really? the same FIA that in the last three years has produced the spy scandal verdict, the Piquet scandal verdict? The same FIA headed by a old dude who could not keep his S-&-M hobby out of the news? That FIA?



So the totally non-autocratic Mosley uses his position to slam the one guy who dares run against "his" candidate, Jean Todt. Vatanen had the cheek to criticize and, much like Briatore who was banned for life rather than get a slap on the wrist essentially because he did not prostrate himself in front of Mosley, he must be annihilated!

Formula1Blog.com had a long interview with Vatanen a while back, have a listen and the tell me if Vatanen, who has gotten almost no coverage in a motoring press probably afraid of losing access (with just cause I'm sure), is saying anything unreasonable.

Of course the FIA elections have little to do with you or I. The AAA however, is the american representative with the FIA, in fact it's the largest auto club in the world. Write to the AAA, make your feelings known, In other countries you can write to your national club, MAx has jumped the shark....again.

Singapore GP: big mistakes and one surprise

All lit up, Singapore may look good on TV but, like Monaco minus the tradition, it's a horrible place to hold a modern Formula 1 race. On a street circuit where most corners are 2nd gear you have to wonder if the reason nobody bothered to clean the track was in the hope more cars would crash and give the race some excitement. That plan did not work, there were some incidents, but one was caused by brake failure and the other by brain failure...

More after the jump

Hamilton had a relatively easy time from the front, his race having effectively being won on Saturday when Rubens Barrichello made a mistake and tagged the wall in the crucial last minutes of qualifying. This placed the heavier fueled Mclaren ahead of the lighter Vettel and Rosberg, both on fliers when the session was stopped.

All irrelevant though, in the race Hamilton made no mistakes. Vettel and Rosberg made dumb ones and threw away their podium spots. That Rosberg, with one of the fastest cars of the field, was so hopelessly stuck behind the likes of Trulli after serving his penalty was clear indication of how hopeless the Singapore track is.

Barrichello made a mistake on Sunday as well when he stalled during his second pit stop and allowed Button to pass him. Now, rather than closing the gap to Jenson Button, the Brazilian lost ground. With 30 points still in play and a 15 point lead Button can afford to keep coasting, Prost like, to his championship.

I think the Sutil move should be commented by Paul Tracy...

For me the most entertainin part of the week end was the podium press conference. Fernando Alonso literally stunned the whole of the F1 press into silence by dedicating his result to "Flavio watching at home". Dependent on the FIA for their access most new sites did not know how to comment last night. This morning the party line is along the lines of "Oh that means he's going to Ferrari"...you don't say.

Aside from the stunning news the FIA did not manage to cancel Flavio's Formula 1 pay-per-view subscription, that was as big a public razberry to Max Mosley as I've ever seen and good show of Alonso's character. He and Mark Webber proved to be real men, not tempted to feign moral outrage. Don't be afraid Mosley is going to revoke your superlicence, Alonso is saying, just imagine him in the nude sipping tea with the hookers. In a sport where a team is deemed "too big to fail", Alonso just asked the FIA to try him. Let's see your moral outrage now!

Fernando is right of course, he thanked the team and he thanked Briatore who is the reason Renault is and, paradoxically now, will stay in F1. Briatore is also responsible for the deals that brought Alonso to Ferrari and likey, Kubica to Renault, all good things for Formula 1.

On a final aside, maybe our UK readers can clear up the cultural differences but, here in the US referring to Lewis Hamilton as "the boy", as this article in the Times does, would have some unpleasant connotations...

Don't tell my mother I work at the FIA...

...she thinks I play piano in a bordello.

The latest FIA verdict has succeeded in the seemingly impossible, turning public opinion even more against the FIA and Formula 1. The only thing the Piquet-Renault verdict put in the open is the desperate need for motor racing to have the courage to not just, as Ari Vatanen has advocated, "open the windows and let fresh air in" but rather seal the FIA's windows and fumigate the place.

Here are, to paraphrase the immortal words of Donald Rumsfeld, some "Guessable Unknowns":

Why was Renault allowed to make an undisclosed but "significant contribution to the FIA's road safety campaign" yet allowed to keep the money derived from the points gained in Singapore and the subsequent 4th place in the championship?

CG might confirm but I'm guessing fines and "contributions" get reported in different ways on financial ledgers...

Where is the proof against Briatore? all we have seen is a leaked document which contained no actual proof at all. Proof surely exists, why not release it?

By not releasing evidence the FIA can shield itself from any legal recourse from Briatore, Renault effectively accused Briatore, technically the FIA merely reacted to Renault's admission of guilt on Briatore's behalf.

UPDATE: the Witness X factor, again, the FIA states it was Renault who found him, name is not given....

Why did the FIA leak the dossier to the press?

Curiously ahead of the verdict Mosley declared "there is no way to find out who leaked it"....right, see above.

Members of the World Council have admitted not reading the incriminating evidence ahead of Monday's tribunal yet the hearing took only a couple of hours...

there is an election in a month, you want FIA council member to start making waves now?

If the FIA had known about this incident for a year, why wait until now?

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Briatore is many things but he's a clever man, why would he fire Piquet as he did if he knew they shared a similar secret?

we'll have to wait for either the lawsuit or the book...

And now the "Unguessable Unknowns":

-Why did Ecclestone "turn" on his frienemy Flavio?

-How is it possible for Nelson Piquet Jr. to escape this affair without even a reprimand and now attempt to portray himself as the victim?

-How is it possible nobody else in the Renault squad knew?

-Briatore is famously ignorant of F1 specifics, technical or strategic, yet now we are expected to believe he was the originator of this "brilliant" evil plan?


Why was this "intentional crash" so much worse that any number of other similar ones?

Piquet's audition for is upcoming stuntman career was certainly not the first intentional crash in F1: Shumacher in Monaco, Schumacher in Jerez....even Schumacher in Adelaide. And what about Prost in Japan and the following year, probably the most egregious intentional crash of all, Senna attempted murder of the Frenchman.... Put down to individual action of course, nobody ever heard of a formula 1 team cheating to win, right?

Your comments have been great of late...don't be shy!







And here is the rest of it.

Bernie said : "Screw Him"

As we wait for Monday's decision with regards to the Piquet-Renault case, I would suggest the larger scandal is how Formula 1 has dealt with this issue so far, it has been a trial by media, using leaked information with the end results that, unless there is a videotape of Briatore propositioning Piquet Jr. we will never really learn the truth behind this affair. Why Renault, why Briatore, why now?

"I asked him, what should I do? Bernie answered, 'screw him"

This again is a mysteriously out in the public domain declaration of Nelson Piquet Sr to the investigative agency Quest, in charge of gathering the facts of the inquest.

Piquet Sr., according to the revelations in today's Corriere della Sera, brought his accusations against Renault and Briatore to FIA chief steward Charlie Whiting's attention before last year's Brazilian GP. "It cannot be proved" was the official's response.

Piquet then kept quiet up until just before the Hungarian GP, Nelson's Jr's last race before he was sacked, when papa Piquet testified he has his exchange with Ecclestone and told him the the crashgate story.

Ecclestone's answer? " Charlie already told me the whole story but we cannot prove anything unless someone comes out and testifies"

So the FIA and FOM knew about the allegations of the case but did nothing for almost a year? nice. If you take it to the dramatic extreme that would make Ecclestone, and Whiting perhaps, co-conspirators?

And if Briatore was being blackmailed by the Piquets why did he cut Nelson's salary by half a million dollars and add a "non performance" clause? Surely Briatore had been in F1 long enough to know he had a vulnerability. Not to mention that cutting Nelson's salary would mean less pocket change for himself as his manager.

Or did Briatore have assurances the FIA would not pursue the matter?

This summer Renault was nearly given a two race ban for the lost wheel incident in, imagine that, Hungary. The ban was overturned at a meeting where the FIA stewards did not even show up. Brawn GP was not given any penalty for a spring falling out of their car and nearly killing Felipe Massa. Why is that?

So again why Renault and why now. As we said before and continue to maintain, the leaked dossier's information, especially the radio transcriptions prove absolutely nothing, in fact could be readily interpreted as showing Piquet wrong.

The only facts we know for sure is that Renault was put in a situation where they know they had already been convicted in the court of public opinion and that they had no hope to get a fair hearing in the court of king Max and decided it better bend over and plead for mercy. Another FOTA member bites the dust.





And here is the rest of it.

Renault throws Briatore under the bus

In an apparent deal between the FIA and Renault ahead of their world council meeting, Briatore and chief engineer Pay Symonds have ''left'' the team.

Statement from Renault:

"The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team.

Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September 2009, the team will not make any further comment."

There better be crushing evidence beyond the inconclusive dossier "leaked" least week because this smells of political persecution.

The Axis view? Take a look at the difference between Lewis Hamilton's last good Lesmo and the lap where he crashed. Doesn't take much does it? If a World Champion can make a mistake what's more likely, that Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed the car or that he, as he did many times, just ran out of talent?

Renault was born out of Benetton which was born from Briatore. This is as big a deal as Ron Dennis leaving F1 and perhaps the latest scalp on Max Mosley's wall.

And Piquet? if this is all true, a driver who endangered other drivers, marshals and potentially spectators just because that was the only way he could secure a drive? A minimum of a lifetime ban from racing would be a mild punishment.

UPDATE!: Corriere Della Sera reports that taking over from Briatore at Renault will be Federic Vasseur, up to now team boss at GP2's ART. Anyone want to guess who else is a principal at ART?.... Let me help: Nicholas Todt, son of Mosley's own designated replacement in the upcoming FIA elections, Jean Todt. Pass the stinking bishop.




And here is the rest of it.

Plus ca change plus c'est le meme chose...

That what the French say and with Max Mosley's exit and the seemingly inevitable election of Jean Todt in his place, at the FIA too the more things change the more they stay the same.

Axis is bored with F1 politics, in fact, borderline bored with F1 in general after the events of this season. Just a short comment: while certainly Todt is a professional with vast experience he is also Mosley's man which means he would keep Mosley's infrastructure within the FIA. His association with Ferrari will assure that any future decision by the FIA will be seen, with or without merit, as pro Maranello.

Formula 1 had a chance for a fresh start, for new thinking and they threw it away. Old men and old ideas are firmly in charge.







And here is the rest of it.

Bernie, Max and those efficient Nazis...

Just when you thought Formula 1's leadership could not get any more ridiculous, Bernie Ecclestone comes out with this of all things, in defense of a man who really does not need this sort of comparisons...

It defies belief but today's The Times has a headline which reads: "Hitler? He got things done, says Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone"

"In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done,"

"I prefer strong leaders. Margaret Thatcher made decisions on the run and got the job done. She was the one who built this country up slowly. We've let it go down again. All these guys, Gordon and Tony are trying to please everybody all the time ... Max would do a super job, he's a good leader." "I don't think his background would be a problem."

As the Formula 1 community collectively face palms we are left to wonder: even if you do happen to believe things like that, who says that in public?

It's all very amusing for all the wrong reasons.

Home.

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)



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Don't let the door hit you on the way out...

Fia President Max Mosley is quoted as saying an agreement has been reached with the FOTA teams, as part of this deal he agreed not to run for re-election in October. No comment as of yet from FOTA so take it with grain of salt.

UPDATE: Joint press conference, Montezemolo/Mosley. Montezemolo "praises" Mosley, Mosley remains delusional until the end.

"As far as I'm concerned, the teams were always going to get rid of me in October," said Mosley. "Well they still are. Whether the person who succeeds me will be more to their liking remains to be seen."

24 hours ago, this was Mosley's defiant letter to the FIA assertiing that because the teams wanted him gone he WOULD stand for re-election in October...



FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L’AUTOMOBILE

Le Président
8, place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris

All FIA member clubs

23 June 2009

Dear President

Formula One teams belonging to five of the major car manufacturers have formed an organisation called ‘FOTA’, whose purpose is to take over the FIA's regulatory function in Formula One. In connection with this, the European car industry association ACEA has made the following statement:

“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 motor sport competitors and motorists are properly reflected.”

This is an attack on the FIA's right to regulate its Formula One World Championship but, worse, it is a wholly unjustified criticism of and direct challenge to the entire structure and purpose of the FIA.

No president of the FIA could allow this to go unanswered. I have therefore responded on your behalf (see attachments). We are also preparing legal proceedings in case these are needed to protect the FIA's rights in its Championship and to discourage any dissident Formula One team from engaging in illegal acts.

You will notice from the attachments that the catalyst for the current dispute was the FIA's attempts to reduce costs in Formula One. A reduction in costs is essential if the independent teams are to survive.

Without the independent teams, the Championship would depend entirely on the car manufacturers who, of course, have always come and gone as it suited them.

It is extraordinary that at a time when all five manufacturers involved are in great financial difficulty and relying on taxpayers money, their Formula One teams should threaten a breakaway series in order to avoid reducing their Formula One costs. It remains to be seen whether the boards of the parent companies will allow precious resources to be wasted in this way.

Over recent weeks it has become increasingly clear that one of the objectives of the dissident teams is that I should resign as president of the FIA. Last year you offered me your confidence and, as I wrote to you on 16 May 2008, it was my intention not to seek re-election in October this year. However, in light of the attack on the mandate you have entrusted to me, I must now reflect on whether my original decision not to stand for re-election was indeed the right one.

It is for the FIA membership, and the FIA membership alone, to decide on its democratically elected leadership, not the motor industry and still less the individuals the industry employs to run its Formula One teams.

Yours sincerely

Max Mosley

Scuderia Ferrari is worth more than Formula 1

According to Sports Pro Magazine, Scuderia Ferrari (the F1 team) is the seventh most valuable sports property on the planet behind the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and NASCAR but ahead of Formula 1 and the only team valued more than the league it competes in.

Anyone still have money on Mosley winning the F1 fight by blaming Ferrari?
(via SportsPro magazine)



SportsPro magazine has published the world’s first value ranking of sports properties in its July issue, out now.

Unsurprisingly, the National Football League (NFL) is ranked as the world’s most valuable sports property, with a value of US$4.5 billion. It is followed at the top of the table by three other American properties – Major League Baseball (MLB) (US$3.9 billion), the NBA (US$3.35 billion) and Nascar (US$1.9 billion).

The newest property in the list is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is valued at US$1.6 billion - a staggering achievement for a two-year-old property.

The highest ranked European team property is the Ferrari Formula One team (7th) at a value of US$1.55 billion, followed by Manchester United Football Club (8th) at US$1.495 billion. The most valuable American sports club is the Dallas Cowboys (10th), with the NFL team valued at US$1.278 billion.

Tiger Woods (11th) is the highest rated athlete property with a value of US$1.25 billion, followed by Jack Nicklaus (16th) at US$1 billion. Golfers dominate the athletes’ table because of the high earnings from designing golf courses; Tiger Woods is expected to earn over a billion dollars from designing courses in the next decade and will almost certainly eclipse his on-course earnings. David and Victoria’s Beckham Brand Ltd property (88th) is valued at US$375 million.

Many single annual events appear, led by the Wimbledon tennis championships (22nd) valued at US$900 million.

Unsurprisingly, the most valuable competition is the Fifa World Cup (5th) valued at US$1.7 billion, ahead of the Summer Olympic Games (15th) at US$1.04 billion. The Uefa Champions League (13th) is valued at US$1.1 billion, eclipsing the Summer Olympics due to its annual status.

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.

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

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Someone spank this man...

...but then again he would only enjoy it... CLICK




on the other hand, ol' Jaques Villeneuve has some interesting things to say for once!

“The problem with Formula 1 is that there are no more warriors,” Villeneuve bemoaned in an interview with German publication Sport Bild. “Alonso is one, but who else is there? These days no-one says anything unless a PR person has told them they are allowed to. There are no more fights.

“I realised it last year, when Massa was fighting Hamilton for the title – you didn't get the impression that these guys want to win so badly that they hate each other. It was different with myself and Michael Schumacher or Eddie Irvine.”

“I don't know him (Vettel) personally,” the 38-year-old mused, “but I like what I see because he is different, he gives refreshing answers in interviews, he is fast and he seems to be very strong in the head. I think you always have to be yourself in everything you do, but I am not sure this is the case with all the drivers of today. "

“[Button] hasn't made any mistakes; Lewis Hamilton was making mistakes even when he won the championship. I think Jenson is stronger than Lewis mentally, in dealing with pressure. "

“I'm happy for him (Button), but I also see the team as a negative part of my past. I feel as though a lot of my own money is still there; in 1999, my former manager Craig Pollock set up that team (as BAR) with some of my money as well. From BAR it was then Honda, and now it's Brawn.”




And here is the rest of it.

Max Mosley is a formidable old goat....

If you have any doubts just look at this interview, more of a declaration really, with the BBC.

Mosley strikes some sour populist tones (all their money comes from your taxes...) but delivers his threats with the same cool unflappable style that allowed him to sip tea naked in a house full of hookers who had just finished spanking his bottom!

If there was any doubt that this is a struggle for control, not really budgets, this interview should lay it to rest.

It may be admirable that Mosley wants to look after "little guys" in the sport but you don't think that today's announcement from LOLA and unknowns LITESPEED about entering F1 was a coincidence do you? The more "little guys to look after, the better the FIA can play musical chairs.

Discuss....

(via BBC)



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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.

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Smells Like Formula Spirit

FOTA's response to the Max Mosley price cap plan was quite weak I thought, a vague request for "talks" with the FIA, it's likely that the press release which was expected to be a declaration of war was toned down because of the death of Max Mosley's son yesterday.

Funny about that cost cutting plan, a budget cap that does not include promotional and marketing costs. A plan that will rely, by Mosley's own admission, on "the spirit of the regulations" as one of the governing factors, the same spirit which was ignored in the "diffuser-gate" affair. A cost cutting scheme which comes on the heels of forcing teams to build that silly but expensive fig leaf that is the KERS system. A cost cutting measure right when teams are constructing "spec B" cars incorporating "gray area" diffusers and holes. A cost cutting scheme which will force teams to radically redesign the 2010 cars to accommodate fuel tanks large enough for a full race.

But also a cost cutting measure which has put an effective wedge between the established and the smaller teams and one that has sparked the most interest in years from new teams wanting into the series. Aston Martin, Lola, USF1, perhaps even Minardi and a team lead by Nicholas Todt, are all ready to nip at the ankles of the suddenly vulnerable big dogs.

Some argue that this all has little to do with either cost savings of even "competition". The FIA's only concern is its survival as an institution and that the manufacturer's association (FOTA) is the biggest threat to it's power and control and must be destroyed. Through a series of fortuitous circumstances the FIA has been able to humiliate Mclaren and put it in a precarious enough position that the Woking team needs to be extremely cautious in the future. Now the latest has been this good cop/bad cop routine with Mosley going after Ferrari and Ecclestone pulling back after Ferrari threatened to go endurance racing.

A divide and conquer strategy relies of the notion that a startup team can be competitive and even win... Hello "diffuser-spirit" magic bullet! The Oliver Stone version goes that Mosley, who is perfectly capable of understanding technical details, knew very well that the Brawn "it's not a hole"hole and double diffuser would give it a considerable early advantage and force those teams who had stayed "within the spirit of the regulations" to spend huge amounts to catch up. This in turn would add more pressure for them to accept a budget cap and get in the "spirit of cost savings".

You can choose to wear this tin foil hat or not but never underestimate Mr. Mosley.

(Pictures: Schlegelmilch Photography)






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