FOTA teams walk out of FIA meeting
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) walked out of a technical meeting with the FIA about future rules on Wednesday, renewing doubts about the strength of the recent peace deal.
The FIA held one of its regular Technical Working Group meetings at the Nurburgring to make moves on finalising F1 rules, following agreement to scrap controversial budget cap regulations.
The meeting included representatives from all the current teams, plus new outfits US F1, Campos Meta and Manor Grand Prix.
Some progress was made in terms of agreeing to scrap the specific budget cap rules introduced on April 29.
However, the teams could not agree on a minimum weight limit for 2010, and there had also not been a sign-off of the legally binding agreement to reduce costs.
Of most interest, though, just a day after AUTOSPORT revealed that FOTA had been told that it could not finalise rules without agreement from non-member teams, the eight outfits involved in the organisation left the meeting when asked to provide input on further rule changes it hoped to see in place.
A statement from the FIA, detailing the meeting, said: "Following the decision of the World Council on 24 June to revert to the pre-29 April version of the 2010 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations, the FIA today met the teams which have entered the 2010 Championship to seek their agreement to these changes.
"All changes have now been agreed subject only to the maintenance of the minimum weight at 620 kg and the signing of a legally binding agreement between all the teams competing in 2010 to reduce costs to the level of the early 1990s within two years, as promised by the FOTA representative in Paris on 24 June.
"The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010. Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting."
The decision by FOTA to walk out of the meeting has not yet been explained, but it has renewed fears that there is still major differences about its path for the future and the FIA's.
Mosley has already told FOTA that he is considering standing again as president in October in light of what he believes were deliberately misleading comments made to the media about a deal they reached last month to avert the threat of a breakaway.
FOTA says FIA putting F1 in jeopardy
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has accused the FIA of putting the future of the sport in jeopardy after talks to sort out rules collapsed on Wednesday.
At the end of a dramatic day at the Nurburgring, which resulted in FOTA members walking out of an FIA meeting after they were told they could have no input on regulatory discussions, the teams' organisation has gone on the attack against the governing body.
It is angry that, as AUTOSPORT revealed on Tuesday, the FIA believes the FOTA teams do not have full entries to next year's championship so cannot vote on rules.
The teams were officially informed of their 'observer' status on Wednesday, prompting frustration that left the teams with no choice but to leave the meeting.
A statement from FOTA said: "Representatives of all FOTA teams attended a meeting of the Sporting Working Group at the Nurburgring today.
"During the course of this meeting, the team managers were informed by Mr Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.
"It will be remembered that all eight active FOTA members were included on the "accepted" entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24."In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today's meetings. This was rejected on the grounds that no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved."
The statement added: "It is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris.
"As endorsed by the WMSC and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of 24 June "the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009.
"At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed. To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula 1 in jeopardy.
"As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation."
The standoff between FOTA and the FIA is in stark contrast to the cooperation pact that appeared to have been struck last month prior to the most recent FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting.
There, FIA president Max Mosley, FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo and Bernie Ecclestone agreed a deal that headed off the threat of a breakaway.
Since then, however, Mosley has reconsidered his decision to step down from his role in October because of what he believes were misleading claims made by FOTA to the media.
Today's breakdown in talks leaves the future path for the sport unclear, with the prospect of a breakaway now re-emerging.
Sources suggest that F1 owners CVC are furious with the latest development, which has cast a cloud over the future of the sport just a few weeks after peace had broken out.
FOTA is adamant that the collapse in the discussions can be pinned firmly on the FIA.
Its statement said: "The FOTA members undertook the Paris agreement and the subsequent discussions in good faith and with a desire to engage with all new and existing teams on the future of Formula One."
Autosport.
