Bernie Ecclestone has delivered a fresh twist to the dispute between the FIA and the formula one teams by saying that both sides are agreed that, while a budget cap to limit excessive expenditure is acceptable, the proposed two-tier technical regulations for 2010 should not be implemented.
The two-tier regulations emerged as a result of the FIA’s wish to attract new teams into the championship by offering them a set of rules which provided extra performance in exchange for their signing up to the budget cap.
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“I think the most important thing that upset everybody, [which] they did not like, was this two-tier technical system, so I think it has been agreed that we should not have that,” said Ecclestone. “The two-tier system is out of the window. I always thought that was a bit stupid. It was important to get rid of it. There has been an agreement in principle. Everyone will have the same regulations.”
“I think everybody is more or less happy with the budget cap, although just how much? They will go with it higher, maybe it will be lower. It’s just a case of sorting it out. I am confident all the teams will still be racing next year.” Guardian.co.uk
Originally, Mosley had offered enhanced technical performance to those who accepted his budget cap while the teams who opted to remain outside this financial constraint would be handcuffed by more stringent regulations.
Ecclestone acted as arbitrator in the negotiations to remove this primary obstacle to peace. “The two-tier system is out the window,“said Ecclestone. “I always thought that was a bit stupid.”
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It was important to get rid of it. “There has been an agreement in principal. Everyone is happy with a budget cap, it’s just a case of working out the amount. I am confident all the teams will still be racing next year.”
Sir Frank Williams heads for Monaco and next Sunday’s Grand Prix convinced the storm is almost blown out. “We still have work to do among ourselves,” said Williams. “But I can’t see anyone not being prepared to race next year.”
Mosley’s mandate is to create the financial conditions to attract new teams to Formula One as an insurance against other major manufacturers following Honda out of the
sport.
“If that could happen to Honda, who can say it won’t happen to Toyota, BMW, Renault, whoever?” said Mosley. “When you are already down to 10 teams, with two spare spaces, then there is a powerful argument to get new teams in. But if you say to people it is 100 million euros to compete, they say they can’t do it at that cost.”
“The £40m budget excludes engines, drivers, motor homes and promotion,” said Mosley. “We have a little scope to take other things out, but what we don’t want to do is put the new teams into a position where somebody can spend more money than them as that would be unfair.” Daily Mail
Ferrari’s threat to quit Formula One, and their legal attempt to prevent proposed regulations being imposed next year, are the latest moves of a high-stakes poker game in which the FIA is holding its nerve.
With the background threat of the teams breaking away from Mosley and Ecclestone to form a rival series, Mosley was reportedly calm but adamant during the meeting, in effect daring the teams to do so, while leaving the door open for further negotiation. He also confirmed that if Ferrari’s injunction were successful, the FIA would appeal.
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If any team decided to compete outside the budget cap, it would create a two-tier championship, which the teams and the FIA agree would not be desirable.
Mosley has agreed to give the teams until this Friday in Monaco to come up with “a better alternative to the cost cap”.
The teams, however, have wider grievances than the cost cap – notably with the governance of the sport; they feel that the way rules are enforced without consultation is unacceptable. This disquiet has rumbled on for years, but with the FIA allegedly breaking the terms under which Ferrari is contracted to F1 until the end of 2012 – and the Italians therefore apparently free to withdraw - the teams sense their breakaway threat is much more powerful, given the blow to F1 the loss of Ferrari would cause. Times Online
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