As beleaguered FIA president Max Mosley braces himself for what could be a rough ride at the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris tomorrow, the eight renegade Formula One teams who have pledged to start their own breakaway series for 2010 show no sign of backing down.
Speaking on behalf of Fota, the association of teams which embraces McLaren-Mercedes, Ferrari, Brawn, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso, Renault’s team principal, Flavio Briatore, said that he firmly believed the time had passed for them to complete a deal with the governing body.
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Having threatened the teams with legal action when they announced the prospect of a new series very late last Thursday, Mosley made a surprise visit to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix on Sunday – which was won by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel – and began to talk in more conciliatory tones. But as Fota’s members prepare for further talks on Thursday with the aim of progressing their brainchild, Briatore made it clear that moving in that direction was now seen as the only option. Independent
Renault team boss Flavio Briatore refuses to allow his friendship with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone be soured by plans for a breakaway championship.
“Bernie is a friend of mine, still a friend of mine,” Briatore said when asked about the complicated situation.
“Sometimes in business you have a different opinion, but friendship is friendship. I’m friends with Bernie, and I want to be friends with Bernie for a long time.”
Mosley branded some of the team bosses ‘loonies’ at last weekend’s British Grand Prix and accused Briatore of pushing the breakaway so he could become the new Ecclestone. Yahoo! Eurosport
“Max is going personal but I’m too much of a gentleman to go personal,” Briatore said. “If he wants to go personal, I have a lot to say about Max. He needs to stop insulting people.”
Referring to Mosley’s indiscretions last year when he was involved in a tabloid sex scandal, Briatore added: “I don’t want to personally describe what Max is because in his private life we have already had a demonstration of what he was in the News of the World. If he is talking about lunatics and stuff like that, he needs to watch himself. It’s enough.” Telegraph.co.uk
