A French court on Wednesday dismissed Ferrari’s bid to stop Formula One from instituting a budget cap next season.
Ferrari sought a court injunction against governing body FIA’s plans to introduce a voluntary US$60 million cap for racing teams from 2010, but the appeal was rejected by Judge Jacques Gondrand de Robert.
“There is no imminent damage that needs to be prevented or clearly unlawful unrest that needs to be stopped,” the judge said.
Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have threatened to pull out of next year’s championship if the cap isn’t overturned. Canadian Press
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FIA president Max Mosley set a figure of £40million at the end of April, a plan which upset the major manufacturers who spend four and five times that amount per annum.
It could mean Ferrari now decide to pull out of F1, as they have recently threatened to do, and compete in other series.
Just a few minutes prior to the court’s announcement, Ferrari slammed the quality of the eight teams looking to enter the sport next year.
As part of the proceedings, all eight presented a letter to the tribunal urging them to throw out the case.
If Ferrari had been victorious, it would have put the new rules on hold, including the entry deadline, threatening the prospect of fresh blood coming into the sport. Sky Sports
The article, on official website of ferrari, read: “They could not believe their eyes, the men and women working at Ferrari, when they read the papers this morning (Wednesday) and found the names of the teams declaring their intention to race in Formula One next year.
“Looking at the list, leaked from Paris, you cannot find a famous name, one of whom has to spend 400 Euros per person for a place in the grandstand at a GP (plus the expenses for the journey and the stay).
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“Wirth Research, Lola, USF1, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Formtech, Campos, iSport: these are the names of the teams, due to compete in the two-tier Formula One wanted by Mosley. Can a world championship with teams like them - with due respect - have the same value as today’s Formula One, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?” The Press Association
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