Max Mosley has vowed to wage a £1 billion legal war against the eight rebel Formula One teams threatening to set up a rival race series.
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, the controversial president of the FIA, the sport’s governing body, switched the attention of Formula One from the Silverstone track to the benches of the High Court, where the next blows in what promises to be a bloody battle of attrition could start early next week.
Far from frightening the “Breakaway Eight”, they were galvanised and insisted that they would go ahead with plans to set up a new race series next year — taking with them the most glamorous names in the sport, including Lewis Hamilton, the world champion, and Jenson Button, who is leading the title chase at Silverstone this weekend.
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That historic line of grands prix could come to an end after Brawn GP, Button’s team, joined forces with Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes, Renault, BMW-Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull and Toro Rosso under the banner of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) to challenge the authority of Mosley, whom they see as little more than a dictator.
By last night, they knew they were in a fight, though, as Mosley issued a statement accusing Fota of “serious violations of law, including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari’s legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law”.
Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s commercial rights-holder, is also consulting lawyers to launch a separate action. Legal experts are predicting that an action for damages could run to more than £1 billion, which may be the biggest claim in the history of sport, between the FIA and CVC Capital Partners, the company run by Ecclestone that owns Formula One’s commercial rights. Times Online
Negotiations between FOTA and FIA had stalled over plans for a voluntary $65 million budget cap for next season. The FOTA teams entered the 2010 series provided there changes to the budget cap provisions. But FIA did not give ground, saying the sport cannot survive in difficult economic conditions without such restrictions.
The eight FOTA teams said they would not “compromise on the fundamental values of the sport” by adhering to Mosley’s financial constraints.
“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,” a statement said.
Brawn GP chief executive Nick Fry said Friday his group negotiated “at some length in good faith and not quite got to where we want to be. So at the moment it looks like we’ll be doing something different.”
“I hope discussions will continue,” he added. “Really the ball is now in Max’s court and he has to announce the participants in the championship, which is due imminently, so we’ll see what happens there.” ESPN Sports
The remaining FOTA teams announced their decision to leave F1 after meeting Thursday night near Silverstone.
“The positions have hardened on both sides,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.
“The teams feel they have gone as far as they can, the FIA feel they have gone as far as they can and we’ve ended up in a situation where a solution hasn’t been found.
“We’ve no alternative because if we can’t race in Formula One under the current rules, if you want to keep competing then you’ve got to look at something else.”
The FOTA exodus means some of the other teams which lodged 2010 F1 entries but were overlooked may now get another chance to participate in the sport next season.
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The split will also have serious ramifications for broadcasters who have rights to what will be a diminished F1 without its big-name teams and drivers, and the venues that host F1 races but may seek to host breakaway events. The Age
The triple world champion Jackie Stewart, meanwhile, has suggested that Mosley may have to leave his post in the wake of last night’s announcement that eight teams are prepared to form a breakaway series. Stewart, who has long been a thorn in Mosley’s side, felt he was not alone in wanting a change at the top of the governing body.
“I think they [the teams] do want Max to go because frankly some of the decisions made over the years have been very questionable,” he said. “For example, a $100m [£61m] fine on McLaren for something that was never proven. Never in the history of sport has such an amount of money been levied by a sporting authority. And that was something that he drove. I think a lot of people are kind of fed up with the dictatorial attitude. He has a great position of power but big trees do blow over.” Guardian.co.uk
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