Williams are the first current formula one team to sign up for the 2010 championship despite an ongoing standoff between the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) over the regulations that have left Ferrari threatening to quit. Williams chief executive Adam Parr confirmed the entry today but stressed the team remained committed to Fota.
“The unity of Fota is of paramount importance to Williams,” he said. “Yesterday we joined the other members of Fota in writing to the FIA to request a continuing effort to find a compromise concerning the regulations for 2010.”
Parr said Williams and Fota were also seeking an early signing of a new Concorde Agreement, the confidential accord governing the sport that the teams, FIA and commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone have yet to put their names to.
Click Here For More Formula 1 Photos
“We believe that under the leadership of [Ferrari president Luca] di Montezemolo and [Toyota motorsport president] John Howett, Fota has extracted some very significant concessions from the FIA,” Parr said. Guardian.co.uk
“These include not only the procedural aspects of the budget cap, but also other elements that will enable the higher budget teams to participate.
“Having said that, we have a binding contract with FOM (Formula One Management, Bernie Ecclestone’s company) and the FIA to participate from 2008 to 2010.
“We have been paid in full for our participation and we feel both morally and legally obliged to make it clear that we will participate in Formula One in the future as we have in the past 30 years.
“We owe this to our employees, our sponsors and the fans, all of whom are affected by statements that teams may not enter next year’s championship.”
Williams’ decision and statement appeared to be very out of step with the other teams and came, on Monday, just four days before Friday’s deadline for existing teams to lodge their entries for next season.
FOTA, in their letter to Mosley, urged him to tear up his proposed ‘budget cap’ plans this week if he wanted the teams to sign for next year.
“What we have asked for is to go back to the rules of this year (2009) and then see, together, what we can do in order to make changes for next year,” said Ferrari team chief Stefano Domenicali.
According to Domenicali, the teams want an immediate revocation of Mosley’s 2010 plans before Friday’s deadline for 2010 entries to be lodged.
Mosley believes, however, a compromise can be reached, but fears that at least one or two teams may depart.
Click Here For More Formula 1 Photos
“I think one or two of them may have to stop, but nothing to do with these discussions,” he said. “It is very difficult for a major manufacturer to continue in Formula One when they are doing economies in their factories like shutting off every other lift, turning down the electricity, not cleaning the windows, not serving coffee at the meetings.
“A company that is in that sort of situation is unlikely to go on pouring massive money into Formula One.” AFP
| 
|