BREAKING: Formula 1 Teams Association announces breakaway series for 2010

[coolmazda5]

It's official: F1 is broken. At least, with the FOTA's announcement it will create a rival championship, it appears that F1 as we have known it is all but broken. Max Mosley and the FIA have gone back and forth with the FOTA for months, with neither side able to agree on a compromise and both sides claiming the other party is being intransigent.

After meeting at Renault's Enstone, England headquarters the eight "rebel" teams (Ferrari, McLaren, Toyota, Renault, BMW, Brawn, Red Bull, Toro Rosso) decided there was no way to proceed with the FIA, so it would proceed without the FIA. The crucial bits of their follow-up press release state:

"The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.

"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. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

"The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."

The release goes on to address issues the FOTA has with the "commercial rights holder," by which they mean Bernie Ecclestone. If they mean what they've written, a more stable and less expensive F1 would be a victory for teams and fans. Track owners would probably also profit, since they pay Ecclestone more than ten million pounds simply for the right to hold an F1 race -- and that's part of the money the teams want a bigger share of.

Many observers have said the teams won't set up another championship because they're too focused on selling cars. But the FOTA has already spoken to Carmelo Ezpeleta, whose Dorna Sports company is in charge of Moto GP, and who has experience in taking control of the series from the FIM. If he can provide a turn-key solution, the teams can stick to doing what they do best.

We suspect the FOTA is correct and that brands, sponsors and promoters will follow the breakaway series rather than hang back with Williams, Force India and eight other teams in the F1 reset series. The question is: if those eight teams follow through, and assuming they take their contracted drivers, which series will get your attention next year?

For now, though, bring on the lawyers.

Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/18/breaking-formula-1-teams-association-announces-breakaway-series

 

[coolmazda5]

Naaah, Is that so?

 

[MP3Performance]

I'm all for the new series. There are too many complicated rules, dumbing down of technology and lack of consideration for the fans. F1 is supposed to be about race engineering innovations and technology working together to produce the best race cars in the world. It is not supposed to be about "other issues" such as race politics and outside influences making decisions on how the cars should be designed and run.

 

[Shadow102]

Thank god is all I can say. F1 has turned to crap in the last couple years. Way too many politics and interventions by race directors...these new cars seem like a step backward to over a decade ago in terms of technology (except kers but as we all know that's bulls*** as well)

I for one will watch the new series and who knows we could see a race or two in the usa.

 

[coolmazda5]

I'm with you guys, F1 had become a set of arrogant and irrational rules procedures and regulations that made me lose passion for it during the last couple of years, yet naively I thought that the business (?) people behind F1 would see the light and made efforts to revamp it from scratch instead of letting it break lose. Ultimately the acronym F1 means so much (or is just me, LOL)

But yeah, let's see if that change brings more action to the US, last race I went to was in Montreal (close enough ), it was a blast.

 

[GoFast]

fan freaking tastic

 

[Shadow102]

I'm with you guys, F1 had become a set of arrogant and irrational rules procedures and regulations that made me lose passion for it during the last couple of years, yet naively I thought that the business (?) people behind F1 would see the light and made efforts to revamp it from scratch instead of letting it break lose. Ultimately the acronym F1 means so much (or is just me, LOL)

But yeah, let's see if that change brings more action to the US, last race I went to was in Montreal (close enough ), it was a blast.

No your right f1 has always been the pinnacle of auto racing there is nothing that compares. However f1 has also meant the leading edge of technology and with the recent rule changes they are taking away the technology and adding bs in there

 

[coolmazda5]

fan freaking tastic

Spam, mods please take action

J/k, hey man, good to see you on this side of the fence, LOL

No your right f1 has always been the pinnacle of auto racing there is nothing that compares. However f1 has also meant the leading edge of technology and with the recent rule changes they are taking away the technology and adding bs in there

Exactly, the "F1" acronym has become "BS" unfortunately

 

[tiagotiago]

I don't like any of the recent FIA rulings, but I do have to wonder is splitting a series going to work?? They tried that with CART and IRL a few years ago and they took 1 series that was doing alright and formed 2 ones that where pretty much irrelevant. I want to see things done differently in F1, but I hope they really know what they're getting themselves into. Tough a some people consider this just another chess move to try and pressure Mosley "out of office".

And whatever happens, I hope we end up with ways of viewing races online that are consistent with F1 being "the most technologically advanced". I find it ridiculous there is no good (and legal) way of watching races online for the whole world; and what little attempts have been done to solve this by the fans (adding videos to youtube) ends up in someone getting into a fight with Formula One Management. I think it's ridiculous they have had fans with passion and desire to share their sport and some short sighted beancounter comes along and tells them its not their sport. IMO if you feel something is yours, you'll care about it and will try to share and make it better; if it isn't yours, you end up just not giving a s***. For example, we care about our Mazdas, that's why a good chunk of us are here anyways.

 

[coolmazda5]

FIA reportedly drops lawsuit against FOTA, wants to talk

...and the soap opera continues. It is the first time I read the proposed series name: "New Formula". Geeeh, come on, it sounds like baby food, LOL. But hey, Indianapolis is on the list at least (naughty)

Mosley, dude, Why you just don't retire and leave them alone?...

Take a poll anywhere outside of Max Mosley's or Bernie Ecclestone's motor homes and you'll probably find a preponderance of F1 fans rooting for the Formula One Teams Association. When the FOTA announced a breakaway series for 2010, it took just about 12 hours for the FIA to uncork its laywers. Just two days later, says F1 Live, at the British Grand Prix, Mosley himself said "There won't be any writ. I think we would rather talk than litigate," so everyone could "sit down and iron out the last few difficulties."

After the vitriol in the FIA's lawsuit announcement and the matter of Mosley's rather grand persona, it's hard to believe that this 48-hour about-face is anything other than a frank admission that Formula 1 means little without its marquee teams. Bernie has also chimed in, saying the FOTA can't afford to run a breakaway series, and he can't understand why they'd want to try when he's already arranged everything for them.

Of course, it hasn't helped things that, also during the British GP, Mosley reportedly called the FOTA members "loonies." Nor does it help that the FOTA has already proposed a 17-race calendar for next year -- including Montreal, Indianapolis, Buenos Aires, and Magny Cours, and it has a new name for the series: New Formula. In spite of Mosley's repeated assurances that a deal is close, it can't be a good omen that the FOTA has said they are nowhere close to a deal. Indeed, it may be possible that the FIA might be obligated to oversee the new series. The next six weeks will be some of the biggest the sport has ever seen.

Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/22/that-didnt-take-long-either-fia-drops-lawsuit-against-fota-w/

 

[MP3Performance]

lol at "sit down and iron out the last few difficulties" part. If they were even remotely close then both sides would keep there mouths shut and none of this would go public.

The part about having Indianapolis and and Montreal back on the list makes me hope for this split race series thing to go through even more. Would probably suck for new potential tracks that are scheduled to have f1 races next year or in the near future (ie Russia).

 

[GoFast]

Spam, mods please take action

J/k, hey man, good to see you on this side of the fence, LOL

(thumb)

I wonder if F1 is taking a look at NASCAR and it's ridiculously large, faithful, and high spending followers and going after a chuck of that market. I mean what race organization wouldn't want to take notice and maybe even write down a couple notes from that sport? Think about it, a good chunk of NASCAR fans can't afford there next car payment, or their next mortgage payment, but they can, and do, find the money to pay for the best possible tickets and packages.

 

[Blendercloud]

(thumb)

I wonder if F1 is taking a look at NASCAR and it's ridiculously large, faithful, and high spending followers and going after a chuck of that market. I mean what race organization wouldn't want to take notice and maybe even write down a couple notes from that sport? Think about it, a good chunk of NASCAR fans can't afford there next car payment, or their next mortgage payment, but they can, and do, find the money to pay for the best possible tickets and packages.

You just described my home town.

 

[Shadow102]

Bye bye max

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/24/breaking-f1-reunites-as-max-mosely-reportedly-forced-to-quit-f1/

Time to out bernie now

 

[tiagotiago]

So the teams did get Max to promise he won't run for office. I wonder if he won't change his mind....again.

I don't see him changing his mind and the teams letting him be, but then again, I didn't see him surviving the "she needs more of ze punishment!" video fiasco, and yet he did.

Whatever happens, I hope there's good racing. I'm fed up with F1 starting to become almost all about politics.

 

[coolmazda5]

Bye bye max

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/24/breaking-f1-reunites-as-max-mosely-reportedly-forced-to-quit-f1/

Shocking...

I agree with tiagotiago, that Fidel Mosley Castro can be difficult to fully detach from the scene but oh well, money talks

 

[coolmazda5]

Can you believe this?

Who'll replace Mosley as FIA President? Could be...Mosley

With Max Mosley due to end his tenure as president of the FIA in October, the recent rift between the current Formula One championship and the Formula One Teams Association has apparently been healed. Now the big question on everyone's minds in the motorsport world is: Who will replace Mosley?

Speculation has already grown its legs, with several rumored candidates already being vetted in the motorsport press. The most obvious candidate is Michel Boeri, who currently presides over both the Monaco automobile club as well as the FIA senate and who, according to some earlier reports, is already stepping in to take over some of Mosley's responsibilities. Mosley, however, refuted such reports, and doesn't think Boeri would be interested in his job. Current FIA Vice-President Hermann Tomczyk, who was touted as a potential Mosley replacement amidst the latter's recent scandal, told members of the German press he's not interested in the job, either.

Meanwhile, many are looking to Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team principal who recently retired (save for his liaison role between the Scuderia and the FIA) and who has long been touted as a potential FIA president. Toyota team principal and FOTA veep John Howett says the association would prefer someone with no ties to any of the teams, but he also noted that it'll be the FIA's own constituents who will have the final say and not the teams association.

For his part, Mosley says he'll endorse a specific candidate if there is more than one in the running. As reported earlier, the always controversial and embattled figure says he's owed an apology from FOTA for what he claims were blatant misrepresentations to the media about the nature of the agreement between the two motorsport groups. If he doesn't get his apology, Mosley says he could call the whole thing off and stand for re-election in October, which would make this whole discussion rather academic, to say nothing of the future of the sport and its regulatory body.


Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/wholl-replace-mosley-as-fia-president-could-be-mosley/

 

[GoFast]

well i hate to say it, but I saw this crap coming form a mile away! Of course Mosley feels like he's been wronged...doesn't every douche? I laughed at the point in that article when he said he will endorse a certain candidate...HA! I know who I won't be voting for...