FOTA announces breakaway series !!!

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Ok, I think this is important enough to deserve its own thread, and anyway this is not "Ferrari taking their toys home" anymore.

Announcement from FOTA, as reported by autosport.com:

The Formula One Teams' Association announced on Thursday night that it is setting up a breakaway championship.

Following a four hour meeting at Renault's Enstone factory, the eight members of FOTA - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso - said they had grown frustrated with the FIA's stance against the organisation, and had no option but to create a series of their own.

"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," said a statement issued by FOTA after the meeting.

"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."

F1 teams were given until Friday evening to remove the conditions attached to the provisional entries they posted earlier this month, or risk being left off the grid in 2010.

FIA president Max Mosley wrote to the teams yesterday offering them some of the concessions that they wanted to see regarding governance of the sport, but made it clear that he was sticking to plans for the introduction of a budget cap.

In his letter, Mosley also urged the teams to sign up to the championship before sorting out the final version of the regulations and a redrafted Concorde Agreement.

In response to that letter, the teams met at Renault's Enstone headquarters on Thursday evening for lengthy talks, where they finally decided that there was no way a compromise deal could be reached with the FIA.

The teams expressed frustration that their efforts to try and improve F1 had been rebuffed by the governing body and the sport's commercial rights holder.

"Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport," said the statement.

"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community. FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

"In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives. The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

"Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

"The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.

"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise."

The announcement by FOTA looks certain to overshadow the British Grand Prix, which takes place at Silverstone for the final time this weekend and which Mosley is expected to attend tomorrow.

With FOTA's stance now seemingly leaving no room for a deal possible, its likely that more new teams will be added to the FIA's 2010 Formula 1 entry list.

The inclusion of Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso on that roster remains open to debate, however, with the FIA claiming that the teams committed themselves to F1 in a deal agreed several years ago.
 
Sigh. This is going to go on to the end of the year isn't it?

I somewhat doubt FOTA are going to pull it off for reasons previously stated many times - the key of which is money, sorting out and organising a new championship in time for 2010 is going to take a lot of work. Perhaps FOM will be a deciding factor but we will have to see.

Put me down as sceptical, we will see these teams in F1 next year, but clearly the FIA are going to have to compromise. I'm not so sure they are willing to let in the other entries they had if they are in a worse position than Manor Grand Prix.

Basically everyone's going to continue arguing till the end of the year and then they will compromise and join F1 anyway. Though this now means we will lose some of the teams as I expect the FIA to now bring forward at least Prodrive as a confirmed entry.
 
I somewhat doubt FOTA are going to pull it off for reasons previously stated many times - the key of which is money, sorting out and organising a new championship in time for 2010 is going to take a lot of work. Perhaps FOM will be a deciding factor but we will have to see.

Who said anything about 2010. I would imagine 2011 would be the earliest possible.


Either way this seems more like something to scare the FIA to give in a little bit. But I do support the idea of breakaway series if that does not happen.
 
This is a bad dream. This has to be a bad dream. I'm going to wake up soon an find that none of this ever happened. Formula One simply cannot afford to split like CART and IRL did.
 
I have heard on the grapevine that Mosely is doubling his budget cap for next year, trying to keep FOTA happy maybe.
 
and now it turns into a game of who will blink first. only thing we need now is an old clint eastwood old western scene where he stares down the bad guy and the person who flinches first loses. the question is whos going to be playing the part of clint eastwood here. i gots my money on FOTA getting the FIA to fold first.
 
I have heard on the grapevine that Mosely is doubling his budget cap for next year, trying to keep FOTA happy maybe.
I hope the man goes to the ends of the earth to get them back on-board, though part of me thinks that the grapevine is simply people being optimistic.
 
I hope the man goes to the ends of the earth to get them back on-board, though part of me thinks that the grapevine is simply people being optimistic.

Agreed. This is the worst possible situation for Formula One. Mosley, Ecclestone, and FOTA are going to undo everything that's been done for the sport.:nervous:
 
and now it turns into a game of who will blink first. only thing we need now is an old clint eastwood old western scene where he stares down the bad guy and the person who flinches first loses. the question is whos going to be playing the part of clint eastwood here. i gots my money on FOTA getting the FIA to fold first.

'Tis what I'm thinking as well. I see two outcomes:

1) The FIA realizes that they're ruining the sport and beg the FOTA teams to come back, allowing them to spend billions of Euros on new four-wheel drive 8.0 turbo F1 cars with no minimum weight.

2) The FOTA realize that they can't start their own series and beg the FIA to allow them to come back, agreeing to the 40m salary cap and the medals system.
 
Maybe this is just me denying reality and serving my dislike of Flavio Briatore at the same time, but has anyone noticed that on two occasions now the FIA and FOTA appeared to be making progress and then everything fell apart after they met on Renault territory? First of all, they were talking with the FIA in Monaco, but then the teams met on Briatore's yacht and at the end of the meeting they had taken ten steps backwards? And now, they sent a letter to the FIA saying they'll join until 2012 if the FIA were willing the negotiate a few things, and the FIA replied saying yes, it's possible, but then the teams met at Renault HQ in Enstone and now they're suddenly breaking away.

I'm at a loss to explain what prompted this move. The FIA were willing to make huge concessions, incluing removing the controversial Appendix 5, raising the budget cap and getting an outside authority to police the budget cap. All of it seemed like it was going FOTA's way, but now they've done an abrupt about-face and said they're going their own way. And both times, the only thing that was in common was the fact that they were meeting on Renault's home turf. I'm beginning to suspect the FIA's accusations of factions within FOTA is at least partially true. Renault were widely believed to be leaving at the end of this season, and it would be pretty embarrassing if all the other teams joined up but they decided to exit because they didn't like the budget cap. Given that Briatore has screwed so many people over before - Eddie Jordan, Jenson Button, Nelson Piquet to name a few - I wouldn't put it past him to convince FOTA to form their own rival series simply so that he can stay in the sport but save face in splitting from the FIA because he'd have the other teams with him.

Of course, like I said, I might simply be denying reality and letting my intense dislike of Briatore get in the way of objectivity. I just don't want this to be real.
 
I think World Grand Prix has a nice ring to it.

As for the potential split, part of me wants it because of the two headed monster that is ruining F1. The other part doesn't want it because normally the breakaway series fails.
 
Wow, you have got to be kidding me. Please don't tell me its CART vs. IRL all over again. We've already had one stupid Open wheel conflict, we don't need another one.
 
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Oh... what ever Q-bert says...#@$%^!!! Oh cheezits dudes... this could be the worst deal that could happen... then again... it could be best deal that could happen as well... USGP East at Indy with the new Moto GP corners and going in the Counter Clockwise manner please.. Laguna Seca USGP West maybe?.... Canadian GP East Montreal, that would be a go... Streets of Vancouver for a Canadian GP West maybe?.... --- Randy
 
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wow. this is epic stuff.

Considering all the current teams besides Williams and Force India will be in the new series, I think it has the potential to be a good series. Add to that the fact that it won't be run by the FIA, Max, and Bernie, and I think it could be better than F1. This could be the beginning of the end of Formula 1. It will be what F1 should be. I'm tired of all the politics. I'd like to see it happen. ...as long as I can still watch the races.

The official FOTA statement:
Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport.

Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community. FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives. The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.

The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.

It has become clear however, that 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.
 
Now, can we get back the US and Canada GP, pleez? Laguna Seca, perhaps?

If they don't decide that they need to screw up a race track just so they can race on it like the FIA did with Herman Tilke at Hockenheim, I'm fine with it, although the track length may be abit too short. Also, I'm wondering what rules will they have for thier own series? Will they continue the current shape of the F1 cars they have now or will they go back to the old style just years before? I'd love to see that return but with the slicks remaining because they just look so badass together.
 
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If they're serious, they'll need their own set of techncial and sporting regulations. They can't just copy-and-paste those by the FIA, as they're copyrighted.

I still don't believe it, though.
 
If they're serious, they'll need their own set of techncial and sporting regulations. They can't just copy-and-paste those by the FIA, as they're copyrighted.

I still don't believe it, though.

So its definately gonna have to be a clean sheet of paper. What I'm wondering though is what regulations will they come up with? At the moment, I don't see any sort of testing that can do for the time being (Assuming they do make this happen).
 
If they're serious, they'll need their own set of techncial and sporting regulations. They can't just copy-and-paste those by the FIA, as they're copyrighted.

I still don't believe it, though.

I'm sure copying the old rules is the last thing they wanna do.

But still, how can you copyright a rule?
 
You can't copyright the rules, but you can copyright the document they are published in. And given that the rules are pretty detailed, you've effectively copyrighted the rule, unless you want to totally re-write the rulebook to say the same things with different words, which would be a complete waste of time.
 
I go to sleep and everything is okay. I wake up and there's a breakaway.

8 teams? They could add Lola and one other team for 20 cars or they could each field 3 cars.

Hopefully this is all a bad dream and my alarm has not woken me up yet. I shouldn't have eaten that cheese last night!
 
Well it's clear since they decided to break from F1 that they don't like some of the rules, so it'll definitely be different on some major points - on others it'll be the same as the old book with different wording. Being a competing sport, I don't think this will be a legal issue.
 
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