FIA FOTA splitsville!

Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Brawn, Toyota, Renault, and BMW Sauber have all decided to start their own series!

Discuss.

I wonder what will happen to Peter Windsor's Team USF1?

link?

They are still in as confirmed F1 teams. As are Force India, Williams, Manor GP, and Campos GP. More to follow surely.

They are still in as confirmed F1 teams. As are Force India, Williams, Manor GP, and Campos GP. More to follow surely.

sorry, no link, posting from an Ipod. It was on autoblog though.

Sorry bout the double post.

The Formula One Teams’ Association has thrown the sport into total chaos by announcing its eight members will set up their own breakaway series at the end of the season. Following weeks of talks with the FIA aimed at breaking the deadlock over the bitter row over the 2010 budget cap and governance of the sport, FOTA issued a statement on Thursday night – on behalf of Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Brawn, Toyota and both Red Bull teams – saying they had grown tired of the governing body’s demands and had been left with “no alternative” than to start preparing for a new championship. The cataclysmic announcement comes after all eight of its members met for 11th hour talks at Renault's Enstone factory on Thursday evening to decide whether or not they would enter unconditional entries for the 2010 grid ahead of Friday's deadline imposed by FIA president Max Mosley. In its bombshell statement FOTA accused both the governing body and F1's commerical supremo Bernie Ecclestone for trying to divide the group, adding that while it has strived to strike a peace it was no longer willing to "compromise on the fundamental values of the sport". The FOTA statement said: "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." FOTA says its new championship will include all of Formula 1's existing household stars and major figures, adding that "transparent governance" would be a key feature. “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 statement added. “The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.” More follows...

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=46159

I follow the F1 series, and have seen this coming for awhile. It's my estimation that the Bernie and Max dog-and-pony show has passed it's expiration date.

OTOH, if it wan't for the drama/soap opera aspect of it, it wouldn't really be Formula One.

I'm taking a "wait and see" stance on this one.

champ car and IRL all over again.

ugh.

only on a much larger scale.

It's high time! Now I'll bet we get at least one race over here in the States. I just hope it's not Indy. Indy resembles Bernie et al too much.

ignorant wrote: champ car and IRL all over again..

A bit "on the nose", but entirely correct.

If you could write a script about how to trash a race series...

See FIM to MotoGP for how FOTA can win. There's rumors that they've engaged the services of the same company that pulled MotoGP off to help establish their new series. I frankly think it's just another high stakes negotiating position, and that there's a 50% change that they will be kissing and making up by the end of the season.

Screw that bernie and max needed to get stomped, they've been ruling F1 with an iron fist for way too long.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8108492.stm

It won't actually happen.

Berkely, berkely, BERKELY!!!!!

This is just what we didn't need right now. AOWR may never recover from the CART/IRL split.

Hell's YES!! Bring it FOTA, I will watch!

ignorant wrote: champ car and IRL all over again. ugh.

My thoughts exactly.

I'd be happy to see FOTA take up the ~ACO Offer~

I've attended F1 races and one of my best friends follows the F1 circus (because of his job).

But personally, I've never cared for the Lawn Darts.

I'd love to see these guys build some real sports cars.

aeronca65t wrote: I'd be happy to see FOTA take up the ~ACO Offer~ I've attended F1 races and one of my best friends follows the F1 circus (because of his job). But personally, I've never cared for the Lawn Darts. I'd love to see these guys build some real sports cars.

+1

What do lawn darts have to do with this conversation?

+2. F1 and its possible derivative are so irrelevant to the real world as to be ludicrous. People rightfully laugh at NASCAR but F1 is even worse. However, I do realize it is quite popular in other parts of the world.

[edit] That's not a Lawn Dart as it appears to have 4 round black tires instead of several rectangular grey ones.

But I found a rolling one ON a lawn, that is rarer.

Duke wrote: +2. F1 and its possible derivative are so irrelevant to the real world as to be ludicrous. People rightfully laugh at NASCAR but F1 is even worse. However, I do realize it is quite popular in other parts of the world.

really? so the aero advancements, traction control, stability control, tire development, KERS progression and paddle shifted gearboxes have no application to the commercial world? and NASCAR does? name one development that has appeared on a road car within the past decade that NASCAR developed.