from F1 live... FOTA seems to have widespread fan support for 2010 Rumours that plans for FOTA's breakaway championship are moving forwards abounded on Sunday. In the paddock of the Silverstone circuit, even a possible name for the series emerged - 'New Formula' - as well as a potential 17-race 2010 calendar. Former F1 venues including Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Jerez, Imola, Montreal, Indianapolis, Silverstone, Magny Cours and Adelaide were listed on the theoretical calendar, published by the German news agency SID. Current tracks were also mentioned: Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Suzuka, while potential new venues are Jerez, Portimao, the Lausitzring, Surfer's Paradise and even the Finnish capital Helsinki. But while some suggest that F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is moving towards the rebel team's plans, he told Britain's Daily Star newspaper on Sunday that he fears for the breakaway. Despite earlier sympathising with the teams' dislike of the proposed budget cap, he now believes unfettered spending "could be the curse of our sport. "It could ruin it. It would be a disaster and they'd destroy the sport," he said. "I would hate to see any kind of takeover happen because it would be badly managed. They can't even run their own teams. They can't agree on anything. If the teams owned it they would destroy it," Ecclestone added. He also scoffed at the leaked FOTA calendar, wondering how the body can compete with the structure operated by his businesses. "We organise the venues which don't cost the teams a penny," said Ecclestone. "I reckon Ferrari and McLaren need us more than we need them. "All they have to do is pitch up at a track with their sponsors' names all over their cars in exchange for millions of quid and race in front of a worldwide television audience - which I have set up and keep going. "The bottom line is they can't afford to set up a rival championship," he added. * * * * * add to this: On a day when Sky Italia took a poll during their broadcast of the British Grand Prix which found an astonishing 91 percent of viewers supported the Formula One Teams' Association stance, Max Mosley said the FIA will not proceed with legal action against the FOTA members, indicating he would rather reach a deal to stave off the threat of a breakaway championship. Carol
thanks Florian! Why do you say that about the Lausitzring (EuroSpeedway)? Lots of available configurations/access looks easy. I like their thought of Imola, Portimao (will know more about that the end of next month), intrigued by Helsinki (neat town). Definitely sounds like FOTA has been doing their homework. Carol
"They can't even run their own teams. They can't agree on anything. If the teams owned it they would destroy it," Ecclestone added. Really Bernie - that's the best you got? Seems like they agree they are sick of you & Max. He also scoffed at the leaked FOTA calendar, wondering how the body can compete with the structure operated by his businesses. Of course - stupid us. How hard is it to sign up tracks that actually want FOTA to race at their facilities? I forgot Bernie has a PHD from Oxford so he's the only one capable of pulling off such a miraculous business operation..... Kevin
Very interesting. Hopefully Bernie and Max will open thier eyes a little and see what needs to be done. I'm astonished at the 91% figure, too. When I first started reading, I was concerned that the breakaway series would lose out on a pinnacle race, Monaco, but it looks like they could keep that, too. I'm amazed that so much has already been planned/released, and makes me think they may have been planning this for a while now. Perhaps they've been looking for a way out for some time. We'll see.
Grand Prix of New York(Times Square Street Circuit).Hopefully by 2013 I have a seat and have a real home GP.
Brawn said more meetings will take place next week to begin work on the unnamed breakaway championship's technical regulations. Things are seem to be shaping up..
The Lausitzring is a track without any history or soul that has been build right in the middle of nowhere (to create jobs there, which hasn't worked). I can't understand why anyone would prefer it to Hockenheim and the Nürburgring!
No cold water on this please Florian, if the teams means business we should all get behind them IMO. Of course the ideal scenerio would be Max ousted and shamed as a sacrifice to save F1.
Notice that the teams have proposed 2 races in North America (Indy & Montreal) and another one in Central America (Mexico) and another in South America (Buenos Aires). THis is an indication that the teams think that this hemisphere is still important, unlike BE and MM.
Comments like these will only spur the teams on. It's like a parent not giving a kid credit and the kid tries harder to prove them wrong. I really see the teams not turning back and finding themselves under the control freak's grasp again. Let's go Nouveau Formula!
I like the following comments ... Toyota F1 team president and FOTA vice-chairman John Howett said that initial feedback from fans suggested huge support for the new series - which had galvanized a belief among the teams that they were doing the right thing. "I think if you look at the overwhelming support we have got from the public, ultimately now there has to be a fairly significant move from the federation," Howett told AUTOSPORT in reaction to Mosley's comments. "Overall we have a clear position and I think we made numerous concessions to achieve some sort of compromise. Now, we have made the decision, and at the moment we are moving forwards very positively on that vector." McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, when asked about Mosley's suggestions a deal was close, said: "No, I don't think so. It is difficult to make progress on a Sunday when you are concentrating on going motor racing. "I think obviously we have to see what happens in the coming few weeks but I think it is not a situation that we set out to achieve. We have got to make sure that we concentrate on keeping all of the teams together and making sure that we are racing together in the premier form of motor racing." He added: "FOTA has a number of meetings next week and we've got to look at the process by which we appoint people who are selling the media, looking at the way in which we engage circuits. There has been a lot of interest in working with us, and given our situation we are obliged to go forward with those arrangements and that planning." Carol
Interesting list. Maybe, just maybe next year I won't go to Turkey after all. While I don't believe in the FOTA pulling off the pirate series, I do like the locations. Much more than the current calendar.
Bernie is at his funniest when he's insulting the very people whose cooperation he needs. I guess he doen't want FOTA to ruin F1 because he and Maxxx are already doing that.....
Turkey there was hardly anyone there this year. If the teams break jeez...the FIA GP will be like watching brush wood blowing in a dust bowl. Glad you like the tracks tho see ya at one..
3 races in North America. Mexico is part of North America The current F1 seems more of a pirate series than what FOTA could ever do.
I have a friend at work who knows almost nothing about open wheel racing, and even *he* supports the break-away series: He's going to be in Sao Paulo at the appropriate time this year, and he's spent all week ranting about the cost of tickets for the Brazilian GP.
Somehow I think those two things are related: Not knowing much about F1 and supporting the pirate races Apologies if that sounded arrogant. Wasn't meant to be. I just think people who support the break-away series are in for a very rude awakening. Not that I don't like what I'm hearing from FOTA, but I just don't believe their utopian vision. The reality will be much less appealing. IRL-CART comes to mind.
Whooops, you are absolutely correct. I had that at first and then changed is and lumped them into Central. Four races in the Americas is far better than one!
Comes to mind, or fills it? Once again: This isn't really a "split" --- not when one side has the big name teams, the drivers, the technology, and a choice of name tracks, and the other side has a spec series of GP3 rookie teams in the boonies. Whitmarsh said much the same thing during a pre-race interview at Silverstone -- it's not really a "split": FOTA is keeping the F1 teams together. This isn't a split of F1, it's a take-over. And F1 really really needs a take-over. Otherwise, you'll have "two competing series" when the only difference between F1 and Indycar is that Indy includes some oval tracks. (Which F1 used to have, too, back when the 500 was an F1 event.) If you want to see F1 return to the Americas, you should be supporting the FOTA take-over. Otherwise, there won't be any point to having Indy and F1 on the same continents.
I agree. The breakaway series will never happen. Next year we continue to have F1, and most likely no, or just a limited budget cut.
The thing is IMO, the trick is to get rid of Mosley, as SRTMike say's he will sink the ship before releasing grip on it, I also agree with Andreas, and DGS although its a conflict of opinion. But it will have to go down to the wire, in which it probably just has, to achieve his removal. It may entail either Bernie, making Max state he will retire in Oct, with some compromise in place for Max saving face, which I believe is probably what will happen or: A breakaway which will last as long as Max heads the FIA, then a new FIA leader and they return.. All IMHO.
Yes Carol.. I know that and the teams know that, thats why maybe it's going this far. Bernie is really going to have to pull it back and act quick, the FOTA look to me as if they really mean business, and I think that fact is sinking in. Hence Max back tracking wanting the teams to talk. Yesterday he called part of the FOTA lunatics, and tried to single out Flav, he really is walking a tightrope now.
