FOTA/FIA/FOM UPDATE June 11: FIA/FOTA Meet Today In London!

Formula 1 teams are due to meet with FIA president Max Mosley in London today to try and reach a last-minute deal over entries for next year, AUTOSPORT has learned, with the governing body having made clear the compromises it is willing to offer.

With the entry list for the 2010 championship due to be announced by the FIA tomorrow morning, efforts are increasing to reach a resolution that will head off the threat of current manufacturer teams walking away from F1.

Although there have been suggestions in the past few days that the two sides are edging near a resolution, there still appears to be differences between the two parties about the way forward for next year.

However, AUTOSPORT has learned that Mosley is willing to soften the FIA's approach to next year - which includes scrapping a two-tier category – even though he insists a budget cap must be in place in 2010.

In a letter Mosley sent to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo following his last meeting with teams in Monaco, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT, Mosley said that there was some ground for manoeuvre in what the FIA would be willing to accept for next year.

"We can agree that all teams race under the same 2010 rules," said Mosley, referring to the original proposal for a two-tier F1 that had been a major bone of contention for a lot of teams.

"These would be as published, but with the technical and sporting advantages originally offered to cost-cap teams deleted."

Rather than having performance benefits, the FIA said it was willing to give new teams the opportunity to work on technology transfer deals with established outfits – as has been hinted about by Frank Williams in recent days.

Mosley added: "Instead of these advantages, we will facilitate know-how transfer between certain current teams and new entrants at least for 2010 and possibly for 2011."

One thing Mosley is not willing to back down on though is the introduction of a budget cap – even if the figure is made very high for next year.

He said he was willing to propose: "A cap in 2010. This could be as high as 100 million Euros, but we must have a cap and we must have certainty... For 2011, again we must have certainty with a cap at £40 million (or if preferred 45 million Euros)."

However, Mosley said that a compromise could be introduced whereby one highly paid member of staff would be allowed to be outside the budget cap – which would help those outfits who have star names, like Adrian Newey or Ross Brawn, on board.

Furthermore, the FIA said it was willing to sign a Concorde Agreement 'broadly' along the lines of the version sent to it prior to the Monaco Grand Prix, plus a renaming of the cost cap – which has been a big issue for the teams.

 

So many different rumors surrounding this situation, hard to believe most. I want to see how close my friend in Europe is to the final compromises:

His contacts say the FIA would actually agree to the following (unsure of FOTA):

No two tier system, massive assistance for new teams by existing teams, salary of top TWO individuals exempt,
customer cars allowed in 2011, so many exemptions the first two years as to actually make the budget near double
of the numbers below, adjusted means for inflation, future rules changes to go before committee that includes team
principals for review 2-3 months before implementation if approved, emergency clause if FIA deems changes necessary for safety.

FOM would agree to the teams TV revenue increase from 47% to 55%

2010: $150-$175 mill euros
2011: $125 mill euros adjusted
2012: $100 mill euros adjusted
2013: $80 mill euros adjusted

If some or any of this is true, and there is an agreement, looks like sanity entered the thinking of both
sides, and they all won. Actually, the fans wins.

 

Aha! - Here's the key! If they can get a new Concorde in place the big guns will bring their toys to the party....

The two tier nonsense has been dead for a while, nothing new that Mad Max has backed off on that.

But, he still wants a cap, although it's not going to be called a cap?

Drivers, PR, and now "one employee" outside of the cap - Cool - We're going to see some *really* expensive PR work going on next year!..... "But Max, our new bodywork wasn't developed with the race teams money, it was done by the PR department so we could make the sponsors names bigger!

It sounds like they're getting there.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Ian, the one employee outside the cap was agreed to over one week ago, I am curious if the two employee agreement is approved.

 

Agreed - I thought I remembered that "exception".

Whatever, one, two, or 10 employees "outside the cap" is still pretty irrelevant in the overall scheme of things IMHO.

Brings us back to the question of how the hell are they going to enforce some arbitrary number, whatever it may be? - We all know that accountants regularly "cook the books" to suit their agendas. Mad Max will be able to save face (unfortunately) by claiming they all came in "under the cap that's not a cap" after reviewing their "audited books" which won't include, eg, wind tunnel time as someone will claim they weren't testing the aero but rather the suitability of a new paint color, and that's a part of the PR budget.........

Cheers,
Ian

 

You are correct. How to police the caps remains a problem. But something has to be developed to police the budgets, or Pierro's idea of NASCAR type rules is the alternative. That means semi-spec cars. Which, isn't such a bad idea actually. At least until the economy improves.

 

There always seems to be a bunch of noise between the manufacturers and Max/Bernie but in the end it is always worked out as there is just too much money at stake for both sides. I supsect Max uses the negotation tactic of ask for something crazy in order to agree on something much less. The idea being that if he starts asking for what he really wants the manufactures would push back on that. Max would certainly not be the first person to use that approach,

 

This is too logical. I have been saying this all along, but the Max haters insist its not the reason. He must be insane.

But I think you are correct. When massive egos are involved, massive tactics are also.

 

It used to bother me that I couldn't think like my "betters" I got over that
As far as Max goes I'm not a hater. As the Turks say "may he be Calif in Egypt". ie; may he do very well, very far away.

 

As far as Max goes, I am a hater. As the Greeks say "na pai na gamithi". ie; he can go F himself...

 

+1000 me too

But I can accept that some like being told and dictated to, they must like it.

In this day and age, when all is said and done it's a sport, this approach is not needed.

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=246577