F1: FOTA to launch breakaway series

**tidus1203** · June 20th, 2009 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Monseratto

There seem to be plenty track venues for FOTA to race on due to Bernie's take it or leave it approach like Imola, Indianapolis, Hockenheim, Montreal, Magny Cours and Silverstone for next year... We might see Michelin become the tire sponsor for this new series. Interesting to see if they'll bring back those V10 engines and race them on proper racing slicks.

And hopefully Honda comes back to the new FOTA series and now we can have the better Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka rather than the mediocre Toyota owned Fuji Speedway!

**overdrayv** · June 20th, 2009 07:54 PM

^ this year's Japanese GP will be in Suzuka.

**CVT** · June 21st, 2009 12:46 AM

Either side of the fence,- "money talks"....

8101:oops2:

**Monseratto** · June 21st, 2009 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by overdrayv

^ this year's Japanese GP will be in Suzuka.

They were supposed to alternate between Fuji and Suzuka tracks annually. But there's also a big question mark over Fuji since Toyota happens to be a FOTA member...

**tidus1203** · June 21st, 2009 06:45 PM

Yeah. Will they allow the FIA to rent their venue. And one track that will likely be added is Ferrari's own Mugello track. Now that I want to see!

**Monseratto** · June 25th, 2009 10:15 AM

Parang chess game, FOTA cornered FIA with a proposal they can't refuse... CHECKMATE ;D

Hitman Luca Nails His Men

Well, Max has surrendered, the war is over and FOTA have won.

Weeks ago we predicted a shoot-out between Luca di Montezemolo and FIA President Max Mosley for which there could be only one winner. And there very clearly is one winner.

Following Wednesday's FIA meeting in Paris, if you look at Formula 1 as it's scheduled to run in 2010, how different is it to the F1 that FOTA suggested? Hardly any different. There is no mention of budget caps, no FIA imposed limits on spending and no two-tier technical system. What's more, the system of governance that Mosley was trying to impose will be swept away.

And the biggest bonus of all is that from October he will be gone.

Mosley's capitulation was orchestrated last night and into the small hours of the morning away from the glare of publicity and the delegates of the FIA. Like some mafia hitman, Luca di Montezemolo flew into Paris last night to arrange the terms of Mosley's surrender. The coup de grace.

The game was up from the moment that FOTA started flexing its muscles about a new breakaway series. Mosley realising that he was about to lose the crown jewels had to get an agreement in place before he faced the World Motor Sports Council on Wednesday. In a situation like that he had to give way to almost everything. Bernie had to calm his very nervous F1 investors.

The tatters of Mosley's imposed cost cuts were hedged in the woolliest of terms. "The objective is to get back to the spending levels of the early 90s within two years," said Max, which doesn't sound like a compulsion, more like a nice idea.

It would be interesting to know the commercial agreement that the FOTA boys sorted out for themselves, but given that Max had to give a lot of ground, you can expect Bernie to have shelled out, too.

We're unlikely to hear who gets what under the new deal, but the outward manifestation will be if F1 swiftly renegotiates a deal with Canada and the USA to run grands prix there. FOTA want cheaper races for promoters, hence lower ticket prices and more fans in grandstands. The 16,000 audience for the Bernie-promoted Turkish GP is proof if proof were really needed.

Following the FIA's rubber stamping of the Max Surrender Plan, you didn't have to have a degree in sports psychology to work out the winner and the loser. Winners can afford to be magnanimous.

"I think (Max Mosley) has done a very good fix of the problem. When you have reached an agreement everyone has to help in the same way," said Luca di Montezemolo (undoubtedly smiling at the time).

"It is for the FIA membership, and the FIA membership alone, to decide on its democratically elected leadership, not the motor industry and still less the individuals the industry employs to run its F1 teams," said Max (undoubtedly a little waspily). "As far as I'm concerned the teams were always going to get rid of me in October, well they still are. Whether the person who succeeds me will be more to their liking remains to be seen."

"Thanks to the unity of the FOTA teams and the foresight of the World Motor Sport Council members we have achieved the right result for Formula 1. We look forward to working with the FIA Senate to achieve a prosperous and exciting future for Formula 1 and its millions of fans around the world," said Toyota's John Howett indicating where he thought the seat of power would reside in the future.

Though Luca di Montezemolo hoped for a reconciliation between the FIA and FOTA, PF1 is wedded to the idea that when football managers lose their jobs, their backroom staff are cleared out, too. It is only fitting Alan Donnelly and any other Mosley cronies should leave the FIA as well so we can start with a clean sheet.

Max has said this is a win-win situation. Yes, a double win for FOTA. At 69 he is well past retirement age. He should really be spending time on his "hobbies"...

http://planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3261_5399633,00.html

**tidus1203** · June 25th, 2009 10:50 AM

Yeah FOTA has the bargaining chips naman eh. Remember F1 is all about them, the TEAMS! They are the ones performing, not the FIA and not the commercial interests.