F1 – FIA Make Debacle of Entry List

fia-flagThe FIA today released the somewhat official entry list for the 2010 championship as follows:

Team Constructor
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari
Scuderia Toro Rosso STR TBA
Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing TTBA
At&T Williams Williams Toyota
Force India F1 Team Force India Mercedes
Campos Grand Prix Campos Cosworth
Manor Grand Prix Manor Cosworth
Team US F1 Team US F1 Cosworth
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes* McLaren Mercedes
BMW Sauber F1 Team* BMW Sauber
Renault F1 Team* Renault
Panasonic Toyota Racing* Toyota
Brawn GP Formula One Team* Brawn TBA

* These five teams have submitted conditional entries.The FIA has invited them to lift those conditions following further discussions to be concluded not later than close of business on Friday 19 June.

As you can see, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Toyota and Brawn’s entries are conditional on even more discussions which might resolve their concerns and allow them to withdraw their conditions on entry.

However, Ferrari and the two Red Bull teams have been included on the entry list, not because they have withdrawn their conditions, but because the FIA feels they have made contractual agreements with the FIA to remain in the sport until 2012. But here is how they feel about it.

Ferrari released the following statement.

Ferrari submitted on 29 May 2009 an entry to the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship which is subject to certain conditions. As of today, these conditions have not been met. Notwithstanding this and despite Ferrari’s previous written notice to the FIA not to do so, the FIA has included Ferrari as a unconditional participant in next year’s Formula 1 World Championship. For the avoidance of any doubt, Ferrari reaffirms that it shall not take part in the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship under the regulations adopted by the FIA in violation of Ferrari’s rights under a written agreement with the FIA.

Red Bull released the following statement, which was mimicked in its entirety for STR as well.

Following the FIA’s publication of the entry list for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, Red Bull Racing would like to make it clear that its entry was submitted as a conditional entry, consistent with those of all other FOTA members.

Red Bull Racing remains committed to FOTA and fully endorses all its principles.

It would appear that all three of these teams remain adamant that the FIA has broken their contractual agreements with them and therefore rendered their contracts to remain in the series invalid.

Further, the immediate response from FOTA was to send a letter to the World Motorsport Council asking them to intervene in this affair.

Our fundamental wish is to work within a framework of cooperation and dialogue with the Federation to improve Formula 1 and to stop the confrontational and negative approach that has dominated the sport in recent years,” the letter added.

This approach compounded with constant announcements of regulatory changes, resulting from the unstable governance process that exists, has unfortunately created a situation of confusion and uncertainty among the public and sponsors. This situation is adversely affecting the business of both the teams and the organisers.

It is our view that by introducing the balanced and transparent basis of Governance which is defined in the 2009 Concorde Agreement (governance extract enclosed) we can restore a situation where the teams work in harmony with the Federation, a situation which can only be beneficial to all stakeholders.

Accordingly, we have requested that the FIA join with FOM and the teams to sign a binding agreement that will bring stability at the very earliest opportunity, or alternatively, enter into a separate bi-lateral governance agreement between the teams and the FIA.

Clearly this battle isn’t over. The eight remaining FOTA teams are united and they have upped their game by trying to go over Max’s head to bring in the WMSC. Who knows what good that will do since they all seem to be in Max’s back pocket though.

So now we will await June 19th for the next extension to the deadline. However, it should be noted that Max has revealed that 15 entries from new teams were lodged. Granted, a few of those potential entries have no chance of ever getting off the ground, but the threat still remains that these FOTA teams could be replaced…. somewhat.

Our opinion here at Open Paddock is pretty consistent among the editors. We all feel that the teams are not asking too much in requiring that they have a contractually agreed upon governance structure which gives the teams the ability to shape the regulations and also keep the regulations from these laughable wild changes from season to season. Stability in governance and in the rules package goes a long way towards helping all teams come up with viable business models and attract long term sponsors. I don’t think any of these teams are going to back down until they have a new contract for the governance structure.

Who knows, maybe we might actually get to see a race this season that isn’t overshadowed by the mockery that the FIA has made of this sport we love.

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2 Thoughts to “F1 – FIA Make Debacle of Entry List

  1. Scarlet Pimpernell

    What a bloody mess Max has brought upon F1 racing. The constant changing of rules and GP rulebook interpretations has led to F1t being the motorsport equivalent of a “banana republic on wheels”. Bernie wake up…..Max is killing your golden goose !!! The presence of the manufacturers in F1 and the rising costs in F1 are completely inconsequential….The ugly way in which FIA and its circle of cronnies decides how teams will race and with what budgets is the main issue. If the big teams left tomorrow the Max Mosley circus would still undercut the Williams-F1s and USF1s and other independant teams that would remain. All the teams should tear up the papers they signed and demand a say in the future of the sport since it impacts the future of their commercial operations. What a complete joke !!! What is qoesw is that the media covering F1 evades pouring any scathing remarks upon Max and his FIA pals when intact if there is no F1 they won’t have anything to report. June 19 will be a very scarry day ….. will cooperation reign the day or will egos rule the F1 world? We will see. I can see the teams going elsewhere “with” Bernie and giving it governed by another racing body.

  2. The vetted F1 media has so much money wrapped up into their coverage of F1 that they are afraid of speaking out against the circus, lest they be removed from the credential list.

    One thing is for certain, FOTA are standing up against Max. And by involving the WMSC, I think they are trying to remind Max and the council that a certain Herr Spankenmeister was supposed to be negotiating a new Concorde agreement for the last year. Remember how Max said he was the only person that could do it.

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