Archive for the ‘Formula 1’ Category

BMW out, Michael Schumacher in!

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Even though Formula 1 is supposed to be having a 4 week break, there are a number of major issues happening. The best news is that Massa is recovering well and he conducted an interview with Ferrari on Monday (story).

The shocking news on Wednesday last week that BMW is departing Formula 1 (story) was almost negated by the news that Michael Schumacher will make a comeback and replace Felipe Massa (story). Then over the weekend, the good news that a new Concorde Agreement has been signed (story). And the expected news that Nelson Piquet has been axed by his Renault team (story).

BMW – as all the other car manufacturers – are having a tough time with poor financial results and that is putting huge pressure to cut expenditure and an F1 programme is both very expensive and very high profile and would be an easy target. We saw that with Honda and now we are seeing it with BMW. What is unfortunate in BMW’s case is that unlike Honda, BMW have been doing very well in their first 3 years in Formula 1 and it was only this year when their results were worst than expected. The BMW team set an ambitious target since they decided to take a majority stake in the Sauber team, they have met their targets every year however this season their target was the most difficult and that was to challenge for the World Championship. BMW had a poor start to the season and the changes they did to the car during the season didn’t really give them the improvements they needed and so the BMW board decided to axe the program.
The FIA reacted quickly and blamed FOTA and their resistance to the budget cap for BMW’s exit (FIA statement), however they conveniently ignored the fact that introducing KERS was probably the most likely cause for BMW’s lack of pace and ulimately their exit from Formula 1.

BMW spent heavily on the technology and appeared to have also relied on it to give them an advantage. The other teams proposed delaying the introduction of KERS until 2010 but BMW being the most advanced developer of the technology at that time rejected the proposal. As we know now, KERS didn’t give BMW the advantage it hoped for, in fact only a few races into the season and BMW started to consider running their car without KERS. By now BMW were under enormous pressure to perform and anything they did was a bit too late.

It will be sad to see BMW go as they have shown a lot of promise and there was no doubt that they would have challenged for the championship in 2010 or 2011 at the latest.

Michael Schumacher made the surprise announcement that he will make a comeback and race in Formula 1 again as a replacement for Felipe Massa who was injured at the Hungarian Grand Prix (story). Michael Schumacher’s final race was the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix where he had an amazing race and will be remembered for a long time. His decision to make a comeback after nearly 3 years is certainly an interesting one. Michael doesn’t have to prove anything, after all he is the 7 time World Champion so why did he ? and why did Ferrari even ask him to race ? Ferrari have two test drivers for the team (Luca Badoer and Marc Gene) and standing in for an injured driver is part of their job so why choose Michael ?  
It makes a lot of commercial sense to everyone involved to have Michael back, there will be more fans attending the races, more merchandise sold and more viewers on TV.
Does Michael risk damaging his reputation ? Unlikley, if he doesn’t do well then it is expected as he has been away for nearly 3 years. In fact, his reputation could be significantly boosted if he does impress so long after he stopped racing. 

Ferrari requested from the other teams an exemption to allow Michael to test the F60 despite the testing ban. They have described the circumstances as exceptional and due to those cicrumstances they claim that Michael should be allowed to test. Indeed the circumstances are exceptional but does that warrant breaking the test ban so that Michael gets to test ? Certainly not! Why should Michael be allowed to test the car when the rules agreed by everyone dictate that no testing can be conducted. Sure the testing rules in my view are stupid (see my last blog post) but those are the rules. Jamie Alguersuari had no Formula 1 experience prior to his debut in Hungary and the driver to replace Nelson Piquet (most likley to be Romain Grosjean) will have no Formula 1 experience either. Michael on the other hand has and while he stopped racing at the end of 2006, he actually conducted some tests for Ferrari in 2007 and most recently in 2008 when he tested a modified F2008 fitted with 2009 Bridgestone slick tryes and the car had downforce levels similar to those of this year. If a rookie can’t test then Michael certainly shouldn’t be allowed to test.

In addition, the team already has 2 test drivers and so with the testing ban in place, what are the responsibilities of those two drivers if they cannot race in case one of the regular drivers gets injured or sick ? Had Massa’s accident occured on the Friday then Gene or Badoer would have raced in Hungary and beyond!

It won’t be easy for Michael as he has been away for so long and he hasn’t driven the F60 at all so there is learning curve ahead of him but he is positioned better than any new driver coming into F1 and should be able to adjust fairly quickly. Play by the rules, there is no need for the controversy and let your fans enjoy your comeback.

Will he be able to match Kimi Raikkonen ? Not likely in Valencia but if Massa isn’t back soon then it will be an interesting duel between those two.

Finally a best wishes message to both Sebastien Bourdais and Nelson Piquet. While they didn’t deliver, both had tough times and they do deserve a second chance. Hopefully we could still see both in Formula 1 next year.

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Unsafe rules in F1!

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

First and foremost I would like to wish Felipe Massa a full and speedy recovery. He was very very unfortunate to have been hit by that debris. The latest is that he is recovering well and this is great news.

What happened to Felipe Massa was a freak accident that most probably won’t ever be repeated again however we need to learn from this accident to try and prevent something similar from happening again.

The Formula 1 drivers are already planning to discuss ways to protect the driver’s head from flying objects and that is certainly an avenue worth exploring but my concern is the contradictory actions by the FIA in promoting safety yet putting rules in place that reduce safety.

Massa’s accident was caused by a flying spring from Barrichello’s car. Basically something broke on Barrichello’s car and while these things could happen anytime, the chances of them happening when there is a full ban on testing in place is magnified significantly as the teams have only the race weekend to squeeze in a few laps to test new parts as they go through their programme. Had there been limited testing during the season, the chances of this accident occurring is much reduced as the track will not be as busy.

Formula 1 is extremely competitive and the teams want to push upgrades on the car as soon as possible but banning testing while allowing changes to the cars is a recipe for disaster.

A better way is to limit the number of times upgrades are introduced and have a 2-day test session before that. For example, allow upgrades to be introduced after every four races and teams must test those upgrades on track prior to introducing them.

The FIA Safety commission has been asked to report on this accident so lets hope its findings are apolitical.

Another issue that is of concern is the mix of KERS and non-KERS cars. In my view this is very dangerous and we could end up with a big pileup at one of the upcoming races. KERS equipped cars are superior to the non-KERS cars at the start and we are ending up with more cars bunched together at the first turn which increases the chance of cars touching and crashing into each other. In Germany Hamilton and Webber touched, in Hungary Raikkonen and Vettel touched, luckily in both cases other cars weren’t impacted but it only takes one car to spin for a few cars behind to suddenly find no place to go.

First corner accidents have always happened but having two different specification cars mixed together makes the situation more dangerous and certainly goes against making racing safer.

The teams have agreed not to use KERS next season which from this point of view is good (either all the teams use it or no team uses it)  but we still have 7 races to go and while it may sound unfair to the 2 remaining KERS teams, they should agree not to use KERS at the start of a race.

The FIA wanted to ban tyre warmers for next year in order to cut costs and the drivers have been complaining about this as there is a significant difference in the laptimes between warmed up tyres and cold ones. Thankfully it now appears that tyre warmers will not be banned next season which makes a lot of sense.

We need to be sensible when it comes to cutting costs. Motorsport will never be completely safe but lets reduce the chances of accidents rather than increase them.

A comment on Renault’s one race ban, if Renault were indeed found to be negligent by the stewards for knowingly letting Alonso drive with a loose wheel then they do deserve a penalty but to give them a race ban is a knee-jerk reaction. A fine or a points deduction would have been better. Many Alonso fans would have purchased tickets to watch their hero in Valencia and it seems unfair to rob them of that. Lets hope that a good solution can be found.

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Peace in Formula 1 at last!

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

While we were hoping for a resolution to the Formula One crisis, I doubt many thought it would happen so quickly. At Silverstone last weekend, matters appeared to be escalating to the point of no return with threats of law suites on both sides. Everyone knew that the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting could resolve the matter, no one really expected it! What is even more surprising is that the deal is one-sided with Max Mosley backing down on almost all his demands (refer to the WMSC statement here)

So how did it happen so quickly ?

Mosley’s interview with the BBC calling some members of FOTA ‘loonies’ did not go down well with FOTA and they certainly capitalised on that. Besides, FIA Presidents shouldn’t go to that level particularly one who had his own scandal just a year ago.

The commercial rights owners of Formula One (CVC) were not pleased about the state of affairs and after the FIA announced taking legal action against FOTA and Ferrari, CVC appear to have got seriously involved, so much so that on Sunday Mosley decided to put legal action on hold.

Mosley appeared to be backtracking and FOTA gaining momentum. Add to that, every poll showed that the fans were firmly on FOTA’s side. And comments from Bernie Ecclestone that he ‘feels with the teams’ made the situation much worse for Mosley.

Aware of his eroding support base, Mosley writes to the FIA members asking them for support as a last ditch attempt to save himself. That fails and knowing that he won’t have the numbers this time, he had to accept the inevitable.

So with the threat of a breakaway series now averted and with Max Mosley out of the picture, one would expect the FIA and FOTA to introduce a number of initiatives – both to cut costs and to improve the show.

Some of the questions that will need attention soon are:

Cosworth engine supply ? Is it still necessary ? If the existing 5 teams can supply engines at an affordable price, why have another supplier who can only supply a 4-year engine that won’t be compliant with the current regulations ? Sounds like a waste of time and money.  I suspect the three new teams to switch to using engines from a FOTA team

Will Williams and Force India be un-suspended from FOTA ? What about Campos, Manor and USF1 will they join ? FOTA obviously has shown that it is a powerful association and those teams would benefit from being part of FOTA.

Given that the 2010 regs will be the same as the 2009 regs (with some cost cutting measures), will tyre blankets still be banned ? refuelling ?
It will be interesting to see what FOTA and the FIA will do about this. The ban on tyre blankets has been described as unsafe so that could be reversed. Refuelling is a cost cutting measure (both equipment and staff) but tyre changing pit stops will remain. Perhaps it is worth trying as it could spice up things.

Will we see some of the FOTA idea’s for improving the show ? FOTA issued a number of ideas that may now be considered. Ideas such as points for pole and fastest lap are worth considering.

And last but not least, will FOTA’s pledge to provide lower cost tickets and race on popular venues be satisfied ? This is probably the toughest one but if costs can be cut by 50% or even 80% surely tickets can become more affordable! As for venues, well they shouldn’t be chosen purely on how much the venue is willing to pay, it should be based on their established fan base and their facilities.

The relationship between the FIA President and FOTA could have been much better. Hopefully the new President and FOTA will work closer together and give the fans what they want – real racing
 

 

Here’s to a peaceful and exciting Formula One

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Enough damaging Formula One

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

The deadlines have past and the crisis is now heading to the courts. Formula One is in the headlines for the wrong reasons and the sponsors and the fans have had enough.

Max Mosley continues to treat everyone with no respect or regard – almost as they don’t exist – just to proceed with his agenda.

When FOTA requested an extension to the deadline so an agreement can be reached, Max refused – in the hope that FOTA would split – and was adamant that the deadline stands and an agreement can be reached after the fact (i.e on his terms!). When FOTA remained united and announced its intention to setup a new series, Max responded by delaying the announcement of the entry list for 2010 and proceeding with legal action against FOTA.

Max can’t find reason to delay in search for agreement but he can find reason to delay if he wants to go to court.  Why Mr. President ?

Max is calling some in FOTA as “loonies”, thinking that by throwing insults, he can achieve a result. Why Mr. President ?

Max claims that Formula One will die without new blood. What about the FIA Max ? No need for new blood there ?

Max keeps referring to ‘elements’ within FOTA in the hope to splitting it. This hasn’t worked before and given that the 2 teams currently leading the championship are non-manufacturer teams, FOTA won’t split

Max keeps singling out Ferrari and portrays them as the only team objecting to the changes. Why Mr. President are 7 other teams united with Ferrari if they are happy with your proposals ? What obligation do the other teams have to Ferrari ? None. Their obligation is to Formula One and they can see that it isn’t steered in the right direction.

Many fans at the British Grand Prix weekend are protesting against the actions of the FIA and are displaying Maxout banners on the track. Unfortunately you won’t see those on the coverage feed on TV. I will look for shots of those and display them.

Wouldn’t it be great if a few of the drivers can show a Maxout banner before the race or better still on the podium.

We need to use all the means possible to send a clear message to all the concerned parties (the FIA, FOM, the sponsors, the media) that the  fans have had enough and a solution must be found. Even if Max can control the FIA and World Motor Sport Council, it is the fans who make the sport and if the fans say that Max should go, then he should. This will ensure that a split won’t happen and that Formula One remains the pinnacle of motorsport.

Max decided to step down in 2004 only to change his mind. He vowed not to seek re-election this year yet he is now saying “What you can’t do is walk away from an organisation in the middle of a crisis”. Max, did anyone tell you that you are the root of this crisis.

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What is the deal with Cosworth ?

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

One must question the FIA’s motives and the way it governs.

When reading the letter from the FIA to the FOTA teams it was surprising to read that “Cosworth have neither the time nor the resources to retune (their engines) for 2010″. Oh really! So why are they allowed to supply engines then ? Why is the FIA allowing two different engine rules for 2010 when they insisted on engine homologation ? Why the extra costs when the aim is to cut costs ?

As for governance, in a letter to the FOTA teams back in December 2008, the FIA stated “We have completed the tendering process and are now in exclusive negotiations with Cosworth together with Xtrac and Ricardo Transmissions (XR) to supply a complete Formula One power train starting in 2010. The engine will be a current Formula One engine while the transmission will be state-of-the-art Formula One …”

The letter says that the engine will be a current Formula One engine. Is a 2006 spec Cosworth a current Formula One engine ?

Formula 1 already has 5 engine suppliers (Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Renault and Toyota) and a 6th supplier (Honda) has engines that comply with the current rules. So why then is the FIA bringing in a supplier that is unable to provide engines that comply with the 2010 regulations ?

Is the FIA willing to go that far just so as to have an engine supplier outside of FOTA. Is this the way a regulatory body governs ?

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A critical time for FOTA

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

With next Friday’s deadline looming, FOTA have to quickly decide on the path it is to take in this crisis.

On Tuesday FOTA sent a letter to the FIA and FOM asking for modifications to the way the budget cap is policed and requested a two week extension so that a new Concorde Agreement is finalised.

The FIA responded by insisting that the teams enter unconditionally by Friday then find a resolution.

The FIA’s position hasn’t changed from last Friday and now the next move is up to FOTA.

So what are FOTA’s options: 

Enter unconditionally and accept the FIA rules – This option basically means that all the objections they had weren’t serious and they were just hoping for a change. This option will result in FOTA ceasing to exist as an association as it proved that it has no effect.

Sticking to their position and asking the FIA to reconsider – If FOTA are serious about their cause then they will have to take this path and see what the FIA will do once the deadline passes. Taking this path though will require a very united FOTA otherwise they risk a number of teams defecting.
By taking this path, FOTA will have to be ready to announce an alternative series as soon as the FIA announces an amended entry list without the FOTA teams. (Ferrari and the 2 Red Bull teams will also have to look at the legal implications as they have agreements with the FIA and FOM)

Each FOTA team does what they feel – If FOTA cannot agree on a way forward, they could ask each team to do what they feel is best for them. This way the teams that don’t strongly object will enter, those who strongly object or cannot commit due to financial reasons will pull out.
This would be the worst option as Formula 1 could potentially lose Ferrari, Toyota, Renault and even BMW Sauber  

From the tone of the letter that was sent by FOTA to the FIA, it showed they were vulnerable. Whether that was real or just a tactic will remain to be seen. It is most likely that they will accept the FIA rules by Friday unless they are really united.

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What next for Formula 1 ?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Most of the Formula 1 fans around the world are fed up with all the politics surrounding the sport as Formula 1 plunges itself from one crisis to another. Not long ago did Formula 1 avert a breakaway series by the GPMA when they managed to lure Ferrari into splitting from the GPMA and signing with FOM and the FIA.

This time, it is Ferrari who are leading FOTA and demanding that the FIA drop its 2010 F1 regulations and let the teams provide input on the cost cutting measures to ensure the survival of Formula 1 in this economic climate.

Following the publishing of the 2010 entry list and the inclusion of Ferrari and the 2 Red Bull teams without conditions despite those teams specifically stating that their applications are conditional, the crisis has moved into another level.

Including Ferrari on the list despite Ferrari’s objections seems to be an attempt by the FIA to try and cause more teams to split from FOTA but what this move seems to have done is that it has infuriated Ferrari so much that they along with the other FOTA members as well as the European Automobile Manufacturers have called for changing the way the FIA is governing F1. (FOTA press release)
Ferrari’s President Luca Montezemolo wants to talk to ”responsible people inside the FIA who understand the situation” clearly indicating that Ferrari cannot deal with nor trust Max Mosley anymore. Montezemolo went even further and declared that without an agreement with the FIA, an alternative series will be setup by the manufacturers.

Why doesn’t FOTA trust Max Mosley. Well just 6 months ago he agreed with the teams to work together on implementing a cost cutting program in F1. 3 months later he announced unilateral cost cutting measures. And last week he decided to list Ferrari and the 2 Red Bull teams on the 2010 entry list unconditionally despite requests from Ferrari not to do so.

So what happens next. Friday the 19th of June is the next deadline as the FIA will either remove the 5 conditional FOTA entries (McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota and Brawn) or confirm them. They cannot extend the date any further.

Removing the 5 FOTA teams will almost ensure that a rival series would be announced almost immediately. Confirming the 5 FOTA teams will mean that their demands have been met or at least a compromise has been reached.

The FIA does feel the pressure and their latest press release tries to portray ‘elements in FOTA’ as the ones trying not to reach agreement.  And by the FIA’s own admission, both parties are in agreement on the 2010 regulations, the objectives of the two on cost cutting are very close and on the issue of governance, a suggestion to extend the concorde agreement to 2014 was well received. Reading this, one wonders why was their a crisis in the first place but then again, it appears that the difference now is on governance, an issue that has taken center stage due to the provocative actions of Max Mosley.

Despite the FIA and FOTA being very close, the situation remains critical and with both sides trying to explain their positions, it appears that the next step will (sadly) be a split but there are a few more days left before the 19th and so lets hope a solution is found.

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From the most successful meeting to a sport facing a split, what went wrong in 6 months ?

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

On the 10th of December 2008, the FIA and FOTA met to discuss ways to significantly reduce the cost of running a Formula 1 team. This meeting was as a result of the financial crisis and the withdrawl of the Honda racing team from the sport (announced just a week earlier). Despite having major differences just weeks before, the magnitude of the crisis meant that a solution must be found and they did. The FIA and FOTA issued a joint statement stating: “FIA and FOTA have had the most successful meeting on Formula One matters which any of the participants can remember.”

The crisis was averted and it appeared that Formula 1 will be free from the politics for a few years to come. Wrong! In just 6 months, the sport is on the verge of a split. Why ?

Soon after the historic meeting between the FIA and FOTA, FOTA (on the 8th of January) announced a number of cost cutting measures including aerodynamic testing restrictions, low cost transmissions and low cost engines at costs comparable to what the FIA was targeting. Then on the 5th of March FOTA announced key proposals for reducing costs. Everything was looking promising for a stable future for Formula 1.

Then and less than two weeks later, the FIA announced unilaterally the introduction of a ‘budget cap’ option for Formula 1 teams and those opting in would be allowed some degree of technical freedom over those teams not wishing to take up that option. Naturally FOTA wasn’t pleased with these decisions given that they were not consulted despite having announced their proposals less than two weeks earlier. When asked why announce such rules despite FOTA’s proposals Mosley said “We cannot wait, because new teams wishing to enter the 2010 Championship will need to start work immediately. FOTA have already given us their main ideas, we understand that the outstanding matters are more minor.”

Minor they were not. This was the start of the current crisis and the first confrontation between the FIA and FOTA took place immediately with FOTA rejecting the FIA’s change to the points system and forcing the FIA to revert to the current system.

On the 29th of April, the FIA raised the stakes by inviting those who wish to enter the 2010 Formula 1 Championship to apply during the period between the 22nd and the 29th of May and those applying would need to indicate whether they will take up the ‘budget cap’ option. It is worth noting that for 2009, invitation to apply for entry was during the period between the 1st and the 31st of July 2008. This action by the FIA put FOTA in a position that it had to respond in less than 30 days and despite numerous meetings prior to the deadline, no agreement was reached and the FOTA teams (except Williams and Force India) lodged a conditional entry for all the teams together.

The entry list is set to be announced on the 12th of June and so far there doesn’t appear to be any breakthrough. If the list excludes the 8 FOTA teams then there will most likely be a rival series which neither FOTA nor the FIA want.

Why should there be a split when both the FIA and FOTA have the same aim and that is to significantly reduce costs. Surely if the aim is the same, an agreement could be found on how to reach this aim. Budget capping while an option isn’t the best way to reduce costs as it is very hard to police and by the admission of Max Mosley, the FIA would “need the right to carry out very intrusive audits” which the teams aren’t willing to allow. FOTA is offering engines and transmissions at costs comparable to those suggested by the FIA as well as significant reduction in wind tunnel and CFD usage. In fact what FOTA are proposing will allow teams to run competitively with a budget comparable to that suggested by the FIA.

So where is the problem ? Well, it seems that it has come down to 1 person and that is Max Mosley. Sure he has made many good decisions in the past particularly with regards to safety but not matter how credible a person is, one person alone shouldn’t be allowed to set the rules, governance of Formula 1 should be carried out through a commission with representatives from FOTA.

Max Mosley has twice decided to step down in the past yet he is still there, the last time was a year ago surrounding his sex scandal when he declared he won’t be running for President again this year. His latest position though is that he has yet to decide.

Max Mosley created Formula Two as a feeder series to Formula One even though a feeder series already exists (GP2), now it seems he is set on shaping Formula One his way regardless of what the teams want, a shape it seems that is defined by standard components and that isn’t what Formula One is about.

Perhaps Max has gone too far this time and this crisis – if resolved – may see his power grip loosened which can only be a good thing for Formula One, but with the stakes so high, it is a critical situation and a resolution may not be found.

This crisis needs to be solved and it shouldn’t be dealt with by threats and counter threats and those with the responsibility of ensuring Formula One remains the pinnacle of motorsport should act responsibly and beyond the politics and egos and look hard at finding a solution before it is too late.

No one wants to see two series

Related discussions and reference material:
2010 Formula One Regulations Thread
FIA announces budget cap option for 2010
FIA Press Releases
FOTA Press Releases

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On to the next F1 deadline!

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

The crisis isn’t over, it has just been given an extension. Rather than have a compromise agreement between FOTA, the FIA and FOM, the FOTA teams threw the ball back in the FIA’s court on the 29th of May, the day entries for the 2010 Formula 1 Championship closed.

The FOTA teams submitted their entries attached with a few conditions:

  • A Concorde agreement that is signed by the 12th of June in return for a commitment by all the FOTA teams to commit until 2012
  • The 2010 F1 regulations are the 2009 F1 regulations amendedwith the FOTA proposals
  • All teams compete under the same regulations

And to show their solidarity, FOTA did a very smart move, they put a condition that all 9 entries can only be accepted together.

The FOTA statement is telling everyone that they haven’t moved an inch from their earlier positions. Whatever rumours where going around that McLaren and Haug were mediating and managed to pull out a compromise appear to be unfounded (or at least have not succeeded in convincing the two sides of the compromise). They have kept the door open on the budget cap but they are sending a clear message to the FIA to take them seriously.

So far we haven’t heard any official response from the FIA which means that something is going on behind the scenes. Given the demanding nature of the FOTA statement, Mosley would have immediately issued a statement rejecting these demands but he now does have a dilemma. With FOTA telling him that he either accepts or rejects all 9 entries together, he won’t be able to split more teams from FOTA and with only 1 current team (Williams) and 12 new teams Formula 1 will collapse (or at least won’t be Formula 1 as we know it) .

Of course the FIA could accept the teams on the condition that they accept the 2010 regulations making the whole thing even more of a mockery and extending the lifetime of this crisis further.

There will be a lot of behind the scenes activity happening over the next couple of weeks and lets hope it does result in a firm resolution to this issue and secures the future of F1 for the next few years.

In the meantime, the roller coaster ride continues as the next deadline of the 12th of June approaches

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Are we any closer to a resolution in F1

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

The teams, Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone met to discuss or negotiate a way out of the current crisis that is threatening to destroy Formula 1 as we know it. There were conflicting signals after the meeting, on one hand, it appears that everyone including Max have agreed that a two-tier competition will not go ahead which is a very big relief to everyone as no one wanted to see that. On the other hand though, no agreement was reached on the issue of budget caps and both sides are still sticking to their positions.

Max has sent a number of mixed signals after the meeting, he said that the 31st of May deadline to submit entries for 2010 is flexible yet again said that F1 can survive without Ferrari.

Ferrari are not just making press releases, they are also fighting this through the courts and are hoping that the courts can rule in their favour and stop the FIA from pushing these rules through.

It looks like Ferrari are serious about this and the other teams will find comfort in that particularly as just a few years ago Ferrari did a U-turn and turned its back on the other manufacturers and sided with Bernie during the GPMA vs FIA crisis when there was a serious threat that F1 would split. This time with Ferrari taking the FIA to court and with Luca Montezemolo the head of FOTA, it is certain they will stand with the teams.

The meeting on Friday has certainly made things easier as there is now just one issue that needs solving as there was agreement on dropping the two-tier system. It is just the budget cap now. On that they aren’t any closer and with a number of teams unhappy with the idea, it seems unlikley that a resolution will be reached anytime soon.

One has to wonder though, why is Max pushing this ? There have already been dramatic cuts in costs and FOTA have taken the initiative and made a number of proposals to cut costs further over the next few years. And given that Max has pushed through the concept of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and has forced the teams to spend millions of dollars on it, I would question Max’s motives, is he just worried that FOTA is too strong for his comfort particularly that they seem to have survived the ‘double decker’ diffuser crisis that threatened its split ? Is this just about showing them who has more power ?
This time he may have gone too far.

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