Renault Handed 2 Year Suspended Ban Sentence

The Renault Formula One Team were handed a 2 year suspended Formula One ban today after the World Motorsport Council met to discuss the alleged “Deliberate crash” by Nelson Piquet at the 2008 Singaporean Grand Prix.

Due to the severity of the situation, Renault are very lucky to recieve a suspended sentence, most likely because two of Renault’s top eecutives Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, 2 people Piquet alleges told him to crash, stepped down from their positions.

An FIA Statement read: “Renault had accepted, at the earliest practicable opportunity, that it committed the offences with which it was charged and cooperated fully with the FIA’s investigation. It had confirmed that Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds were involved in the conspiracy and ensured that they left the team; It apologised unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions;

“It committed to paying the costs incurred by the FIA in its investigation; and Renault (the parent company, as opposed to Renault F1) committed to making a significant contribution to FIA safety-related projects.”

The FIA explained their decision after the court left this afternoon.

“Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship.

“However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.”

Fernando Alonso was present but not accused of any crime.  It is unknown whether Flavio Briatore will persue blackmail charges against Nelson Piquet Snr.

Todt Confirms FIA Presidency Bid

Jean Todt, the former director of Ferrari has announced his intention to become the new president of the Formula International Association – FIA.

Max Mosley, the current president who has always been followed with controversy announced he is stepping down, and will support Todt’s bid for the top.

Todt will be rivalled by former rally champion Ari Vatanen who was on the grid in Germany trying to drum up some support.

Jean Todt released the following statement today:

“Following the decision of Max Mosley not to seek a further term of office and his unequivocal support of my candidacy, I have written to the FIA membership to inform them that I wish to stand for the presidency of the FIA.

“It is my intention to continue and expand the outstanding work of President Mosley, who for 16 years has worked tirelessly to strengthen the FIA’s major motorsport championships and to position the FIA as the voice of the motoring public, actively promoting safe, clean and affordable mobility for all.

“Given the unique structure of the FIA and its twin roles in sport and mobility it takes more than a president to run the organisation and I am delighted to announce my leadership team.

“For the position of deputy president for mobility I would propose Brian Gibbons, chief executive of the New Zealand Automobile Association; for deputy president for sport I would propose, Graham Stoker, chairman of the Council of the UK’s Motor Sports Association; and for president of the Senate I would propose Nick Craw, president of ACCUS and the current FIA deputy president (sport).

“I am confident that together we will offer the FIA the opportunity to elect a dynamic leadership team of outstanding experience and commitment. “

FIA/FOTA War Over As Agreement Made At Last Minute

An agreement between the FIA and FOTA has been made at the last moment in an emergency meeting called in Paris today.

With all FOTA member teams present, along with members of the FIA, including the contraversial Max Mosley who also said today he will not stand for another term as president, a deal was reached for a single racing series – F1.  FOTA will now not breakaway from the standard formulae.

The concorde agreement of 1998 will be continued, along with new rules which agree to cost cutting over the next few seasons.  Technical assistance will also be offered to the three new teams allowed into F1, USF1, Campos and Manor.

“There will be no split,” said Mosley. “We have agreed to a reduction of costs. There will be one F1 championship but the objective is to get back to the spending levels of the early 1990s within two years.”

“They’ve got the rules they want and the stability; we’ve got the new teams in and the cost reduction…so that’s very helpful.”

Mosley added “As far as I’m concerned, the teams were always going to get rid of me in October.  Well they still are.”

The official statement from the FIA read;

“The manufacturer teams have further agreed to the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body.  They have also committed to the commercial arrangements for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship until 2012 and have agreed to renegotiate and extend this contract before the end of that period.

“All teams will adhere to an upgraded version of the governance provisions of the 1998 Concorde Agreement.

“As part of this agreement, the teams will, within two years, reduce the costs of competing in the championship to the level of the early 1990s.

“The manufacturer teams have agreed to assist the new entries for 2010 by providing technical assistance.”

The teams and FIA made a unilateral agreement for the future...

F1 Is Over As FOTA Pull Out

Good evening everyone who is reading, or follows my blog.  Today is one of the most pivotal days in Formula One’s history.  As we enter the British Grand Prix weekend, it was annonuced very early this morning that the remaining FOTA member teams will be leaving Formula One and starting their own racing series.

The announcement follows months of political deliberation, open letters, arguments, scuffles, driver questions, theories, rumours and a good helping of bad publicity for the sport which has been thrown into disrepute repeatedly since 2007 with Spy-Gate, Max Mosley’s dealings in a sex dungeon and now the end of the motorsport as we know it.

FOTA members; Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing, Panasonic Toyota F1 Team, BMW Sauber, Scuderia Toro Rosso and ING Renault have all said they will leave F1 after no agreement between FOTA and the FIA has been reached over rule changes.

If you follow F1, this has been coming for a long time.  Too many rule changes, too many restrictions and Max Mosley took it one step too far this time and has led to the downfall of the sport.

“The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship,” said a statement issued by FOTA after the meeting.

“These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

“The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.”

Max Mosley has done what he always does and says “They can’t do that” and will be launching a legal case against FOTA, which will probably get nowhere.  It’s a knee-jerk reaction which may cause minor ruptions but Mosley seems to be missing the bigger picture.  And with Bernie Ecclestone saying Max needs to sort it out, the head man of the FIA looks set to be the bad guy in this, which in all truth’s is deserved as his meddling has got us into this mess.

“The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series,” said the FIA in a statement.

“The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari’s legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.

“The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay.

“Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights.”

It has left F1 with a roadshow for 2010 and only 5 teams.  Williams and Force India who brokeaway from FOTA are now stuck in F1, along with Manor, US F1 Team and Campos who all were accepted entries into the sport for next season.  The teams which failed including Lola and N.Technology have all swiftly withdrawn any such entries in the wake of the FOTA break-away and one can imagine they will be applying for the new series if such applications are formally allowed.

“With much regret, taking into consideration the highly questionable process conducted by the FIA, which is affected by many irregularities, and the uncertainties regarding the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the MSC board decided last night to withdraw its application, as Team N.Technology, under the new regulations allowing entry of ‘capped budget’ teams,” said the statement.

“MSC believes that through its wrong actions and objectionable management methods, the FIA severely hurt MSC’s efforts to become a new team and undermined the Formula 1 sport, taken as a whole.”

So what next for FOTA and indeed for this blog.  Well, I am probably going to loosely cover the F1 event of this weekend the British GP [in time] and again some coverage until the end of the season.  But if FOTA launch a rival series, F1Fanatics WILL, i repeat WILL be following the teams and supporting the new series.  A post will be brought up soon with how FOTA could go about launching the new series.  Keep your eyes peeled, and remember support FOTA’s actions.

Start Your Own Bloody Series Then – Mosley

Max Mosley has sent his most dominant *cracks whip* message yet to the constructors of Formula One as their rebellion against the overlord of the FIA continues.

The teams may or may not sign the concorde agreement on June 12th, a date which Mosley deems as too late.

The teams are still wanting a series without budget caps, but may compromise on a layered system throughout the next few years with a gradually lowering budget.

However with new offers for teams flowing in, making F1 look just like GP3 as Luca di Montezemolo so beautifully put it, Mosley wants answers now.

“A Concorde Agreement which one receives so late can’t be signed by June 12,” Mosley was quoted as saying.

“We now have a conflict and we will see who succeeds in the end. I say to them: If you want to draw up your own rules, then you can organise your own championship. But we have the Formula 1 championship.

“We draw up the rules for that. We have been doing that for 60 years and we will continue doing so.”

Williams Suspended From FOTA Following 2010 Entry

The Williams F1 Team have been formally suspended from the teams racing group FOTA following their announcement and confirmation of a written entry to the FIA for the 2010 Formula One World Championship.

During the Monaco Grand Prix weekend a series of meetings were held to discuss the future of the current teams in Formula One, primerily the manufacturers.  However all teams involved in FOTA were told they would be suspended should the formally send an application to the FIA for their continued entry into F1 for 2010.

The teams are trying to stick together as they fight Max Mosley’s now dictatorship of a governing body to the pinnacle of motorsport, with Ferrari, Toyota, Red Bull and Renault leading the way out of the changing sport and heading possibly for a new rival series made up of manufacturer backed teams.

Frank Williams head of the Williams team admitted it was unfortunate to be suspended, but he respected the actions.  He hoped FOTA and the fans would respect their decision to continue entering as they have a contract with Bernie Ecclestone to stay in the sport until 2012.

“FOTA’s decision, although regrettable, is understandable.” Williams said today

“However, as a racing team and a company whose only business is Formula 1, with obligations to our partners and our employees, submitting our entry to next year’s championship was unquestionable.

“In addition, we are legally obliged under our contract with FOM and the FIA to participate in the World Championship until the end of 2012.”

Ferrari Lose FIA Appeal – Chances Are They Will Leave F1

Scuderia Ferrari have lost the monumentally important case against the FIA about the future of Formula One today after yesterday’s hearing in Paris.

The Italian company held a veto against the FIA and have done since 1998, deciding to use it for the first time against the FIa in the wake of a £40million imposed budget cap leading to a two-tier F1 series.

Manufacturers have all been against the idea of a new budget cap.

The decision means that it is unlikely Ferrari will remain in Formula One from next season, the only team ever to have competed in every single Grand Prix will be gone.  Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing and possibly McLaren too could be leaving, as could Mercedes Benz as an engine supplier.

Bernie Suggests Two Tier Tech Rules Will Go…

Bernie Ecclestone has taken the step of suggesting that the two tier technical regulations, the main problem manufacturers have with the budget caps will be abolished and one set of rules printed.

The idea was that those under the cap would have greater technical freedom.  Toyota’s John Howett believed teams in the cap could gain 3-5 seconds per lap on those out of it.

Manufacturers and big spenders were not impressed with this idea, and Bernie has finally agreed.

“I think the most important thing that upset everybody is the two-tier technical system, and I think it’s been agreed that we shouldn’t have that, we should just have one set of regulations,” he said.

“I think everybody is more or less happy with the budget cap, it’s just a case of how much. I don’t know if that means it will be higher or lower, it’s a case of sorting that out.”

It does beg the question though.  If there aren’t 2 levels of technical regulation, why would you opt into the cap? There appears to be no other advantage?!  Maybe its just Bernie rebuilding the bridges Max Mosley keeps burning.

Bernard - Trying to patch things up...

No Agreement Reached Between FIA and Teams In Pointless Meeting

The FIA and Formula One Teams made no agreement in today’s emergency meeting held at Heathrow in London.

The manufacturers in F1 want a block on the budget cap rule which is coming in next season, Max Mosley thinks they’re stupid so all the manufacturers have threatened to pull out.

“It was quite a friendly meeting, but in the end all that happened was that the teams have gone off to see if they can come up with something better than the cost cap,” Max Mosley told reporters after the Heathrow meeting.

“We explained we cannot put back the entry date, as this has all been published, and we cannot disadvantage the potential new teams who will come in. But we are prepared to listen to whatever they have to say.

“In the meantime, the regulations are as published. We have explained that we want everyone to race under the same regulations. We have explained that we would like all of the teams to come in under the cost cap and that is what they have gone off to consider.

“We have said that we cannot see why anyone wouldn’t want to operate under the cost cap, and it would mean a gradual relaxation of the technical regulations – which all the engineers would want. We said in the end the choice was between intellectual freedom and financial constraint, or intellectual constraint and financial freedom – which is what they have had up until now.

“We have pointed out, and it is something the engineers have said, that current F1 consists of endless refinement at enormous expense and we want to move away from that and have invention and creativity, but we can only do that if we restrict the cost – because if we have unrestricted cost nobody would be able to afford it.

“I think some of the teams agree with that idea, and some don’t, and they have gone away to discuss it.”

Meanwhile, it was discovered during the meeting that Ferrari have taken the new rules to a French court claiming that it is a breach of the technical regulation veto they have.

“During the meeting it became apparent that Ferrari has made an application to the French courts, and I don’t know the details, but it is to apply for an injunction to stop us doing what we want to do.  So that is where the situation rests as far as Ferrari is concerned.”

Ferrari Board Meeting To Discuss Team Future In F1

The Scuderia Ferrari board are meeting today to discuss the teams future in Formula One beyond the end of this season.

Ferrari director Luca di Montezemolo has been quick to criticise the budget caps which are being brought into F1 from next season, and has called for an urgent meeting with Max Mosley to discuss them in more detail.

Ferrari, the only team to compete in every single race since Formula One was formed in 1950, have been having a tortuous time so far this season.

Other manufacturers, including Toyota and BMW Sauber have expressed their distaste for the budget caps, Toyota and Red Bull Racing have both said they will consider not entering cars from next season.

It would be a great shame to lose Ferrari from F1, a team which many consider to be F1.