Current Williams Suspended from FOTA

[teabagyokel]

For wanting to remain a Formula One Team, Williams have been kicked out of the Formula One Teams Association. FOTA seem to think that this makes them look good, but this idiotic move sees the common sense pill thrown out of the window.

We know you'll be signing on by Friday, who you trying to kid?

 

[Brogan]

Well I presume FOTA is still trying to show the FIA & Bernie that it is united against the plans for 2010 and therefore had no choice but to suspend Williams.
Williams apparently were under contractual obligations to sign so they were in a bit of a tricky situation.
Having said that, it would seem contracts aren't that binding in F1 after what took place last week with Ferrari.

It's going to be interesting to see who blinks first before Friday.

Will the FOTA teams all make a mad rush to enter before the deadline?
Will the FIA and Bernie drop the budget cap & 2 tier championship?
Will the deadline be extended?

For the answer to these and other questions, tune in this Friday.

 

[Boyle]

Williams don't have the luxury (like Ferrari, Mclaren, Toyota, etc) of having a huge financial backing and the turmoil of their main sponsor, RBS, certainly hasn't helped them. They won't want to take the risk of making a loss next year as I presume they have already put in some of their limited resources into their 2010 car. So I think they had no choice but to enter for next year.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Agree with the above. Frank Williams and the team are no longer the power house they once were and so must tread carefully in the impending rows. It's easy for the big manufacturer teams to pull out because F1 is no their main concern (even if you're Ferrari) but Williams have nothing else.

It's all the usual silly F1 politics and as always compromise will be reached and ruffled feathers will be smoothed.

Who remembers for example, Tyrell, AGS and Osella breaking ranks with FOCA at Imola in 1982 because of "sponsorship" reasons. Self interest is one of the biggest motivators in any buisness and especially in one as cut and thrust as F1.

 

[Galahad]

I think this just confirms that there is no prospect of a breakaway now - obviously Williams have been party to all the FOTA discussions and if a new series was a viable, realistic proposition I think they would have stuck it out, even if just for the short term.

The question now is how their action affects the ongoing discussions. Does it strengthen the FIA's hand? At the moment I'd say no, but if e.g. Brawn and Force India were also to jump ship, FOTA's credibility would be showing serious cracks.

As one who is firmly against budget capping I just hope the other nine can stay strong...don't expect so, though.

 

[Jen]

I did read at the weekend that Brawn and Force India had also decided to sign - but it was in the Daily Mail!

And MM, when interviewed at Monaco suggested that "yes, there would be a budget cap" but probably not the 43 million euros intended for 2010. That would be in place by 2011. (the really irksome thing was that MM suggested that this "readjustment" to the cap had come from him)

Kicking Williams out of FOTA is not only childish, but a huge mistake and just suggests that FOTA are on their back foot.

 

[bogaTYR]

a breakaway series is not an option as we learned in the 80-ies. also, whats all this fuzz about a two tier championship? we had that before, remember? the good ole days of (a) the turbo cars and (b) the normal engine cars. even two WDC's, albeit 1 unofficial, jonathan palmer for the normal engines.

fota is nicely falling apart and then it'll be business as usual. what was the point?

as i stated in a previous mail, MM was on a local tv station and he predicted things would end in a compromise but at first they would get more confusing for the fans. mainly cos the fans do not know all the ins and outs. one of them being that even a manufacturer's team is about to go pushing up daisies if the money situation stays this way, my guess, he was talking about toyota. hate to say this, but he was right about things getting worse before getting better!

 

[gribbli]

Pretty meaningless, but thats unions for you!

As far as the MM & BE are concerned, it all seems a bit hypocritical considering the teams probably wouldnt be in as bad a position if the grusome twosome were not raping the sport of every penny they can get their grubby little hands on.

The fact is with a budget cap, Ferrari dont get the backhanders they are used to from the FIA and are now having a paddy about it.

I think the idea that the other other teams are 'on Ferrari's side' is a false dichotomy, they just happen to be against the FIA's decisions. When, as recent news has proven, it is difficult to see where the FIA ends and Ferrari begins, this is more like a civilwar that the other teams are watching, knowing full well both the FIA & Ferrari will be damaged if the FIA itself is weakened.

in any event a budget cap != F1, even if they dont have a break away formula themselves, a top end formula will come about to fill that gap, whether its called F1 or something entirely different is anyones guess.

 

[Brogan]

Well tomorrow is the deadline.

Don't forget to vote on the poll on the home page as to who will be next to jump

 

[gribbli]

Well tomorrow is the deadline.

Don't forget to vote on the poll on the home page as to who will be next to jump

Talk about shameless self promotion

 

[Amdathlonuk]

I know him well, he has NO morals...........

 

[Brogan]

Hey!
I resemble that remark...

 

[Brogan]

Well that was a bit of a damp squib.

As expected, all teams have signed up for 2010.

 

[Galahad]

And now we await the detail of the compromise.

http://www.teamsassociation.org/press-r ... ss-release

It's only a conditional entry.

 

[Brogan]

Yes, it will be interesting to see exactly how much leverage FOTA has when it comes to renegotiating the new Concorde agreement.

Will we see a bigger share of the revenue being distributed amongst the teams?

I suppose it's a given that Ferrari will lose their now infamous "bonus".

 

[Galahad]

They might all end up with a veto of technical changes that they don't like, rather than just one.