Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Autosport Plus

The Weekly Grapevine: The future of FOTA

As Formula 1 teeters on the brink of peace following FIA president Max Mosley's signature on the new Concorde Agreement, Dieter Rencken asks what's next for the Formula One Teams' Association.

During the German Grand Prix weekend a wave of optimism washed over the paddock. The Concorde Agreement as a document, said various sources, would be signed within a week, with Bernie Ecclestone vowing to sort out Formula 1 within 48 hours.

"I hope to have a Concorde Agreement in place by Wednesday," he said after denying rumours that he would be relieved of his duties in the wake of making some controversial comments about Adolf Hitler.

While F1's 78-year-old tsar is still very much in evidence over three weeks later - disproving the rumours in the short term - at the time of writing speculation persisted that the Concorde Agreement has yet to receive a full set of signatures.

BMW's announced withdrawal from F1 has complicated the matter further, as this column observed last week. Peter Sauber, founder of the team and still a 20 per cent shareholder, is believed to have shuttled across to Malaysia in attempts to persuade Petronas, his loyal partner of many years, to assist in saving an operation he headed for more than 25 years, only for BMW to pull the plug four seasons after buying it.

The team is believed to have been granted an extension until today, after which it could lose its right of entry to the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The entry is contingent upon signing Concorde, and with N-Technology having issued legal proceedings against the FIA over the entry procedure, a Serbian hopeful said to have approached the EU Commission over the matter and David Richards of Prodrive having voiced his displeasure over the situation as far back as Silverstone, there are plenty of hopefuls waiting in the wings.

However, a Petronas oil tanker filled with Ringgits would only partially solve Sauber's problem, for last Wednesday BMW clearly stated that its F1 engine division, too, would be closed, meaning that the team would need to seek out a supply of V8s.

Mercedes? Depends which way Brawn goes in 2010, as Force India is expected to retain its deal given the technical partnership in place with McLaren.

Ferrari? Possibly, but remember that the team already supplies Toro Rosso, and turned down Brawn's overtures last December, so not much hope there. Toyota? Well it has a contract with Williams but the relationship is said to be somewhat tetchy given Sir Frank's 'lone furrow' philosophy towards FOTA and the fact that Toyota Motorsport President John Howett is vice-chairman of the body - so this one is awaited with interest.

In any event, Toyota is said to be considering a supply request from USF1. Given that North America is Toyota's largest market with 2.8m vehicles sold by the group in 2008 (versus 2.2m in Japan and 1.25m in Europe), it makes enormous sense for the world's largest motor manufacturer (by volume).

All of which leaves the team formerly known as BMW Sauber with a choice of Renault power (already in bed with regular winners Red Bull) or Cosworth - whose F1 future could well be decided by a Parisian court in September. Or, more ominously, by 'Steely' Ms Neelie Kroes, the Dutch-born EU Commissioner for Competition, who had no qualms whatsoever about fining Microsoft €899m for 'non-compliance', stating at the time: "We don't want talk and promises, we want compliance".

If it is a surprise to read that the Concorde Agreement has still not been ratified, despite Saturday's FIA press release, consider the opening words: "Following approval by the World Motor Sport Council, late last night FIA President Max Mosley signed the 2009 Concorde Agreement..."

Previous article Todt unveils FIA election manifesto
Next article FOTA hails new Concorde Agreement

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe