Manor unsure how new rules affect plans
Manor Grand Prix team principal John Booth believes it is too soon to know whether the new cost-cutting regulations agreed between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) last week will affect his team's plans to compete in the 2010 Formula 1 world championship
Manor was one of three teams, including USF1 and Campos, to receive an entry for next year and all three entered under the terms of the FIA's original £40m budget cap plan, which has now been replaced by FOTA-proposed cost-cutting regulations.
But according to Booth, until the FIA and all the teams have agreed and signed a new Concorde Agreement and locked the regulations in place, it is impossible to know where his new outfit stands.
"Honestly I don't know," he told AUTOSPORT. "Every time you think you've got it sorted out it all changes again, it's like walking on quicksand.
"But until we see what the Concorde agreement is, if they ever sign it, then we'll comment."
Booth remains confident that Manor will be on the F1 grid next season, but admitted that the lack of a budget cap made things more complicated.
"It makes it more difficult of course, but I think we can just about manage it," he said. "It just depends what the target is in two years time, what 1990's levels were. Honestly, it's almost impossible to comment.
"It's great that all the cars are going to race in one championship," he added. "But I can't really comment on the agreement until I know what it is - it was very broad wasn't it?"
Asked if he would have entered a team in F1 had he known that it would be competing to 2009 rules he replied: "Probably not. But are they sticking to the 2009 rules? No refuelling is quite important.
"Until we see the exact rules, all of us are just guessing."
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