Mosley: GPWC to Struggle to Agree Rules

FIA president Max Mosley said on Friday that commitments made by nine of the ten Grand Prix teams on a blueprint for the future Grand Prix racing are unlikely to make it past the planning stage.

The manufacturers which form the GPWC - Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Renault - put out a united front last month following meetings to discuss the future of the sport after Ferrari broke away from their group.

They received the backing of rival manufacturers Toyota and Honda as well as the remaining privateer teams for their commitment to a new framework that would include affordable engines for smaller outfits.

But Mosley suggested that the commitment to a new set of principles is set to crumble to nothing and said: "The problems will come when detailed technical and sporting rules have to be agreed.

"Two of the manufacturers want unlimited technology (or at least minimal restrictions), which means virtually unlimited costs, two want costs kept down to enable them to stay in Formula One and two are somewhere in the middle.

"There are similar divisions among the teams. They have (already published a comprehensive list of principles) but these are not detailed rules. No-one could dispute these objectives, the problem is writing rules to achieve them."

The GPWC aims to keep Grand Prix at the pinnacle of motorsport, provide the basis of a long-term plan for its prosperity, support and encourage the participation of independent teams through technical assistance and engine supply, attract and excite and provide good value to fans and to be open, transparent and fair in commercial, technical and sporting governance.

Ferrari had originally been a part of the GPWC group but pulled out after reaching a disagreement with their rivals over the amount of testing for this year, which all other nine teams have agreed to dramatically reduce.

Ferrari, the FIA and Formula One's commercial rights holder FOM announced in January that they had reached an agreement to effectively extend the Concorde Agreement, which governs the sport, until 2012.

But Mosley said a new Concorde Agreement has not yet been signed with Ferrari and suggested the remaining nine teams on the grid are ready to join up once disputes over finances come to an end.

"We haven't signed the 2008 Concorde," said Mosley. "It has not yet been drafted. We have simply confirmed to Ferrari that if they continue to compete in the World Championship and/or enter into a new Concorde Agreement from 2008, they will continue to enjoy their current rights and privileges.

"We have made it clear that the same applies to all the other teams. The other teams have never suggested they are not happy with their own current rights or privileges or those of Ferrari. Don't forget they all signed up for these for ten years in 1998.

"They were apparently happy with the money on offer under the December 2003 Memorandum of Understanding. We are told that FOM have now put that money back on the table for anyone who competes through to 2012. It is reasonable to assume that the teams would still be happy with this money."

Mosley admitted the teams are well within their rights to dispute the financial details with the FOM but insisted the FIA will remain neutral and not get involved with such discussions.

The nine other teams are in discussions to create a breakaway series, although it is understood that all are in favour of retaining a united championship beyond the end of the current Concorde Agreement in 2008.

Mosley said the FIA, which governs all world motorsport, "would have preferred to have no Concorde Agreement" as they would prefer to have full control over the regulation of Formula One.

But he added: "All the teams and the commercial rights holder seem to want an agreement, it's not just Ferrari, so we have said that we are prepared to renew the Concorde Agreement from 2008.

"We have told them that if they compete in the Formula One World Championship after 2008, they will retain the rights and privileges they currently enjoy under the Concorde Agreement. The same goes for all the other teams.

"The money is not the FIA's business, but our understanding is that all the teams which sign up for 2008 will get the money that was originally agreed between FOM and GPWC in their so-called Memorandum of Understanding of December 2003.

"Apparently this will be paid from 2008 together with money from 2004 to 2007 under a formula with compound interest over the five years from 2008 to 2012. We understand the money will be split among the teams with the same percentages as for the last 25 years.

"We understand that money which would have been paid to Ferrari had FOM floated three years ago is involved and that the other teams concerned are to be dealt with similarly, but this is not really our business."