CORRECTION: FOTA Welcomes Manor, Lotus!

Although it's yet to become official, it seems that all the newly entrant teams have been granted an entry into the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA). According to a report from British magazine Autosport, the team's alliance has recently granted Manor F1 Team and Lotus F1 Team with an entry in the aforementioned body.

The team's association is practically a sine-qua-non element of the Formula One racing these days, as it represents the only option for the teams to make themselves heard before the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Theoretically, one team could be part of F1 and not have a representative within the FOTA, but that would damage its interests in the series.

Recently, becoming part of the FOTA has not been equal to guaranteed presence in the sport – see the cases of Honda, Toyota, and BMW – but the signing of the new teams is usually a clear suggestion that they mean business for the upcoming season.

Campos Grand Prix and US Grand Prix Engineering were the first teams to be granted the FOTA entry, as the former also became the first outfit to pass their 2010 challenger from the FIA crash tests. Following the two teams were this week the remaining two aforementioned organizations, Manor and Lotus.

The FOTA is yet to confirm the two teams, but an announcement is expected to be made in the upcoming few days.