Di Montezemolo to Quit FOTA This Year

Ferrari's CEO Luca di Montezemolo announced on Tuesday that he is likely to leave his position within the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) at the end of the year. The Italian official is currently chief executive officer for the teams' alliance, as he was assisted by Toyota's president and deputy chairman for FOTA John Howett.

If Di Montezemolo will keep his word and step down from his FOTA leadership, that means the teams' body will lose both its leaders for the 2010 season. Following Toyota's withdrawal from the series, Howett will no longer be part of the FOTA board of directors.

“FOTA also wishes to put on record its thanks to John Howett for his great passion and his fundamental contribution, in his role as Vice Chairman of FOTA, in helping negotiate the new Concorde Agreement, securing longer term stability in F1’s rules and a more constructive, collaborative environment with all stakeholders,” said statement from the FOTA, issued shortly after Toyota's departure.

Di Montezemolo and Howett will therefore follow Flavio Briatore out of the FOTA organization, as the Italian was also commercial chairman until his FIA-served ban in the famous crash-gate. That means three of the most vocal adversaries of former FIA president Max Mosley during the F1 political turmoil earlier this year have stepped down from their positions within the teams' alliance, one way or the other.

But anyway... FOTA's secretary general continues to be Simone Perillo, while Brawn GP's Ross Brawn – due to become team boss for Mercedes Benz' factory outfit in 2010 – and McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh will also remain in their positions within the organization.