Before the yesterday meeting between the FIA and the FOTA, it all looked quite good on paper. The teams were supposed to come up with a plan to reduce costs – budget cap aside – in the upcoming 2 seasons to the level reached by Formula One back in the early '90s. When they got to talking, however...
The FIA issued a quick statement yesterday evening, in which it states “the eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010. Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting.”
For all of you FOTA supporters out there, know that the teams' alliance had a totally different view on the case. According to them – meaning the 8 teams part of the alliance, talking on behalf of Williams, Force India and the 3 newly entrants also – it was FIA's Charlie Whiting who caused the rupture on Wednesday.
It seems Whiting told the teams loud and clear that they “are not currently entered into the 2010 ... world championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof.”
Under the circumstances, the FOTA seems to have asked for a postponement of the discussions, something that FIA did not grant. The next step all 13 teams invited to the FIA meeting leaving the Paris headquarters. While insisting this was the only viable option, given FIA's stand, the FOTA statement issued a warning for the future of the sport. In addition, it stated that the June peace did not include “unanimous agreement on regulations change.”
“To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC (World Motor Sport Council) and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of formula one in jeopardy,” said the statement.
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