Melbourne Threatens to Axe GP Unless Mosley Steps Down

The Australian organizers have warned the Formula One Management that they will revise their participation in the sport if FOTA will decide to form a breakaway series. Of course, these kind of threats have become quite frequent given the current political crisis between the FIA and the FOTA (again), but Melbourne has never, until now, took any official stance on the matter.

Ron Walker, chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, made it very clear that a series without Ferrari would not justify the high costs of setting an F1 race in Melbourne, and consequently asked FIA's Max Mosley to stop his personal war against the teams and solve the crisis once and for all.

Walker also urged Mosley to step down from his presidential position within the FIA and therefore honor his June 24 promise.

“Without Ferrari ... (it) will lose much of its glamour and therefore the government investment will come into question,” Walker was quoted as saying in an interview with Australian newspaper Age.

“If the disunity continues Melbourne will seriously consider its position on continuing with Formula One. In my view Mr Mosley should walk away from the sport with dignity rather than slowly strangle to death the great brand of Formula One. The sport needs fresh and dynamic leadership more than ever before to lead F1 into a new era of motor racing,” added the Aussie GP CEO.