While this weekend’s race should be a celebration of a long history of Formula One in Silverstone and a fond farewell it looks set to be overshadowed by the news that the FOTA teams will leave Formula One and set up their own series. Read the Press Release here.
Everyone has their view, is this good or bad for the sport is it a stunt? We’ve selected some of the key players thoughts and included them below.
Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
Nick Fry – Brawn GP CEO
We have negotiated with both Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone at some length in good faith and not quite got to where we want to be so at the moment it looks like we will be doing something different.
It’s a variety of problems. One is what we would call overall governance of the sport. The way it is run and decisions are made. There are also some financial difficulties on the way costs are going to be controlled in the future.
I think Max in general does a good job but it’s a combination of things. Some of the decision making we feel has been done without the consensus or the participation of the competitors and that is obviously an issue.
The drive to reduce costs is the one supported by all the teams, but on the other hand some of the processes by which we get to cost cut aren’t supported by a number of the teams.
We’re not against reduced costs in F1. They have got too high. For our team, which is one of the smaller ones, getting down to a figure like £40m is not so much of an issue. But we want to be competing against the likes of Ferrari or Toyota. They are much bigger companies and it is a much more difficult for them and they need time to do it.
Really the ball is in Max’s court. He has to announce the participants in the championship for next year, so we’ll see what happens there. I do hope from our point of view that discussions continue.
We want to compete against the best in the business, and the reason that we were very keen to be with the group of eight is that it contains the best motor racing teams in the world.
We want to be competing against Ferrari, Renault and Toyota and others.
As we sit here today, the great teams are within the Fota group, and Brawn GP want to be beating the best. I’d be confident there will be F1 racing next year – the format – who knows?
Martin Whitmarsh – McLaren,
In Formula 1 in recent years there has not been the stability that we should have, there has not been the clarity of what the championship should be for the fans.
Anyone who has been watching would have been very aware that a number of major manufacturers were almost inexorably leaving the sport, and that would have been highly damaging.
“We’re inviting all those participating at the moment and any new entrant to participate in what we believe will be the pinnacle of motorsport.”
Adam Parr – Williams F1 CEO,
Note – Williams one of two teams (along with Force India) to sign up for next years F1 season
We are, I wouldn’t say bystanders because that would be disingenuous, but I would say that we have contracts in place with Bernie [Ecclestone] and we have always said with Max [Mosley] as well and we entered the championship in light of those contracts
I am impressed that [Brawn GP owner] Ross [Brawn] as, let’s say next year an independent team that actually has to raise money in the way that we do, feels that he has the ability to do that in another championship.
But we simply could not – there was no way we could walk away from our contracts and raise the sort of money that we would need to compete with the manufacturers, the Red Bulls and so forth.
So we have a mutual dependence with the FIA and FOM and that is enshrined in contracts that we will honour.
It’s very, very sad from us that in so doing that we have drifted away from people that we like and we respect and we like racing against.
Christian Horner – Red Bull
I think it’s quite clear that the FOTA teams have probably now gone as far as they can, I’m perhaps ever the optimist, but I think from what I’ve seen of the statements from the FIA they seem fairly resolute. So we’ve unfortunately reached that stalemate and I can’t honestly see either side budging at the moment, which therefore leaves no alternative [but to split].
It’s disappointing because some progress has been made and large efforts have been made in recent weeks that it now looks like it has reached that stalemate and some grown-up decisions needed to be made.
Bernie is in a tricky position because he doesn’t write the rules, It’s effectively his business and the big problem the teams have are with the regulations and aspects of the way the regulations are brought in, but Bernie has not really any control over that so he’s in a situation where his key assets, ie the teams, are in a situation where they are saying we can’t enter under these current regs.
We have all stated that we are prepared to commit for three years and if anyone can deliver a solution to all of this I think he is probably about the only man that can. But at the moment that hasn’t been forthcoming.
A solution has tried to be found in good faith and that hasn’t happened, There has come a point where those negotiations have come to a close now. The teams have felt they have gone as far as they can and the FIA similarly and therefore you either enter under the terms that we find unpalatable or you do something else.
We’ve reached the stage where the only alternative if we want to keep competing is to do something else.
Vijay Mallya – Force India Owner
Note – Like Williams F1, Force India have signed up for the 2010 Formula One season
We were always hoping there would be compromise between FOTA and the FIA.
But at midnight last night I was notified by FOTA about their decision, which already seems to be heading towards a breakaway championship or series.
We find this to be very sad and disappointing, particularly since the FIA World Championship and the Formula One brand has been developed into an invaluable property over many decades.
As of now, Force India is a confirmed entrant to the FIA 2010 Formula One World Championship and we wait to see the developments over the weekend. Until a clear direction has been identified, we do not wish to make any further comments.
David Coulthard – BBC Commentator and Former F1 Driver
I think this is another part of the challenge of Formula 1. We tend to think of the driver-car challenge on the track but it’s always been about business manoeuvrings off-track as well.
What we’re seeing here is the ultimate manoeuvring, the ultimate game of chess, between the governing body and the teams.
The rules can be whatever they all collectively decide them to be. The way F1 is set up, we have the commercial rights holder, Mr Eccclestone, and he does a fantastic job in getting the venues and the TV contracts, and the FIA which governs the sport and what they’ve said is that if the teams are not happy then they can go and find someone else govern them.
Eddie Jordan – BBC Commentator and Former Owner of Jordan Grand Prix
It may be the situation where the teams are saying we will happily deal with the FIA but – and this is purely my view – but we want rid of Max Mosley.
Max has to decide whether he goes for re-election or not, and I presume the teams want to see that he doesn’t and that he follows through with what he said he would do and stands down.
There’s not a chance [of there being two rival series in 2010]. It’s a huge sport but it does not stand up to having two rival events. No sport does, and I think to go against the governing body is a very, very dangerous position to take.
Bernie Ecclestone – Formula One rights holder
and the final word goes to Bernie…
I’m not concerned. The Formula 1 world championship has been going for 60 years and will continue to go.
We’ve had 73 teams in and out of the world championships so I don’t suppose it will change.
