£40m Budget Cap and Controversies

[Ali]

Then they were all bluffing?

[phil1993]

Mosely outlines deal for teams

FIA president informs teams of proposed rules in last chance effort

Spoiler:

FIA president Max Mosley has informed teams of the package of rules that he is willing to accept for next year, AUTOSPORT has learned, as a final push is made by the governing body to end the standoff over entries to the 2010 championship.

The eight members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) have until Friday to lift the conditions attached to their entries - and efforts are increasing on both sides to try and reach a settlement.

After a day of further letters between motor racing's governing body and FOTA, Mosley has as promised laid out the terms by which he wants the teams to sign up. And although there had been fears of a total breakdown in discussions between the two parties, Mosley has informed FOTA that he is willing to make some movement on the question of governance in the sport.

He has told teams that he is prepared to discuss the FIA's International Court of Appeal, and also remove the controversial Appendix 5 to the 2010 Sporting Regulations. This latter element had angered teams, who feared that it gave the governing body carte blanche to impose whatever rules they wanted.

Mosley also said that he was willing to change some of the technical regulations for 2010. If the teams agree, the moveable wing rules will remain as they were for 2009, 4WD cars will not be allowed, tyre warmers will continue and the engine rules will remain as they are for this year - except customer Cosworth units will be allowed to run unrestricted. Also gearbox rules will remain as they are for 2009, as will testing limitations.

Mosley also made it clear that he would be willing to accept a 100 million Euros cost cap limit for next year, providing that it was reduced to 45 million Euros for 2011. This was the same figure that was outlined in a letter sent to FOTA president Luca di Montezemolo following the team meeting in Monaco.

Outline plans were also detailed for how the budget cap would be policed with 'self-reporting of compliance using a reputable auditor' used. Mosley also confirmed that breaches of the budget cap rules would not result in on-track sanctions, but would instead be 'financial against a pre-agreed formula.'

FOTA now has 48 hours to to decide whether to accept the terms and sign up for F1, or decide to stand firm and risk being left off the grid.

[AzShadow]

I don't really understand this. There's been whispers about that 100 million budget cap for next year and 45 million for 2011 for a while already, but then FIA already said this week that the 45 million for next year and their original plans would stay. So I wonder how it really is. Obviously if it's true, then FIA has backed down quite a lot, but I'm still not sure if all this budget cap stuff is the right way to go.

[phil1993]

I think we're getting compromise from both sides, but kinda 70-30 in FIA's favour if you see what I mean.

[AzShadow]

I guess FOTA is just too scared to start their own series then. The 5 teams can't afford to be left out of grid in 2010 while Ferrari & Red Bull would have a major legal battle in their hands.

[phil1993]

Cosworth to run without rev limits

Spoiler:

Engines entered by Cosworth next year will not feature limited rev amounts, according to Max Mosley. Included in Mosley's letter to the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) on Wednesday the FIA president stated that, due to a lack of development time, the engine manufacturer would be able to run its units without restrictions.

With the debutant Campos, Manor and USF1 teams all due to be powered by Cosworth engines next year, six of the 26 cars on the starting grid will contain the powerplants. With all current engines in the field limited to 18,000 revolutions per minute, the FIA's letter to teams on Wednesday explained the reasoning behind the decision:

'As explained (and we thought agreed) at the 11 June meeting, the Cosworth has to be allowed to run without limitation in 2010 (ie. the 2006 duty cycle for a 2006 engine), because Cosworth have neither the time nor the resources to retune for 2010. Any engineer will confirm that this will not give the relevant teams any competitive advantage whatsoever.'

Alonso ready to follow teams out of F1

Spoiler:

Double world champion Fernando Alonso says he would be prepared to walk away from Formula 1 if it did not feature the best teams and drivers in the world next year.

The 27-year-old Spaniard told reporters at Silverstone that he hoped the FIA and the Formula One Team's Association could resolve their differences over the 2010 regulations.

But he added that he would rather race for a FOTA-organised breakaway series or another category altogether, than compete in what he perceived to be a dilapidated F1, if they couldn't.

"I'm always optimistic and I really hope they find a solution, but I know that it is difficult times," he said. "It is a critical position and moment for Formula 1 and we have to be ready for tomorrow.

"We will see, I really hope tomorrow there is good news," he added. "In my opinion, I support the FOTA teams, they did a great job in the last couple of years, when there is something very big for Formula 1.

"We have contracts with our teams so we will go close to them until the end."

Alonso said that he was not ready to retire from competition and that his top priority was to race in the world's most competitive and technologically advanced series - whatever it may be called.

"At least for me it is not attractive at all the new Formula 1, with the small teams and no drivers," he said.

"We want to compete with the best teams in the world, with the maximum technology, we all want to compete with the best drivers, and this is what F1 and competition is all about. So if this is not what Formula 1 is about next year, then for sure it will be another category with that.

"I will not retire, I will drive for another championship," he said. "If it is not a new series, I will not join the new Formula 1 as I said with there small teams. Because for me this is not technology, this is not F1, this is not the category we loved for the last 60 years.

"So, there are more categories and hopefully I will find an attractive one outside F1, or outside Europe, and I will keep racing. I am 27-years-old only."

Alonso reiterated, however, that the ideal scenario would be for FOTA and the FIA to agree a deal tomorrow: "I am not closing any doors but as I said hopefully tomorrow there will be good news and all these things will not matter anymore."

Rosberg: Williams out-developing rivals

Spoiler:

Nico Rosberg believes Williams is on course to move up the field in the second half of 2009 as he is confident that the team is developing faster than its main rivals.

After several missed opportunities in the opening rounds, Williams has started scoring more consistently in recent races, with Rosberg taking a breakthrough fifth in Turkey a fortnight ago.

"I think we've definitely made progress on development, compared to the last few years when we've fallen back a bit," he said.

"This year we're always there and developing well, and one has to say that Williams is doing a great job this year. The budget is much smaller than some other big teams who we're directly fighting against - like Ferrari and Toyota - and we're developing quicker than them, so it's been going well and I think I can be pretty pleased. Of course we want to be further up, but we're on the right path."

Rosberg reckons the current championship standings accurately reflect what Williams has been capable of so far, but he expects the team to advance up the order from now on.

"From the position we're in, we have to say that's more or less what we deserve," he said. "McLaren is in front of us by one and a half points, and that's not right, but we'll beat them very soon. The season is long and we'll be in front of them.

"In two races time we could be fifth in the constructors', and that's more or less where we should be. We should be much further up, but that's what we deserve in this first part of the season, and we could still move up in the latter part because we're doing well. We could give Ferrari a run for their money."

He hopes to underline Williams's progress with a good result at Silverstone, traditionally a weak track for the team in recent seasons, this weekend.

"I'm hoping for points for sure, and I think we can do a bit better than that, top six maybe, because we have a good update on the car, we've been competitive in the last few races, and the others that we're racing against brought their updates to the last race, so we're looking good," said the German.

"So I hope we can really do well again here, even though this has been our weakest track in the last few years. This year we're more consistent from one track to another and I think our car could do well on this track."

Rosberg's contract with Williams expires at the end of 2009, and having long insisted that he wants to be in a winning car next year, he said the team's current form made it more tempting to stay put.

"I'm looking around and at the same time I'm talking to Williams because they're doing a great job," said Rosberg.

"They've really moved forward. And if the budget cap comes in next year it will help Williams a lot, because they're used to not that low a level of budget, but a lot closer, and it will be a bit more of a mess for other teams to cut budgets by such large amounts."

But he added that the current political turmoil made it hard to make any firm 2010 plans at this stage.

"Even without that it's a mess because you don't know what team is going to be at the front next year, but with that it's a big mess," he said.

[AzShadow]

Yes and the FOTA teams will surely like it. If some teams have unrestricted engines and the others have only 18000 revs, then how would it not give any competitive advantage?

[phil1993]

FOTA to meet tonight before deadline day

Spoiler:

Team principals are to hold a meeting at Renault's headquarters in Enstone on Thursday night to discuss their response to the FIA's offer of a deal to end the stand-off over entries to the 2010 championship.

As revealed by AUTOSPORT yesterday, FIA president Max Mosley has outlined the terms he would be willing to accept from the teams not currently entered - with the final deadline for them to lift conditions attached to their applications expiring tomorrow.

Mosley is offering a compromise 100 million Euro cost cap for next year, and says he is willing to address concerns about governance with a new Concorde Agreement, but only if the teams first lodge unconditional entries so changes can then be made.

With sources suggesting that the teams are not totally happy with what has been offered, a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has been arranged at Renault's team factory for 7pm local time.

No statement about the conclusions from the meeting are expected this evening, but teams have until the close of business in Europe on Friday to lift the conditions attached to their entry – or risk being left off the grid.

The FIA remains in discussion with a number of potential teams about being granted a place on the grid next year if any of the current teams are left out.

Controversially, the FIA has already put Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso on the entry list because it believes the teams made a commitment to the sport in deals they signed with the governing body and Formula One Management several years ago.

FIA president Max Mosley is expected to be at Silverstone tomorrow.

[JoostLamers]

I think this is the end of the row. They will accept the €100m budget cap Mosley proposed. But then the discussion for 4-wheel-powered car, the wings, gearbox, etc. will start.

[Ali]

FOTA teams to launch breakaway series -> http://www.f1zone.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4573