FIA/FOTA: on the verge of breakdown

On January 23, Max Mosley commissioned a detailed study from the largest English technological research institute, Ricardo, on how to achieve his goal: limiting the teams' budget to 30-33 million euros. A thick file distributed very late to the teams and members of the World Council (CM). “No time to study it in depth, we will do that during the Fota meeting on May 6,” say the bosses. We’re not a few days away.” On April 29, the FIA ​​CM adopted the project. Since then, has it been war?

What is Mosley?s idea?
“The automobile industry and financial services, the main resources of F1, are in crisis, he maintains. And we have already lost one manufacturer, Honda. We can't wait for others to follow. Despite my requests, none of them were able to guarantee that he would stay for life. We can't wait and hope that nothing bad happens. For the moment, F1 is little affected by this crisis, but it will be hit hard at the end of the current contracts. I therefore proposed and voted for an F1 with a budget blocked at 44 million euros, with strict controls, in exchange for which the teams which adhere to this system will have certain technical and sporting freedoms. Basically, Mosley is right. The manufacturers have reduced their stake and the sponsors – those who have the courage to stay – will clearly do the same. For now, F1 is running on budgets voted in mid-2008. In terms of form, it is wrong to distrust manufacturers. Those who are in F1 want to stay there for a long time. Hence their tenacity.

This entire article this Wednesday, in AUTOhebdo n°1700.