FORMULA ONE:THE THREAT of a breakaway Formula One championship was averted yesterday after Max Mosley announced he would not be standing for re-election as FIA president in October, writes ALAN HENRY
Mosley, whose style of governance was one of the key issues underpinning the determination of the teams’ association Fota to split with the FIA, agreed after talks in Paris that he would bow out from the presidency in four months.
There is no word as to who will succeed him, but former Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt, a close ally of Mosley, has been mentioned as a possibility. Mosley will hand over all matters relating to Formula One to Michel Boeri, chairman of the FIA senate, with immediate effect.
The FIA also agreed to scrap its planned €50 million budget cap for 2010, eliminating the need for any intrusive examination of the teams’ books by the governing body, although the teams agreed that they would work to reduce budgets significantly within the next two years.
“There will be no split,” said Mosley, who has been FIA president since 1991. “We have agreed to a reduction in costs. There will be one Formula One championship, but the (long-term) objective is to get back to the levels of spending of the early 1990s within two years.”
Asked whether he felt he had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the dissident teams – Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP – Mosley replied: “I would not put it like that. They’ve got the rules they want and the stability. We have got the new teams in and the cost reduction. So that’s very helpful.”
The teams have also agreed to be bound by the current commercial arrangements with the sport’s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone and CVC Capital Partners, until 2012. The Formula One commercial rights were sold by the FIA to Ecclestone’s companies in 2001 for a 10-year period for around €250 million, a bargain given that current television contracts, track-side advertising and race fees generate about €1 billionn a year, 50 per cent of which is shared between the competing teams.
The FIA also published the 2010 world championship entry list, which includes all the current teams plus newcomers Manor, Campos and USF1, all of whom are down to run Cosworth engines.
Speaking on behalf of Fota, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said he hoped Mosley would have a happy retirement.
“I hope that sometime sooner or later I am able to do the same as Mr Mosley and have a bit more relaxation,” he said.
Britain’s Jackie Stewart offered a more hard-edged comment: “The time had come that this was the only route for the sport which had threatened to be overwhelmed by (Mosley’s) extremely dominant and imperial behaviour,” said the triple world champion.
Ecclestone was thrilled with the deal. “I’m obviously very, very happy that common sense has prevailed, which I’ve always believed it would because the alternative was not good at all,” he told the news conference.
“I’m also, I must say, very, very, very happy the teams have come to their senses to stop spending large amounts of money.”
Montezemolo, who will chair a Fota meeting in Bologna today, said: “I think the decisions we have shared this morning are important. We will have the rules of 2009, same rules for everybody. It means that we have stability.”
GuardianService
Formula One 2009
Remaining Races
Jul 10th-12th German Grand PrixNürburgring, Nürburg
Jul 24th-26th Hungarian Grand PrixHungaroring, Budapest
Aug 21st-23rd European Grand PrixValencia Street Circuit
Aug 28th-30th Belgian Grand PrixCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Sep 11th-13th Italian GPAutodromo Nazionale Monza
Sep 25th-27th Singapore GPMarina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
Oct 2nd-4th Japanese GPSuzuka Circuit
Oct 16th-18th Brazilian GPAutódromo José Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo
Oct 30th-Nov 1st Abu Dhabi GPYas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
Drivers’ Standings
J Button(Brit) Brawn-Mercedes 64
R Barrichello(Bra) Brawn-Mercedes 41
S Vettel(Ger)RBR-Renault 39
M Webber(Aus)RBR-Renault 35.5
J Trulli(Ita) Toyota 21.5
F Massa(Bra)Ferrari 16
N Rosberg(Ger) Williams-Toyota 15.5
T Glock(Ger) Toyota 13
F Alonso(Spa) Renault 11
K Räikkönen(Fin) Ferrari 10
Constructors’ Standings
Brawn-Mercedes105
RBR-Renault74.5
Toyota34.5
Ferrari26
Williams-Toyota15.5
McLaren-Mercedes13
Renault11
BMW Sauber8
STR-Ferrari5
Force India-Mercedes0
