Official: GPMA teams have until end of month

[Zytek_Fan]

The FIA, F1's governing body has confirmed that entries for the 2008 Formula One World Championship will close at the end of this month.

The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris on Wednesday and rubber-stamped the decision, which will see the entries process open on March 24 and close on March 31. FIA president, Max Mosley told the five manufacturer teams threatening to set-up their own rival series last month that if they don't commit to F1 soon and sign-up to the new Concorde Agreement, then they won't be guaranteed a slot post-2007.

Currently six teams have committed to F1 from 2008-2012 - namely Ferrari, Williams, Midland MF1, Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso and the new Super Aguri F1 team. The others - Renault, Honda, Toyota, McLaren-Mercedes and BMW Sauber, are still aligned to the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association.

Furthermore while entries will be accepted after the deadline, assuming any slots remain, such a delay will mean that the team in question will have no say in the shaping of the regulations for 2008.

Replying to a letter, sent to the FIA by the GPMA on Monday this week and made public by the FIA on Tuesday, Mosley told them:

"The Council noted that although the 2008 Sporting Regulations are now fixed, any element could be changed on proposal of a simple majority of the entered teams in the Sporting Working Group and that the Formula 1 Commission or WMSC would only reject such proposal in the overall interest of the Formula One World Championship or of motorsport in general."

However such a statement means the GPMA teams will now only be able to submit changes if they sign up to the new Concorde Agreement - something that 'backs them into a corner' and will no doubt create a certain amount of hostility amongst them.





I think the 2008 regs is going to make the GPMA teams not want to turn in their entries

[Matra et Alpine]

no great surprise --- they have all signed up !!!

Renault have already agreed to a meeting with the Cosworth and the FIA to discuss future engine direction.

Working from INSIDE is clearly better than trying to create something anew outise ( A1GP is proving that !! )


AND a "significant" number of new teams have come forward to run under the new regs --- nothing released on WHO yet, but hopefuly after the 31st deadline we'll get to see