Its official - FOTA to launch breakaway series!

[Reason]

autosport.com - F1 News: Teams to launch breakaway series

The Formula One Teams' Association announced on Thursday night that it is setting up a breakaway championship.

Following a four hour meeting at Renault's Enstone factory, the eight members of FOTA said it had grown frustrated with the FIA's stance against it and that it had no option but to create its own championship.

"The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship," said a statement.

"These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

"The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."

EDIT: FOTA press release in full here - http://www.sportssystems.com/novell/...host/AG105.pdf

EDIT #2: Another confirmation: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/8108488.stm

[jump15vc]

holy s*** this is huge, i hope it happens. it sounds a bit like the idea they had a few years ago that never came around.

[f6fhellcat13]

they don't have the balls to do it...

[pimento]

I was hoping they'd just join the LeMans series. Though I guess that's not an option if the point is to snub the FIA.

[CaesarLeo]

FIA backs down with 'amendments' to F1 rules | Page 1 | Formula One News | 2009 | Crash.Net

[ScionDriver]

This is going to be interesting but I hope they come to some reasonable conclusion. I think it's fair for the teams to want more control but it's also fair for the FIA to want to cut costs. Formula 1 needs to overhaul it's whole management system. There is always some politics battle. They need to form a better more controlled system with profit sharing from TV revenue and ad revenue that way teams can still spend a ton but little teams will see more money and teams like Super Aguri won't fold due to lack of sponsors.

[Reason]

FIA backs down with 'amendments' to F1 rules | Page 1 | Formula One News | 2009 | Crash.Net

That was posted earlier and the news of the breakaway series was later in the afternoon. Crash is behind on their updates lately.

[LTSmash]

I was hoping they'd just join the LeMans series. Though I guess that's not an option if the point is to snub the FIA.

I'm with you on this. Then LMS would finally be shown on Speed .

[Ferrer]

So, is that the end of F1 as we know it?

[Kitdy]

So, is that the end of F1 as we know it?

It's the end of F1 as we know it... And I feel fine...

But putting aside that R.E.M. gem, I think this is just the biggest thread that FOTA has made and eventually Max will have to blink and next year we'll be racing in F1 again and all will be happy and that. Part of me hopes I'm wrong though and there is a split and there is disaster and there is chaos... I just doubt it.

[f6fhellcat13]

So, is that the end of F1 as we know it?

It's the end of F1 as we know it... And I feel fine...

But putting aside that R.E.M. gem, I think this is just the biggest thread that FOTA has made and eventually Max will have to blink and next year we'll be racing in F1 again and all will be happy and that. Part of me hopes I'm wrong though and there is a split and there is disaster and there is chaos... I just doubt it.

they don't have the balls to do it...

Neither side has the balls. In the original post I was just referring to FOTA, but I think F1 management should be included.

[henk4]

So who's side is Bernie going to be on? He holds the all important commercial rights, without which FOTA will no doubt see some struggling times.

[Kitdy]

So who's side is Bernie going to be on? He holds the all important commercial rights, without which FOTA will no doubt see some struggling times.

I heard on another forum that Bernie's thrown in his lot with FOTA but this was second or third hand information potentially.

[Wouter Melissen]

If Bernie is in on it, then we will see little change. That would be really unfortunate.

[Jack_Bauer]

FIA have responded:

The FIA has blamed factions within the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) for the failure of the two parties to reach agreement on the future of the sport, following the announcement that there will be a rival series next year.

The eight members of FOTA met at Renault's Enstone factory on Thursday night to discuss their response to the Friday deadline to lift conditions attached to their entries for the 2010 championship.

After deciding they could not accept what had been put on the table for them by FIA president Max Mosley, the teams confirmed that they would be setting up a breakaway championship in 2010.

The FIA has responded by expressing its disappointment about the decision, and says that some elements with FOTA had always tried to scupper a deal.

"The FIA is disappointed but not surprised by FOTA's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport," said the statement.

"It is clear that elements within FOTA have sought this outcome throughout the prolonged period of negotiation and have not engaged in the discussions in good faith.

"The FIA cannot permit a financial arms race in the championship nor can the FIA allow FOTA to dictate the rules of Formula 1."

The FIA says that its deadline for teams to lodge unconditional entries will remain as the close of business today, with the full 2010 entry list to be announced on Saturday.

"The deadline for unconditional entries to the 2010 FIA Formula World Championship will expire this evening," it said. "The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship entry list will be announced tomorrow."

Well, if the announcement from FOTA was an 11th hour attempt to get Max/the FIA to back down and allow their conditional entries it appears to have failed. However, I can't help but feel there will be more developments on this story by the end of the day.

IF there is no further movement from either side in the debate, I see it all becoming very messy. What happens with Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso? If they attempt to side with FOTA no doubt there will be some extremely heated legal wranglings from the FIA, as the teams appear to have a contracts which bind them to F1. I imagine Max already has his best, most uncompromising big-shot lawyers on standby as we speak. What will become of poor Williams and Force India? There are a million and one potential pitfalls for the FOTA teams to negotiate before any serious racing can happen next year in a breakaway series. I'm not terribly confident they'll get any sort of decent race series set up by next year. I fear we could end up with two lame duck championships next season instead of the one half-decent one that we have at the moment.