FOTA to break away from F1

[Maladict]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/06/18/formula.future.alternative/index.html

(CNN) -- Eight Formula One teams said Thursday they would create a breakaway series championship following a financial dispute with the world governing body over a proposed budget cap for next season.
Ferrari is one of the eight teams that will form a breakaway championship.

All eight teams are members of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), which made the announcement in a press release.

The current wrangles stem from controversial plans by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile to impose a budget cap of $60M for competing teams and technical limitations on teams in 2010 in a bid to make the grid more balanced and easier for the smaller teams to compete successfully.

The association said the FIA and the commercial rights holder had "campaigned to divide" the FOTA and that the wishes of the majority of teams had been "ignored."

"Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006," the association said.

The teams -- BMW-Sauber, BrawnGP, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toyota -- "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," the group said in the 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," the statement continued.

The association said its 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."

Meanwhile, Williams and Force India have entered the 2010 championship after giving their backing to the proposed budget cuts -- a stance that resulted in their expulsion from FOTA.

There are also three new teams due to compete in the 2010 season.

Spanish-based Campos GP have competed in various championships from GP2 to Euro F3, winning six drivers' championships and five team titles, including the current GP2 Series.
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British team Manor F1 have won 171 races and 19 championship titles in series' such as Formula Renault and Formula 3 Euroseries.

Team US F1 is a new racing operation, but its directors have many years of motor sport experience and have already attracted a host of investors.

I didn't expect them to actually carry out the threats. 

[The Brain]

F1 is boring as fuck.

[MadBurgerMaker]

BMW-Sauber, BrawnGP, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toyota

Toyota doesn't look right in there with those other teams.  I don't know if they're any good or not as far as F1 goes, it's just the brand name...

[BVN]

I would like to see the faces of Mosley and Ecclestone right now... 

The very heart of F1 has gone to another championship. Even if they find enough teams to continue F1 (and I don't doubt that they will), it will not be the same. Especially commercially...

[Zanza]

Toyota doesn't look right in there with those other teams.  I don't know if they're any good or not as far as F1 goes, it's just the brand name...

Renault builds even more boring cars than Toyota and they still have a F1 team.

[Maladict]

Since interest in F1 seems to be lacking on Languish...

Formula 2 racer Natacha Gachnang is eyeing a test with new-for-2010 Formula 1 team Campos Grand Prix.

[Grey Fox]

Out the Door Danica Patrick!

Also & people around here (ie goverment) are slated to give 75 million to Bernie so Montreal can have his grand prix back

[Maladict]

people around here (ie goverment) are slated to give 75 million to Bernie so Montreal can have his grand prix back

If this split is for real then Montreal being axed was the best thing that could happen to them, just like Silverstone.

[Neil]

Since interest in F1 seems to be lacking on Languish...

Car racing in general doesn't seem to be popular here.  NASCAR and F1 are the same boring sport.

[Iormlund]

I bet those two cost her quite a few tenths a lap.

[Josquius]

Formula 2 racer Natacha Gachnang is eyeing a test with new-for-2010 Formula 1 team Campos Grand Prix.

I would over Nigel Mansel anyday.

[DGuller]

Wow.  That was on the cards all along, but until a couple of days ago I really thought that Spanky would slip out of his predicament yet again.  I guess that if you run the series like a dictator with Napoleonic complex, eventually people will rebel for real.  I just hope this situation will not go like the CART/IRL split that destroyed American open wheel racing.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Renault builds even more boring cars than Toyota and they still have a F1 team.

I don't know...even the ones I occasionally see driving around here with Mexican plates seem more...er...sporty...than the boxes Toyota has been dumping on us lately. 

What's the little 2 door hatchback thing?  Clio, I think?  Maybe not...I have no idea, really.  Whatever they're called, my wife thinks they're "cute."

[DisturbedPervert]

BMW-Sauber, BrawnGP, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toyota

Toyota doesn't look right in there with those other teams.  I don't know if they're any good or not as far as F1 goes, it's just the brand name...

I don't know if they're any good either, but at least they make cars.

[Iormlund]

Toyota is a fairly crappy F1 team. And the one with the highest budget.