It was a busy day for quotes and hyperbole, as the fallout from FOTA's announcement that they will go it alone in 2010 suffocates the Silverstone paddock. Check all the reaction from Friday with Patty's sometimes-updated newswire.
- 08.50 BST - The FIA's reaction to the announcement has shown little desire to sort out an immediate deal to bring the FOTA teams back onboard the F1 bandwagon. A statement released this morning did little else other than state that the governing body was "disappointed but not surprised" at FOTA's plans, and reiterate their earlier gripe that certain teams within the FOTA coven were always out to ruin any potential deal between the two sides.
"The FIA is disappointed but not surprised by FOTA's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport," the statement guffed, "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 statement also reiterated that there is still time today for the eight teams involved in the breakaway to change their minds throughout Friday, even after the usual close of business. The full entry list for 2010 is expected to be announced on Saturday, and should FOTA not retract their plans for a breakaway series, will be looking a little motley to say the least.
- 10.25 BST - The FIA suffered a minor blow if they do end up being forced to fill up the grid space left by they FOTA teams with new entries, after Italian touring car squad N.Technology announced the withdrawal of their application for the 2010 series. The team had been on the reserve list after failing to secure a spot on the provisional entry list last week. Amusingly, the catch-22-esque reason given for their withdrawal was that the team "no longer wants to be involved in a sport without the major manufacturers", which was the only reason that they were still in with a chance of making the grid in the first place.
It is unclear if N.Technology, or Lola, who withdrew their own entry last week, will look to try and make up the numbers in FOTA's series now their F1 plans have ended.
- 10.40 BST - Christian Horner says that the future of the sport is "in the hands of the FIA", and that he is still optimistic that the F1 championship could still be saved. "Being the eternal optimist, never say never," Horner said about whether F1 could survive, "But the teams feel they have gone a long, long way and it's unfortunate we find ourselves in this situation." The Red Bull boss also stated that it was the reluctance of the FIA to delay the deadline from today that forced their hand. "There have been efforts to try and find a solution, but unfortunately that hasn't been achieved in the timeframe," he said, his lip quivering with the emotion of the situation.
Horner also confirmed that he believes his team, along with Ferrari and Toro Rosso, are free to sign up to the new series, despite the FIA claiming that all three already have binding deals to race in F1. He also took time to practice his pompous snobbery by stating that: "The bottom line is Red Bull want to race against the best teams and best competitors in the world, and the thought of not being in a championship where Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and others, the big major teams, is unattractive to us with all due respect to teams we have never heard of before." Which coming from the boss of a team that didn't exist five years ago is delightfully hypocritical.
- 11.30 BST - The thoughts of Bernie Ecclestone on this whole mess are unclear, but there is plenty of cries for him to come forward and bash a few heads together. Sir Jackie Stewart has taken time out from criticising Bernie to cloyingly say that "Bernie knows how to do things, he has been very successful in F1 and the sport has been successful with much of what he has done. So he will be playing a fairly big role within the next two or three days.
"But frankly now the teams have made their decision and I don't think they will necessarily have to talk to the FIA at all this weekend. I think they should just get on with the British GP because it is one of the biggest events in the calendar. It is very important for the leaders of the world championship to consolidate their position and I believe they should not even bother to talk until Monday or Tuesday."
Bernie himself, who some rumours have said could have a hand in the breakaway FOTA series, simply told the press that: "You'll have to ask Max about it. For me, this situation is just back to the future." Which is all very reassuring.
- 12.10 BST - Kimi Raikkonen has mumbled his desire to leave F1 with Ferrari, should the split go ahead. The Finn confirmed that: "Frrr shrrrr thrrrr trrrrm rrrrr grrrrng trrrr rrrrrc srrrrmwrrrrr, rrrr hrrrrv rrrrr crrrrntrrrct, srrrr rrr rrrrc whrrtrrrrvr thrrrrr rrrrr plrrrrrnrrrrrg trrrr drrrrr."
- 12.15 BST - In a development that could see Max Mosley's slender grip on the situation slip, Findia boss Vijay Mallya has said that he is "undecided" on where his team will race for 2010. Although he signed up unconditionally to the FIA's 2010 entry list before last Friday's deadline, earning a suspension from FOTA for his troubles, Mallya has said today that: "As of now, Force India is a confirmed entrant to the FIA 2010 Formula One World Championship and we wait to see the developments over the weekend. Until a clear direction has been identified, we do not wish to make any further comments."
Should Mosley lose Findia and Williams, the only two confirmed current entries in the 2010 F1 season, he will undoubtedly be forced to cave in to the manufacturers demands, which will irrevocably destroy his image as the man in control of the sport.
- 15.40 BST - A much-awaited FIA statement, which for a while was rumoured to be a climbdown or even resignation from Max Mosley, turned out to be another round of hot air, with the governing body stating that the final 2010 entry list will not be published for the foreseeable future while they examine their "legal rights" against FOTA.
The statement said that: "The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series. The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law. The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay."
The whole 'crisis' escalating to a lengthy, and not to mention costly, courtroom battle now seems inevitable.
- 16.20 BST - Rentaquote BMW boss Mario Theissen has been out and about, saying that FOTA was left with no choice but to announce a breakaway series. The series of concessions Max Mosley made yesterday designed to meet some of FOTA's demands was presumably the last straw.
"The FOTA teams endeavoured to the very end to reach an agreement, but regrettably the FIA refused to back down from its rigid position, insisting that the teams must first sign up before there could be any negotiations on the rules. This was unacceptable to us," Theissen moaned, "FOTA therefore has no choice but to press ahead with preparations for an alternative championship."
Theissen is also sure that Super Moneybags Do What We Want Racing Series will be popular with the fans. "In the series organised by FOTA, the best drivers and the best teams will compete against each other," Theissen pointed out, inferring that Renault would be dropping Piquet Jr for 2010, "This will take place within a stable set of regulations and a transparent management structure. We will also take into account the wishes of the fans, who have lent us a great deal of support particularly in recent weeks."
- 16.35 BST - If Max thought he had it bad before, now failed F1 franchise and motorsport's biggest hitters N.Technology have had a rant about the FIA's conduct, after rescinding their entry into F1 earlier today. A statement from parent company MSC talked of the "questionable process" used by the FIA to make their choices for 2010, going on to say that: "MSC believes that through its wrong actions and objectionable management methods, the FIA severely hurt MSC's efforts to become a new team and undermined the Formula 1 sport, taken as a whole."
Hilariously, in the same statement, it also said that it would quite like to have an other go at applying later on. "MSC shall consider making a new application when the Formula 1 environment is stabilised and the conditions are met for a transparent and loyal contest, ensuring visibility and predictability to the candidate teams."
- 17.40 BST - Fernando Alonso has waded into the issue, saying that F1 is as good as dead. The Renault man, who is certain to follow his team to the breakaway series should it happen, said that: "It keeps going but obviously with the same engine for everybody, small teams, nobody knows those teams, nobody knows the drivers... So it's like A1GP, GP2, so it's a very nice category but no one cares."
Not content with being snobbish, the two-time champ said that he would move to a new series, and said that the other top drivers would follow. "A new category will arrive and Formula 1 may disappear, so we need to go the best category which at the moment is the FOTA one, with the best teams in the world and the best drivers in the world. I think it can be a good one. Obviously it's my opinion, but I'm sure 99 percent of the drivers will agree with me."
Bigging up the new series before it is even clear what it will be, Alonso said that: "The new category seems very attractive, for the fans as well, with maybe better prices for tickets, and things like that. We'll become a new category, a new Formula 1. I believe that things can be done better than in Formula 1, so the new category maybe can improve a couple of things."
He did suggest that a compromise may still be possible."It keeps going. The entry list from the FIA is not arriving tomorrow because there are no teams to put on the list, so maybe the will wait a couple of weeks and everything goes back to normal and we see the FOTA teams running in Formula 1 maybe,"
- 18.30 BST - Jenson Button, the runaway championship leader, agreed with Alonso, saying that his priority will be to go where the big teams go.
"As a driver you want to be racing against the best in the world and that's what I want to do at the moment. I want that to continue and with teams that have been doing it for many years," Button said, possibly a reversal of what he might have said six months ago.
He continued by saying: "Our team is a young team but it is full of people that have been around the sport for many years so in a way we are a very experienced team. To beat Ferrari in races is an amazing feeling and if we didn't have that situation next year it would be very different.
"So if racing against the best teams and drivers is what I want to be doing then I don't mind where it is. As long as we are racing - that is the key for me."
Thank you for following the Patty newswire today. Doubtless plenty more reaction and quotable people will emerge tomorrow and over the next few days. We'll try and keep you on top of those as well, by reporting them slightly after other, bigger F1 sites.
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