The breakaway teams have snuffed out the prospect of an early end to the stupidity currently threatening to destroy F1, saying that there was no truth to the rumours that both sides in the conflict were close to resolving their respective issues.
On the Sunday at Silverstone, FIA President Max Mosley affirmed that he felt the two sides were "very close" to a conclusion to the fight over the future of F1, with the issue having escalated to the point of the eight remaining members of the Formula One Teams' Association announcing a fun-sounding rival series to F1 last week.But most of the team principals from the FOTA clique all denied that any progress had been made in discussions with the governing body, and in fact the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. FOTA are rumoured to be planning a meeting this Thursday to agree on a framework of technical regulations, promoters and a calendar for their nascent championship.
Renault's Flavio Briatore insisted that he was past the point of talking with the FIA. "We are using so many words, and now is enough," Crazy Flav screamed in the paddock on Sunday, "We have made our statement and this is very clear - that is it. We will have it [the breakaway championship] ready in the next few weeks. We have been planning for several weeks already."
Meanwhile, Toyota team president and ultra-smug Nick Fry-alike John Howett suggested that the feedback from the fans regarding the new series had seen FOTA receive "huge support", in a result that not only proved that most F1 fans are as stupid as the two sides in this ongoing crisis, but also gave FOTA the belief that they were doing the right thing, even when they weren't.
"I think if you look at the overwhelming support we have got from the public, ultimately now there has to be a fairly significant move from the federation," Howett smugged, indicating that the FIA would need to prepare to get on their knees and pucker up to get the FOTA teams back onside, "Overall we have a clear position and I think we made numerous concessions to achieve some sort of compromise. Now, we have made the decision, and at the moment we are moving forwards very positively on that vector."
To add to the depressing air, Martin Whitmarsh of McLaren agreed with the other FOTA representatives, saying that a deal between the sides was as far away now as it had been before the weekend had begun.
"It is difficult to make progress on a Sunday when you are concentrating on going motor racing," Whitmarsh argued, though what McLaren did this weekend was barely covered by the phrase 'motor racing', I think obviously we have to see what happens in the coming few weeks but I think it is not a situation that we set out to achieve. We have got to make sure that we concentrate on keeping all of the teams together and making sure that we are racing together in the premier form of motor racing."
He also said that: "FOTA has a number of meetings next week and we've got to look at the process by which we appoint people who are selling the media, looking at the way in which we engage circuits. There has been a lot of interest in working with us, and given our situation we are obliged to go forward with those arrangements and that planning."
The FOTA meeting on Thursday will be the day after a major meeting at the World Motor Sport Council, which Max Mosley will likely use to restate his position in the whole mess, as well as potentially announce his candidacy for another term of the FIA presidency.
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