The Williams F1 team has become the first of the current crop of teams on the grid to submit their entry to the 2010 championship, though team bosses have been quick to deny that their move indicates a split from the "united" FOTA.
With uncertainty still swirling bleakly around the 2010 season, and the Formula One Teams' Association submitting a letter to Max Mosley outlining their thinly-veiled threats (read: constructive proposals) for a resolution to the current conflict, Williams have still decided to get their name on the list, with the deadline for entries into 2010 being this Friday.Williams, Brawn GP and Force India are all in the difficult situation of having no other business interests aside from Formula One, and so all are expected to submit entries, while the manufacturers and fizzy pop makers are able to play hardball for a bit longer.
Williams CEO Adam Parr was quick to indicate that their move does not mean that they are still united with FOTA on the push for changes.
"The unity of FOTA is of paramount importance to Williams," Parr insisted in a chat with Reuters, "Yesterday we joined the other members of FOTA in writing to the FIA to request a continuing effort to find a compromise concerning the regulations for 2010."
The compromise in the letter basically suggested that the FIA shove their 2010 rules where the sun doesn't shine in return for a commitment through to 2012 from all ten current F1 teams, along with their signatures on a new Concorde Agreement.
Parr continued by saying: "We believe that under the leadership of [Luca] di Montezemolo and John Howett, FOTA has extracted some very significant concessions from the FIA. These include not only the procedural aspects of the budget cap but also other elements that will enable the higher budget teams to participate.
"Having said that, Williams has -- and has always maintained -- that we have a binding contract with both FOM and the FIA to participate in the world championship from 2008 to 2010."
Parr stated that the team had already paid the FOM for participation in the 2010 championship, and it was that reason that largely forced their hand over whether or not to sign up for the season. "We owe this to our employees, our sponsors and the fans, all of whom are affected by statements that the teams may not enter next year's championship," was how he cloyingly put it.
Williams becomes the third announced entry for F1 2010, with new teams Campos Racing and USF1 both submitting their own official entry forms over the Monaco weekend.
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