Autoblog

While everyone's favorite whipping boy goes around gallivanting with hookers dressed up like Nazis, the sanctioning body responsible for most of the top-level motor racing around the world has nominated an American with a solid reputation as its Deputy President.

Nick Craw has unimpeachable credentials both in motorsports and in governance of international organizations. After graduating from Princeton with an MBA from Harvard, Craw was a budding racecar driver in the 1960's and 70's, competing in Indy's feeder Formula Atlantic series and BMW touring cars before starting his own Scorpio Racing Enterprises. He left racing in the 70's to head up the Peace Corps, then returned to assume the presidency of the Sports Car Club of America for 17 years. From that position Craw ascended up the international racing governance ladder before leaving to head up the U.S. Sailing team, then returning to the fold as head of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) with a seat on the FIA's World Motorsport Council. Craw's nomination for the deputy position is expected to be ratified by the body's General Assembly later this week. Just don't expect to catch the subsequent celebrations in the British tabloids.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Citing the ridiculously spiraling costs associated with engine development, the FIA sent out a statement seeking drivetrain suppliers for every Formula 1 team starting in 2010, meaning that the same engine/trans combo would be fitted to every car on the grid. The company that gets the contract would either build and supply the engines or design and supervise the building of them so they meet a specified range.

This kind of plan seems almost incomprehensible given that Formula One has always been known as a series that allows manufacturers and private teams to compete within the regulations to push the boundaries of what's possible in car development, and especially in engine technology. It seems unfathomable that a team like Honda might consider staying in F1 if they had to use a Renault powerplant, or God forbid a Toyota mill. McLaren-Mercedes/Ferrari anyone?

Despite the obvious negative reaction to this announcement, F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone said he doesn't expect to lose any teams: "We're trying to get a level playing field," he said. "I don't see why [manufacturers] should leave, we're saving them an awful lot of money I hope." While increasing development costs have gotten out of hand and threatened the future of the sport by increasing the likelihood that all teams but those with the deepest pockets will be driven out, the overall feeling is that the FIA is using their usual tactic of offering a pretty unpleasant plan, with the hope that teams will accept their much more palatable alternative when that is offered.

Still, there is some support within F1 for this type of plan, especially among the smaller teams that already rely on the major manufacturers to supply engines. A smaller budget means these teams are usually perpetual backmarkers, and with a spec drivetrain, they might be better equipped to grab more podiums. The FIA is set to meet with the Formula One Team's Association in Geneva after this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. We'll keep you posted. Thanks to Doug for sending this in!

[Source: Eurosport]

Lewis Hamilton does not have good luck in France. Of all the races he's won in these past two seasons, he's yet to take the checkered flag at the French Grand Prix, has had his license revoked by the French gendarmes, and has now had his appeal thrown out of court in Paris.

Following the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this month, Hamilton was penalized by the race stewards with a 25-second penalty (in lieu of a pit-lane drive-through penalty) that bumped him down from first place to third, and allowed Ferrari's Felipe Massa to close the lead down to one single point. The penalty was given to Hamilton for having cut through a chicane on the Spa-Francorchamps track called the "bus stop", which race officials ruled gave him an illegal advantage. Hamilton's team McLaren decided to appeal the penalty in the FIA's court in Paris, however the court threw out the case as inadmissible, quoting sporting regulations that stipulate that drive-through penalties cannot be appealed. McLaren presented precedent from a repealed penalty handed to Toro Rosso in Japan last year, however the court of appeal was adamant in their refusal to hear the case.

A brief statement from the FIA can be found after the jump, and those interested can read the full 8-page ruling by clicking here.

[Source: Autosport | Photo: Oliver Laban-Mattei/Getty]

Rumors have been circulating that CVC, the commercial rights holders to Formula One, have considered selling the series. But before that could happen, they would have to give Bernie Ecclestone the boot.

The reports were fueled by comments made by Max Mosley, the embattled president of the FIA, who related to reporters that conversations about the subject had taken place with executives at CVC. According to Mosley's conclusion, CVC would consider selling Formula One if a huge offer were made – possibly by an Arab consortium – but Ecclestone would need to be replaced because "the whole business depends on a man who is 78 years old". However, CVC issued a strong statement at this past weekend's race in Hungary that it had no immediate plans to sell F1 and was pleased with its performance as well as that of Bernie Ecclestone.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty]

Every racing fan has his favorite series. In most of the world, that'll probably be Formula One. In the United States, fans love their NASCAR. In parts of Europe they might follow DTM, but with few exceptions that's pretty much it. Except for Le Mans. Come June, everybody's attention turns to France. But that's just once a year, and sportscar racing continues around the world and around the calendar in such leagues as the LMS, ALMS and FIA GT Championship.

One of the most important endurance races of the year – the 24 Hours of Spa – just took place in Belgium at the Spa-Francorchamps this past weekend. If you follow the FIA GT series, you probably already know who won. But if you don't, follow the jump to see how the day-long race turned out.

[Source: Autosport, Image: Michel Krakowski/Getty]

Remember the good old days when a prominent chief executive would have disappeared into obscurity after having been exposed by the newspapers? Well those good old days are gone, and Max Mosley is happy for it.

It's been a long and hard road for Max Mosley, but the embattled FIA president seems well suited for the ordeal. Mosley was caught on film partaking in what was described as a Nazi-themed S&M orgy with several prostitutes. He then survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership in the motorsport governing body, and launched a lawsuit against the News of the World, the British tabloid that broke the story. The judge returned the verdict from that lawsuit today, awarding Mosley £60,000 in exemplary damages, plus an additional estimated £1 million in expenses.

Mosley's case hinged on the right to privacy, and upon receiving the judgment (so to speak), the prototypical auto-erotic figure noted that he hoped the ruling would serve as a deterrent for other publications from pursuing "this type of invasive and salacious journalism". The moneys awarded by the court won't go into Mosley's pocket, as they're earmarked towards the road safety and environmental work undertaken by the FIA Foundation.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty]

The international motor racing community was shocked when the FIA announced it is accepting tenders to revive the long-departed Formula 2 series. Trouble is, Formula 2 isn't dead... it's just changed names over the years. In 1985 it was relabeled Formula 3000 before being taken over by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone and Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, who turned it into the current GP2 series in 2005.

The FIA's plan calls for an additional feeder-series to be formed to run in competition to the aforementioned GP2 and other junior formulae like A1GP and F3. However the revived F2 series, as envisioned by the FIA proposal, calls for a much lower operating cost of €200,000 per car, per season – far lower than GP2 (which costs approximately €1.5m per season) or even the lower-rung Formula BMW, which demands nearly €300k to race. Insiders view this as a clear provocation from the FIA against Ecclestone. We'll just have to see how it all plays out.

[Source: autosport.com]

While Kimi, Felipe, Robert and Lewis are fighting it out for the 2008 Formula One World Championship, the sport's regulatory body has released the provisional calendar for next season.

Much of the calendar mirrors this season and years passed, however next year's championship will include the new grand prix in Abu Dhabi (tacked on to the end of the season in November), bringing the total number of races up to 19. The French Grand Prix, whose future was in question until recently, is confirmed, but switches slots on the calendar with Great Britain. The United States GP, held in previous seasons at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, remains off the calendar for yet another season.

Follow the jump to check out the provisional 2009 calendar.

[Source: autosport.com]

We'll call this a rumor for now, but there is some rumbling that the current roster of Formula 1 drivers is so fed up with the rise in FIA Superlicense fees that they may go on strike as early as the British GP at Silverstone next month. F1Fanatic is reminding us too that this wouldn't be the first such strike. Drivers refused to race way back in 1982 over similar issues. It's actually a pretty funny story and well worth a click to read.

This current mess all stems from the World Motorsport Council's recent decision to hike fees for that license-to-thrill-at-will that is the FIA Superlicense. True, F1 drivers earn a ridiculous amount of money, but it's the principle of the matter.

As we recently explained, the standard fee for a Superlicense was just €1,690 for a newcomer, with an additional €447 for each championship point scored in the previous season when you returned the following year. The new fee structure now starts at a staggering €10,000 base fee, plus €2,000 per championship point. Kimi Raikkonen, for instance, fresh off his drivers championship last year, will have to pay €230,000, an unbelievable €199,255 more than last year. So it's not surprising these drivers might be upset. Break out the posterboard, sticks and markers lads. Or, you know, take it to court in the off-season so fans don't get really, really sore with you.

[Source: F1Fanatic]

Max Mosley dodged the definitive bullet earlier today in Paris where the FIA president walked away with a win after a secret ballot vote of confidence took place. Of the 169 votes, 103 expressed confidence in the embattled president, who is dealing with the fallout from a sex tape released by the News of the World that showed Mosely being beaten by five prostitutes. 55 ballots were cast against the motion, while 11 were invalid, according to the FIA. Mosley made it clear that he would not pursue reelection after his term ends later this year, something that is sure to make a number of interest groups, not to mention his old friend Bernie Eccelstone, particularly happy.

[Source: AP, Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty]