Take a poll anywhere outside of Max Mosley's or Bernie Ecclestone's motor homes and you'll probably find a preponderance of F1 fans rooting for the Formula One Teams Association. When the FOTA announced a breakaway series for 2010, it took just about 12 hours for the FIA to uncork its laywers. Just two days later, says F1 Live, at the British Grand Prix, Mosley himself said "There won't be any writ. I think we would rather talk than litigate," so everyone could "sit down and iron out the last few difficulties."
After the vitriol in the FIA's lawsuit announcement and the matter of Mosley's rather grand persona, it's hard to believe that this 48-hour about-face is anything other than a frank admission that Formula 1 means little without its marquee teams. Bernie has also chimed in, saying the FOTA can't afford to run a breakaway series, and he can't understand why they'd want to try when he's already arranged everything for them.
Of course, it hasn't helped things that, also during the British GP, Mosley reportedly called the FOTA members "loonies." Nor does it help that the FOTA has already proposed a 17-race calendar for next year -- including Montreal, Indianapolis, Buenos Aires, and Magny Cours, and it has a new name for the series: New Formula. In spite of Mosley's repeated assurances that a deal is close, it can't be a good omen that the FOTA has said they are nowhere close to a deal. Indeed, it may be possible that the FIA might be obligated to oversee the new series. The next six weeks will be some of the biggest the sport has ever seen.
[Source: F1 Live | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]
After the vitriol in the FIA's lawsuit announcement and the matter of Mosley's rather grand persona, it's hard to believe that this 48-hour about-face is anything other than a frank admission that Formula 1 means little without its marquee teams. Bernie has also chimed in, saying the FOTA can't afford to run a breakaway series, and he can't understand why they'd want to try when he's already arranged everything for them.
Of course, it hasn't helped things that, also during the British GP, Mosley reportedly called the FOTA members "loonies." Nor does it help that the FOTA has already proposed a 17-race calendar for next year -- including Montreal, Indianapolis, Buenos Aires, and Magny Cours, and it has a new name for the series: New Formula. In spite of Mosley's repeated assurances that a deal is close, it can't be a good omen that the FOTA has said they are nowhere close to a deal. Indeed, it may be possible that the FIA might be obligated to oversee the new series. The next six weeks will be some of the biggest the sport has ever seen.
[Source: F1 Live | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]
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