Comments on: The budget crap — another FIA political ploy

By: The FIA-Fota face-off « vee8 - a Formula 1 blog

The FIA-Fota face-off « vee8 - a Formula 1 blog — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:18:42 +0000

[...] itself with looking for ways to either break up or undermine Fota. That is why they have this sudden obsession with new teams, even though there have been vacancies on the grid for over ten years. I seriously doubt we’d [...]

By: Week round-up « Fastformula’s Weblog

Week round-up « Fastformula’s Weblog — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:27:10 +0000

[...] there is a huge power tussle within F1 with manufacturers are up in arms against FIA. After the budget crap proposed by FIA for 2010 the manufacturers are united more than ever. As foolish as Max Mosley [...]

By: doctorvee

doctorvee — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:22:10 +0000

Thanks for the comment OgRib. You may be right.

The key point that you hit on is that the new teams will be closer to the privateers than the manufacturers. Generally, the privateers have tended to be closer to the FIA in recent years. But it’s been easier for the privateers’ views to be ignored simply because they are outnumbered by the manufacturers.

It would certainly improve the situation in one sense, in that it will restore the balance towards the privateers, who are in it for the love of the sport and not just to make money. But I fear it is more likely that the FIA’s “divide and conquer” ploy will work.

By: OgRib

OgRib — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:36:14 +0000

Hi Doctor

Great post, however I’m not sure that new teams would automatically follow the FIA line once they were established in F1.

If a team makes it past the first season their issues will become much the same as the rest of the established teams. Yes their perspective would be closer to Williams or Red Bull than Mercedes McLaren or Ferrari, but they would be trying to keep sponsors happy, innovate, and ultimately win races just as much as the other teams.

If their goals, constraints, and resources are the same (I don’t believe there will be any unlimited budget/restricted development teams for long) they’ll be able to unite on issues that are really important.

Unless Bernie/Max continue subsidizing some teams I can’t see there being any special reason to follow the FIA party line (even the Ferrari sweetheart deal hasn’t kept them out of FOTA).

More teams increases the challenge of building consensus, but we’re looking at 13 teams, not 30.