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Ian Bryan June 16, 2009 1:37 PM

Without the car manufactures involved in F1 it becomes a motor sport for the fans.  The problem for the car manufacturers is they see F1 as a 100% marketing exercise, meaning it is not a sport but a cheap way of getting world wide exposure.

This has lead to the situation where the car manufacturers are just using money as the weapon to suppress competition. They will keep spending all the time it disadvantages everyone else.  It is the car manufacturers that are killing F1 off.  

F1 has over the years been the pinnacle of motor sport with minimal interest from the car manufacturers.  Basically it has been about enthusiasts out witting one and other, with their teams on the track.  Now the manufacturers have hijacked the series and seem to have the sole intent of keeping those with “smarts” down.  If half a dozen manufactures want start racing just one and other until the ‘bean counters’ pull the team let them get out of F1 and get on with it. But they shouldn’t be allowed to kill a sport for its fans.

Straff June 16, 2009 1:48 PM

Absolutely spot on. If Car Manufacturers took part in tiddlywink championships, within three years there would be the first millionaire tiddlywink players, tiddlywinks made from diamond tipped titanium and shaped in a wind tunnel and constructed by a team of 200 people, vast 100000 seat arenas and a 24 hour Tiddlywink TV Channel. Then they'd all start bitching about the rules, fall out and pull out of the sport. We'd be left with a few wealthy individuals with no talent but the money to compete.

In other words, a load of rich winkers.

johnfaganwilliams June 16, 2009 2:06 PM

If anyone remembers the sport before "the manufacturers" tipped up they will know that there were things that were better and things that were worse. Mainly it was more friendly, more sporting - and pretty shambolic. Numbers different for every race, cars promised and missing at the race, drivers changed between the entry list being printed and the start of practice. I can't really believe that an F1 contested with a bunch of teams fresh out of F3 and driven by some people only DTM enthusiasts have ever heard of will be a great spectator draw. Nope, let this lot go. We can have a real F1 championship again at my beloved Silverstone (see you Friday Alan), Montreal, Riverside (that's a dream I know) and all the other great tracks that have been pushed aside by Bernie's greed. there will be a reasonable amount of testing allowed. Stable rules.  It will only take 12 months and the "official FIA F1" will be dead as a dodo.

65 AMG June 16, 2009 2:30 PM

I just don't get it, how is that Bernie and his cronies take 50% of the income and expect the 10 remaining teams to share the other 50%? Bernie keeps making ridiculous demands on the track owners so much so that he has dropped Silverstone of all places, Mangy Cours and Montreal from the calendar because they won't pay up. And we're supposed to believe that they want to make the sport more viable? for who? the teams or Bernie? I mean for that 40m cap how, the number engineers and technicians who would lose their jos would far outnumber the total number of people the new entrants will bring. have they considered that? How is possible for the teams to save money when every six months there is a new rule and then the teams have to re-engineer their vehicle to match? And also why is it that the FIA has to impose these rule changes on the teams like some dictatorship? They are the guys who are actually putting up the show, they should have some say in how the sport is run. The whole thing is just frustrating. we all want to watch the best cars, the best drivers and the best teams. Do we have to kill the sport to encourage new entrants? Real Madrid can pay over £130m for 2 players and the FIA are expecting a whole team to run on a budget of 40m? yes costs need to be cut but you can suddenly expect teams like Ferrari and Mclaren who run budgets of over 200m to suddenly cut costs to 40m in one year. not possible. Even i know that and i'm no expect.  

If e break away series will have the current FOTA members and maybe Prodrive, i'm all for it. Bring back race tracks like Silverstone etc and lets go racing. i'll definitely be watching

trocadero June 16, 2009 3:14 PM

Max Mosley would do well to realise he is not the FIA on his own. Without the Automotive manufacturers there would be no need for the FIA.

Also Bernie Ecclestone is 78 years old, the laws of nature dictate he won't be here for ever.

Mr Autotest June 16, 2009 3:52 PM

Isn't it only a few years since Max and Bernie were all for encouraging greater participation by the manufacturers - to the potential detriment of the independent teams?  Funny how things change!

Also, does anyone else see the similarities between the situation now and when Max and Bernie "took over" F1 all those years ago?  The boot is on the other foot now!

humphrey the pug June 16, 2009 4:25 PM

“The FIA is surprised that the European car manufacturers’ association ACEA should have rejected the FIA’s endeavour to reduce costs in formula one,” said a further statement. “By contrast, the FIA strongly endorses ACEA’s call for urgent measures to return the automotive sector to health.”

Therein lies the problem and shows Max Moseley's and the FIA's arrogance.

It isn't the cost cutting that the manufacturers have an issue with, they agree that cost cutting in F1 is important, it is the heavy handed way that the FIA and primarily Max Mosely have tried to implement it, "do it my way or b****r off, no consulatation with the teams and manufacturers just an order.

The arrogance and hypocrisy of the F1 rulers astounds me, teams are ordered to slash costs by Max yet Bernie continually prices venues out of the market for his financial gains.

They both have to go or at least need a good kick up the a**e and brought back down to earth and if that doesn't happen and this issue is not resolved there will be a breakaway series with the current teams from F1 as we know it now and F1 next year will be dead, I know who I will be watching next year if that happens and I pretty much believe the majority of current F1 fans will follow too.

optimal_909 June 16, 2009 8:31 PM

"F1 has over the years been the pinnacle of motor sport with minimal interest from the car manufacturers."

Pardon me, but how would you expect to remain the pinnacle, if the budget is restricted? F1 is the only mainstream motorsport, and I think it should remain that way - including the high tech features.

On the other hand, there is a lot of other series to watch for fans. For example, the GT is far better for me, especially watching on site. Car-like cars, all different with truly magnificent sound, heated races and all this without the crowd.

Fred Dagg June 17, 2009 1:24 AM

To see the full unedited version of the FIA statement go to

www.grandprix.com/.../ns21564.html

It makes interesting reading.

blazing walker June 17, 2009 11:06 AM

It becomes clearer by the day. The issue here is not about principles, primarily cost cutting, it's about the governance of F1. It's been said before and will be said again, MM's ego, and BE's love of money (I watch SpongeBob Squarepants with my six-year-old and have to say that BE reminds me of Mr Crabs), need to be removed from the equation promptly.

With all due respect and acknowledging I'm no psychologist, I see MM's judgement as clearly being detrimentally affected by the inner turmoil that must come from last year's revelations followed by tragic family loss. He is, after all, only human.

theop June 17, 2009 2:54 PM

The issue is a stand-off between FOTA and Maximus Pervertus Moslimus. Whatever the man will do or say,, FOTA will put their foot down and disagree. Rightfully so in my opinion (and the consensus too from what I ve read over the last 4 months).

So, can the FOTA politely ask Maximus to B*g Off? Perhaps impolitely even? Seriously, the guy makes Jean Marie Balestre look like an amateur by comparison....