Formula One news
FOTA position 'simple', says Howett
10 June 2009John Howett is confident that FOTA's place amid the incomplete quarrel with the FIA is one of validity and consisting of 'simple' visions. Howett, vice chairman of the Formula One Teams Association, shares his opinions on the FIA/FOTA affair with less than three full days remaining until 'judgement day'.
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This Friday will see governing body the FIA unveil the 13-team line-up for the 2010 World Championship, although a number of a current teams may not be present if a failure to reach an agreement takes place this week. F1's car manufacturers are looking to eradicate the €45m budget cap system, although FIA president Max Mosley has now said that - due to constricting sporting regulations - rules may now only be changed with the authority of all 13 competitors, meaning entries must be submitted minus extra conditions.
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| Howett departs FOTA's Friday meeting in Monaco |
Heading into the Turkish Grand Prix last Sunday, boycott rumours began to circulate in the Istanbul Park paddock involving FOTA teams. "I don't know where this rubbish has come from," Howett said. "I hope you beat the people who put this around, honestly, because sometimes we need to sort the wood out from the trees." Asked whether Friday would be a authentic cut-off date for 2010 entries, he replied: "I don't think that's necessarily completely our decision, is it - I can only talk from the perspective of Toyota (as team president) and I am just totally relaxed because, personally, I see upsides in many ways. In other words, we need to stabilise governance - that is a precondition of almost all of the FOTA members."
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| "It costs a lot of money to set up a series," warns F1 supremo Ecclestone |
With the war ongoing, talk has also begun to circulate involving a breakaway series set up by FOTA. F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone does not believe this to be a viable prospect, although Howett insisted that the matter remains an internal one within the group. "It's partly a hypothetical question," he added, "but I don't think it's an insurmountable problem. I want to emphasise again that it is not the sole, unique target of FOTA. If we're forced into that position, I think as a defensive strategy, it's something that has to be part of our scenario planning and it has been for some time.
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| Without the consent of thirteen entered teams, the FIA cannot modify rules |
"My understanding is that the position of FOTA is very simple. It's about fundamentally governance; there are also one or two issues of methodology of managing, shall we say, resource control, or reduction and I think the FOTA requests are extremely reasonable."
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| Howett's Toyota - plus another eight teams - have until the end of Friday to submit full entry to F1 2010 |
On Tuesday, however, the media reported that F1's five manufacturers - BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Toyota - had allegedly signed a deal in Monaco to pay each party the sum of €50m in the event of breaking FOTA ranks and submitting full entry to the FIA which, the latter pointed out, could trigger a violation of either the EU competition law or the UK Enterprises Act of 2002. "I'm not really prepared to discuss the detail," Howett continued. "It's clear that there is an agreement between teams that they won't act without advising the others of their intention and that it's been checked by all of the professional lawyers who are working in this environment - and they're absolutely adamant that it's nothing to do with commercial activities.
"It's purely about entry, not boycott, and it is a positive an entirely legal document. I think it's really just a commitment of trust among teams that they won't act in a unilateral way, but that they will advise their colleagues of their intent so that everybody can act accordingly. It's a very simple, professional and positive document."
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