Formula One news

Albers in agreement with FOTA

Formula F1 driver Christijan Albers believes that the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) made the correct decision in annoucing a breakaway series on Friday. The group, which makes up all current teams with the exception of Williams and Force India, has long been in disagreement with governing body the FIA and released the news early on Friday morning at Silverstone.

The Netherlands' Albers, who drove in Formula One for the Minardi, Midland and Spyker teams between 2005 and 2007, agrees with FOTA's decision that multi-million pound car manufacturers such as Toyota cannot risk running on the likes of a €45m budget cap when using the sport as a marketing tool.

"I completely understand where they (FOTA) are standing," Albers told GPUpdate.net on Friday. "The teams united in FOTA have had it with Mosley's threats and they realise what they are worth. The new series isn't just a threat any more - it can soon be a reality - and who can blame FOTA, because the sport is all about those big names. The FIA went just too far with its efforts to introduce a budget cap."

The Dutchman continued to describe how most constructors, as well as being racing teams, are using the sport as an advertising tool whereas non-FOTA entrants, such as Williams, are solely racing teams. "Pretty much every team in FOTA uses Formula One as a marketing tool," Christijan continued. "They use their budgets to promote their brands so they can sell their cars or, at Red Bull for example, their energy drink.

"These companies are in Formula 1 to promote their brand, to be competitive and promote their products on a world wide level. Teams such as Force India and Williams don't have a product to sell, they just want to race, but you can't expect teams such as Ferrari or Toyota to simply cut down to over half of their budget and degrade those big brands to an average brand which is not allowed to invest the money they'd like in their own name."

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