Motor Authority - blog Tag: Paris

A Paris court on Wednesday ruled against Ferrari, which last week requested an injunction against the FIA's budget cap rules for 2010. A one hour hearing was held on Tuesday at the Tribunal de Grande Instance, the equivalent of a high or crown court.

In the media statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the lead judge found that the published FIA rules do not prevent Ferrari from entering next year's world championship and are thus completely legal.

After losing the court bid, Ferrari said it was considering prolonging the legal action against F1's governing body. It was understood that the verdict of the tribunal includes a right of... A Paris court on Wednesday ruled against Ferrari, which last week requested an injunction against the FIA's budget cap rules for 2010. A one hour hearing was held on Tuesday at the Tribunal de Grande Instance, the equivalent of a high or crown court. In the media statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the lead judge found that the published FIA rules do not prevent Ferrari from entering next year's world championship and are thus completely legal. After losing the court bid, Ferrari said it was considering prolonging the legal action against F1's governing body. It was understood that the verdict of the tribunal includes a right of appeal. The iconic Ferrari, enraged by the FIA's budget cap intentions, has been accused of self-interest and dramatic posturing, but its Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen has previously told reporters that he was “pretty sure” the team is going to pull out from next year’s race. The 29-year-old, who won the drivers' title with the Maranello marque two years ago, said he is committed to staying with Ferrari in 2010 and suspects he will be racing in another category. Read More

F1's insurgent teams will be back in deep conference early this week, as the battle over a budget-capped future continues. Following a meeting with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone last Friday in London, the FOTA members have now resolved to sit down in Monaco on Tuesday, ahead of the Principality's famous grand prix.

The topic of the meeting will be alternatives to FIA president Mosley's cap: such as reductions in wind tunnel use and freezes in the low cost of customer engine offers, according to The Guardian newspaper. It is believed that Mosley is giving the teams until Friday in Monaco - one week before the 2010 team entry deadline - to... F1's insurgent teams will be back in deep conference early this week, as the battle over a budget-capped future continues. Following a meeting with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone last Friday in London, the FOTA members have now resolved to sit down in Monaco on Tuesday, ahead of the Principality's famous grand prix. The topic of the meeting will be alternatives to FIA president Mosley's cap: such as reductions in wind tunnel use and freezes in the low cost of customer engine offers, according to The Guardian newspaper. It is believed that Mosley is giving the teams until Friday in Monaco - one week before the 2010 team entry deadline - to finalise their proposal. Alternatively, Mosley suggested that he has left some wriggle-room on the £40 million cap, which already does not include engine, driver, motor home or promoting costs. "We have a little scope to take other things out," said the Briton. While the teams are meeting in Monaco on Tuesday, a Ferrari spokesman confirmed that the Italian team will apply for an injunction against the 2010 rule changes in a French court. Read More

There is "absolutely no chance" that Super Aguri could return to formula one even with a low budget cap next year. That is the insistence of co-owner Fumio Akita, despite former co-owner and team boss Aguri Suzuki recently suggesting to Japanese press that he is interested in reviving the collapsed project.

Akita told Reuters that there was "absolutely no chance. Even without the world financial crisis and its effect on Japan's economy Super Aguri couldn't afford it."

With Honda's technical and financial backing, Super Aguri operated on a small budget in 2006 and 2007, then folding after four races of last year's championship.

Akita... There is "absolutely no chance" that Super Aguri could return to formula one even with a low budget cap next year. That is the insistence of co-owner Fumio Akita, despite former co-owner and team boss Aguri Suzuki recently suggesting to Japanese press that he is interested in reviving the collapsed project. Akita told Reuters that there was "absolutely no chance. Even without the world financial crisis and its effect on Japan's economy Super Aguri couldn't afford it." With Honda's technical and financial backing, Super Aguri operated on a small budget in 2006 and 2007, then folding after four races of last year's championship. Akita continued, "we already pulled out once because we did not have the resources to continue. Even if we had $60 million to spend we would have to start from scratch again. We don't know where these newspaper reports came from but Aguri has also said there's no chance." Further pacifying the Super Aguri rumours, its star driver Takuma Sato has admitted on a visit to the Indy 500 preparations that he is keen to pursue a future in America's open wheeler scene. The figure for the voluntary budget cap in formula one next year has been set at £40 million after being ratified by the World Motor Sport Council in Paris late last month. At the same time the maximum number of teams was increased by 1 to 13 for 2010. An entry list for 2010, potentially featuring a full grid of 26 cars, will be published by the Paris body in June. The story doesn’t end there as Honda, having seen the stunning success of its former Brackley-based team under the guidance of Ross Brawn, is also rumored to be considering a return to F1 after its hasty withdrawal at the end of last season. Read More

Red Bull has followed Toyota in declaring that it will not enter next year's world championship under the current regulations. Toyota's team president John Howett made the threat this weekend in Barcelona, as other teams including Ferrari and BMW also openly baulk at the governance of the sport by Max Mosley and his plans for voluntary budget caps.

"Conditions at the moment are not so, that we would enter a team for next year," Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, at the Spanish grand prix this weekend, said in an interview that will be published by Austria's Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper on Monday.

The billionaire suggested that... Red Bull has followed Toyota in declaring that it will not enter next year's world championship under the current regulations. Toyota's team president John Howett made the threat this weekend in Barcelona, as other teams including Ferrari and BMW also openly baulk at the governance of the sport by Max Mosley and his plans for voluntary budget caps. "Conditions at the moment are not so, that we would enter a team for next year," Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, at the Spanish grand prix this weekend, said in an interview that will be published by Austria's Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper on Monday. The billionaire suggested that the other "manufacturer teams" will also not take part. "Of the teams now, only two or three will remain," Mateschitz added. The big-spending teams are furious that they have been pushed into a corner to accept Max Mosley's vision for a 40m pounds sterling spending limit next year. However, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said after a two-hour meeting of the FOTA teams on Sunday that public threats about not meeting the deadline are "not helpful". The FIA's deadline for 2010 entries is May 29. It is expected that, depending on the outcome of a meeting with Mosley in London next week, FOTA could announce a sweeping boycott of the May 29 deadline. Read More

Formula One could live without the sport's most famous, successful and longest-serving team, Max Mosley insists. The FIA president's disquieting comments come after war threatened to break out between the Paris body and Maranello-based Ferrari, enraged at the introduction of budget caps.

The furious Italian team has been making subtle noises about quitting F1 over the dispute, even though it issued a statement on Friday saying it wants to avoid "harmful" and "pointless controversy".

Ferrari, the only team to have contested every season of the modern world championship since 1950, is the sport's most evocative name whose absence would be an... Formula One could live without the sport's most famous, successful and longest-serving team, Max Mosley insists. The FIA president's disquieting comments come after war threatened to break out between the Paris body and Maranello-based Ferrari, enraged at the introduction of budget caps. The furious Italian team has been making subtle noises about quitting F1 over the dispute, even though it issued a statement on Friday saying it wants to avoid "harmful" and "pointless controversy". Ferrari, the only team to have contested every season of the modern world championship since 1950, is the sport's most evocative name whose absence would be an incalculable blow. But "The sport could survive without Ferrari," Mosley told the Financial Times, although acknowledging the potential seriousness of the loss. "It would be very, very sad to lose Ferrari. It is the Italian national team," said the Briton. However, Mosley clearly believes that the stakes are too high to gamble the potential "collapse of F1" on the wishes of its most powerful team. He also thinks Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is simply misguided. "I hope and think that when a team goes to its board and says, 'I want to go to war with the FIA, because I want to be able to spend 100m (pounds sterling) more than the FIA want me to spend', then the board will say, 'why can't you spend 40m if the other teams can do it?'" Mosley also suggested that, even if Ferrari does go, his plan will safeguard the long-term participation of other car manufacturers. "The message I'm getting from the board of two or three of the manufacturers is: 'if you can get it so that the cheque we write is not more than 25m (euro), you can consider this a pretty permanent arrangement'." Read More

The figure for a voluntary budget cap in formula one next year has been increased by £10 million to £40 million.

Announced on Thursday, it was ratified by the World Motor Sport Council in Paris a day earlier, while at the same time the maximum number of teams was increased by 1 to 13 for 2010.

As the global recession bites, Formula One Management has also offered a US$10 million welcome payment for new teams, plus the promise of free chassis transportation and 20 air tickets for flyaway races.

Moreover, existing manufacturer-backed teams are being enticed to join the budget capping with the exclusion of engine costs. Marketing and driver... The figure for a voluntary budget cap in formula one next year has been increased by £10 million to £40 million. Announced on Thursday, it was ratified by the World Motor Sport Council in Paris a day earlier, while at the same time the maximum number of teams was increased by 1 to 13 for 2010. As the global recession bites, Formula One Management has also offered a US$10 million welcome payment for new teams, plus the promise of free chassis transportation and 20 air tickets for flyaway races. Moreover, existing manufacturer-backed teams are being enticed to join the budget capping with the exclusion of engine costs. Marketing and driver costs will also not be included in the cap, the FIA confirmed in a statement. An entry list for 2010, potentially featuring a full grid of 26 cars, will be published by the Paris body in June. The big teams do not have to sign up for the cap, but their engines will be rev-limited, the test ban will continue to apply for them, and their cars will not be allowed to feature movable wings. "The FIA believes that cost capping will prove attractive, and it hopes that over time all teams will join," the FIA said. "So far, interest has been extraordinarily high from both existing teams and potential new entrants." Concerns have emerged that the new structure will form a two-tiered F1 grid, however. Other changes to the 2010 rules include a bump up in the minimum driver and car package weight, making room for both larger drivers and KERS systems. The move was apparently made in response to complaints that the sport is becoming a "jockey's competition" due to the addition of heavy KERS packages. Most drivers endeavored to shed kilograms over the winter period, as they mused the addition of up to 40kg (88lb) in the form of the new energy re-use technology, but no corresponding increase in the minimum weight of 605kg (1,335lb). The governing FIA on Thursday published the 2010 technical regulations, showing an increase in the weight from 605 to 620kg (1,335lb to 1,369lb). Read More