F1 Commission

The FIA today hosted the first meeting of the F1 Commission in its new structure since the signing of the 2009 Concorde Agreement. Chaired by Commission President Bernie Ecclestone and with FIA President Jean Todt in attendance, the F1 Commission is made up of key championship stakeholders from F1 teams, promoters, suppliers and sponsors.

The F1 Commission agreed that the Brawn team will be allowed to change its chassis name from Brawn to Mercedes. The team will continue to receive payments based on its historical performance. This has been granted on a one-off exceptional basis due to Mercedes-Benz’s long-term involvement and commitment to Formula One.

The F1 Commission also proposed a number of amendments to the sporting and technical regulations, which will be put to the FIA World Motor Sport Council for final approval tomorrow morning. They include:

- Due to the expanded grid of 13 teams, a new points system for the 2010 season:

Position	Points
1st	25
2nd	20
3rd	15
4th	10
5th	8
6th	6
7th	5
8th	3
9th	2
10th	1

- A strong mandate has been given to the Sporting Working Group, a sub-committee of the F1 Commission made up of the FIA and F1 teams, to develop detailed proposals to improve the show. These will take effect from the 2010 championship.

- The FIA and FOM will further collaborate to enhance the communication and promotion of the championship to the media and its worldwide fanbase.

The next meeting of the Formula One Commission will be held on 10 March in Bahrain.

FIA Formula One World Championship – BMW Sauber

The FIA has written to inform BMW Sauber AG that their application for an entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship has been successful. Subject to their signing the Concorde Agreement, BMW Sauber will be awarded the 13th entry in the Championship, taking the place of the departing Toyota team.

The FIA has worked closely with the Commercial Rights Holder and the teams involved over recent weeks and is grateful for their support in achieving the best outcome for the sport.

An updated Formula One entry list will be published in due course.

05-Nov-09: Force India Get Etihad Payout

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Today is the 5th November 2009, and this is F1 Minute.

Force India are dominating the news today, with some good and bad feeling amongst the paddock. Firstly, Etihad Airways have been court ordered to pay the team some compensation after ditching them as a sponsor and moving to Ferrari last year. I say some compensation, I’m talking $4.6 million for Etihad not terminating the contract properly.

Elsewhere, Autosport is reporting that the new Lotus team released some design pictures that members of the Force India team looked at very closely. With Mike Gascoyne at the helm of Lotus, having previously worked for FIF1, the similarities in the designs have been noted. There is nothing official or formally wrong at the moment, and Autosport does say that if Lotus sign the Concorde Agreement, the problem will go away thanks to some clauses in there about who gets to design what parts.

That’s it for now, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

FIA – Toyota And Bridgestone

The announcements this week by Toyota and Bridgestone of their withdrawal from Formula One are of concern to the FIA.

Bridgestone has given almost 18 months’ notice of its intentions, thereby allowing the necessary arrangements to be made for the future supply of tyres to the championship.

Toyota’s decision, however, comes just weeks after its F1 team signed the new Concorde Agreement until 2012.

Urgent clarification is now being sought from the Toyota F1 team as to its legal position in relation to the championship. This will have a direct bearing on the admission of any future 13th entry.

The FIA has repeatedly warned that motor sport cannot outpace the world economic crisis. That is why the competing teams have been asked to cut costs and the entry of independent teams has been encouraged.

The FIA accepted the cost-reduction measures put forward by the teams on the basis that they would ensure a long-term commitment to the championship. Toyota’s announcement demonstrates the importance of the original cost-reduction measures set out by the FIA.

The FIA will now work to ensure that Toyota’s departure is managed in the best interests of the championship and will continue to encourage the F1 teams to undertake the necessary cost-cutting measures for the good of the sport.

07-Oct-09: Renault Announce Kubica for 2010

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It’s the 7th October 2009, welcome to F1 Minute.

Now that Alonso has been confirmed at Ferrari for 2010, the floodgates have opened and the driver market is on the move. Today, Renault announced they have signed current BMW driver Robert Kubica for next year. Kubica says he is looking forward to it, and he feels comfortable with the team, having been part of their young driver development programme. Current Renault team principal Bob Bell says: “Ever since Robert made his Grand Prix debut in 2006, he has been on our radar as one of the most naturally talented drivers of his generation, and he has delivered on that promise so it’s great to have secured him in one of our cars next season.”

On that subject, US F1 boss Peter Windsor has said because the Concorde Agreement was signed so late, their desire to run two American drivers is going to be tricky. He says: “I’m still hoping we’ll be able to run one American, but that’s a tall order because there aren’t many Americans out there with superlicences.”

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

06-Aug-09: Sauber Rues Failed BMW Takeover Bid

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It’s the 6th August 2009 and this is F1 Minute.

Last week, BMW confirmed they were quitting F1 at the end of the year. It’s been mostly quiet since then, with a solution hoping to be found before today – the deadline to sign the Concorde Agreement. That hasn’t been possible and Mario Theissen says: “The tight timeframe we faced simply did not allow us and the interested parties and investors enough time to find a solution for such a complex transaction.” Meanwhile, Peter Sauber wanted to takeover the team, but says BMW wanted too much for the deal. He says: “I am incredibly disappointed and disconsolate. For me this is the bitterest day in my 40-year career in motor sport. It is also a devastating setback for the team. Other solutions must now be sought. The responsibility for that lies in the hands of BMW. Needless to say, I am willing to help, as before.” It looks like for now we must continue to wait and see.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

Statement of BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen on the current situation

“Since the announcement on 29 July of our strategic realignment, we have done everything in our power to reach a rapid agreement on the sale of the team based at Hinwil. Regrettably, despite every effort, this has proved unsuccessful. The tight timeframe we faced simply did not allow us and the interested parties and investors enough time to find a solution for such a complex transaction. This means the team cannot sign the Concorde Agreement at present. The aim now is, over the coming weeks, to find a solution together with potential interested parties and Peter Sauber. Beyond that, we will see the 2009 season through to its conclusion with our unstinting sporting commitment.”

FOTA welcomes Concorde Agreement and looks to the future

The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) today welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations leading to the signing of the 2009 Concorde Agreement.

Signed by all Formula One teams, with the only exception of BMW-Sauber AG, the FIA, and Formula One Administration (FOA), Concorde 2009 lays down the commercial and regulatory guidelines for Formula 1 whilst guaranteeing the teams’ participation until the end of the 2012 season.

FOTA will support any initiative which would allow BMW-Sauber AG to reapply for full participation within the new Concorde Agreement.

All Formula One teams have together reached a voluntary agreement on their own, which will put into practice FOTA’s long-standing objective gradually to reduce overall spending, eventually to around the levels of the early 1990s.

The terms of Concorde 2009 will reinvigorate the role of the Formula 1 Commission, and various other Working Groups. The Formula 1 Commission will henceforth be a key decision-making body for change in Formula 1.

FOTA’s attention will now turn to other issues we believe to be in the long-term interest of F1: racing at the best tracks, in front of the biggest audiences and expanding F1’s reach.

FIA – Concorde Agreement

Following approval by the World Motor Sport Council, late last night FIA President Max Mosley signed the 2009 Concorde Agreement, heralding a renewed period of stability for the FIA Formula One World Championship.

The Concorde Agreement – a contract between the FIA, F1’s Commercial Rights-Holder and the participating Teams – sets out the basis on which the Teams participate in the Championship and share in its commercial success.

The WMSC has also approved a slightly revised set of stable Sporting and Technical Regulations (to apply from the 2010 Championship onwards), which have been agreed by the FIA and the Teams and which will be published shortly on the FIA’s website.

The new Concorde Agreement, which runs until 31 December 2012, provides for a continuation of the procedures in the 1998 Concorde Agreement, with decisions taken by working groups and commissions, upon which all teams have voting rights, before going to the WMSC for ratification.

In addition, as agreed in Paris on 24 June 2009, the Teams have entered into a resource restriction agreement, which aims to return expenditure to the levels that prevailed in the early 1990s.

With the 2009 Concorde Agreement and the resource restriction agreement in place, the FIA looks forward to a period of stability and prosperity in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

FIA – Concorde Agreement

Following the completion of negotiations with FOA and all 13 Formula One teams by FIA President Max Mosley and FIA Deputy President for Sport Nick Craw, the members of the World Motor Sport Council have been sent a copy of the proposed new Concorde Agreement for their consideration.

Subject to the approval of the WMSC and on receipt of confirmation that a satisfactory cost-reduction agreement is in place, the new Concorde Agreement should be ready for signature at the end of next week.

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