What You Want to See

Flavio Briatore talks with Nelson Piquet Jr during Free Practice of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. Briatore has confirmed he will be working with the commercial rights holder to improve the show of F1, including some of the ideas they already suggested. He wants to give the audience what they want.

Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Photographic

The FIA and FOTA

What is this dispute really all about? Is it about an attempt by some teams to take over the commercial rights to Formula One? Or to take the regulatory function away from the FIA? Or even just a clash of personalities? It has elements of all of these, but the real issue is philosophical; it goes to the fundamentals of Formula One. It is about technical freedom. It is recognition by the FIA and several teams that you can have technical freedom – the freedom to innovate – or you can have freedom to spend without limit. But you cannot sustain both.

The lesson which emerged from five years of attempts to contain engine costs was that real savings could only be achieved by the removal of technical freedom: the engine freeze. All attempts to limit expenditure by ever-tighter technical restrictions failed. This is why we currently have a frozen engine, which will soon have to be replaced. The consensus is that the replacement will have to have a budget – a limit on what can be spent on development and a limit on unit cost, just like the engines being developed for road cars. The alternative would be to go back to unlimited expenditure on racing engines by the major car companies. This was never a rational approach, but would be insane in the current climate.

If we apply these lessons to the rest of a Formula One car, we can see that attempts to rein in expenditure with detailed rules will not work. They did not work on the engine and they will not work on the chassis. Detailed rules stifle inventiveness and innovation. But, worse, they do not significantly reduce costs. As with the frozen engine, real savings could only be made with a frozen chassis, an obvious absurdity.

If we wish to see innovative technology in Formula One, the only way is to limit expenditure and allow the engineers freedom to do their best within a fixed budget. This is exactly what happens in the real world and it is the only way forward for Formula One. Without technical innovation, Formula One will wither and die.  Without real cost constraints, Formula One will lose its teams. This is why the FIA is insisting on cost restraint as part of the Formula One regulations.

The final and overwhelming advantage of a cost constraint regulation is that it will provide technical freedom on a level playing field. With a limit on expenditure, the cleverest and most innovative engineering team will win. It will no longer be possible to substitute a massive budget for intellectual ability. In a technological sporting contest this must surely be the right way.

Setting the record straight

The FIA and FOM have together spent decades building the FIA Formula One World Championship into the most watched motor sport competition in history.

In light of the success of the FIA’s Championship, FOTA – made up of participants who come and go as it suits them – has set itself two clear objectives: to take over the regulation of Formula One from the FIA and to expropriate the commercial rights for itself. These are not objectives which the FIA can accept.

Background

When Honda announced their withdrawal from Formula One in December 2008, they had already entered the 2009 Championship and were contractually bound to compete. Two things were then clear to the FIA. First, any of the manufacturers could stop at any moment. The FIA would have no recourse against the main company, only against the team which would have no assets in excess of its debts. Secondly, it was quite possible that other manufacturers would stop before 2010.

Renault was dependent on the French government. It seemed doubtful that taxpayers’ money would continue to be used to contribute to this team’s high levels of spending.  Toyota’s car manufacturing operations were facing their first loss in modern times and might not wish to continue to pour hundreds of millions into a race team while BMW, who were making sacrifices in their core business in order to cut costs, might not want to continue to spend heavily on their team.

Faced with the prospect of only 18 cars in Melbourne 2009 and the possibility of worse to come in 2010, the FIA had to act. There were two obvious steps. First, approach Mr. di Montezemolo to see if the car manufacturers would guarantee the presence of their teams in 2010 so that we would not have a repeat of the Honda situation. Secondly, begin talks with FOTA about reducing costs to the point where the manufacturers would be less likely to stop, the independent teams would be viable and perhaps some new teams would enter to fill the empty spaces.

Mr. di Montezemolo promised to secure the necessary guarantees from the main car manufacturing companies (not to be confused with guarantees from the teams).  He continued to promise this all through the winter, most recently at a meeting he had with the FIA’s President on 23 February 2009.  Not one such letter has been forthcoming – not even from Mr. di Montezemolo’s own company FIAT.

At the same time FOTA and Mr. di Montezemolo rebuffed all attempts to hold meetings to discuss cost reduction. There was no need, the FIA were told. FOTA’s own measures were adequate and they would make up for the shortage of cars by each running a third car. By March it was clear that FOTA had no intention of facilitating the entry of new teams, indeed were opposed.

It was also clear that if the FIA wanted new teams in 2010, it had to publish regulations, otherwise it would be too late for a new team to build a car. The FIA also had to consider what level of expenditure would work for a new team and how to ensure that a new team with relatively limited resources would not be dangerously slow.

This led to the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) decision of 17 March which introduced a voluntary financial regulation and technical freedoms for the capped teams to enable their cars to achieve Formula One levels of performance. Ferrari voted against the financial regulation at that meeting but not against special technical freedoms for the new teams (i.e. Ferrari did not vote against the “two-tier” system).

Even after this vote, FOTA were not prepared to talk. Neither was Mr. di Montezemolo, even privately. In the absence of any negotiation or any sign that the promised guarantees of participation from the car companies would be forthcoming, it was essential to publish detailed regulations and invite entries from new teams. Otherwise there was a real risk that there would not be enough cars for Melbourne in 2010.

The detailed regulations were discussed and voted on at the WMSC meeting of 29 April. The new Ferrari representative on the WMSC was Mr. di Montezemolo, replacing Jean Todt whose Ferrari contract finished on 31 March. Mr. di Montezemolo chose not to attend but gave a proxy to Mr. Macaluso, the Italian president of Karting, who also did not attend but joined the meeting by video link.  His was one of two votes against the new rules but no reasons or alternative were offered.

An exchange of letters then began with Ferrari’s lawyer and a meeting was arranged between all the FOTA teams and the president of the FIA on 15 May.  John Howett as vice-chairman  of FOTA led their delegation in the absence of Mr. di Montezemolo.  As soon as the FIA raised the question of the financial regulation, Mr. Howett tried to lead a walk-out of the teams.  This did not succeed but during the meeting it became known that Ferrari had begun emergency proceedings in the French courts seeking to prevent the introduction of the 2010 rules. It was clear that FOTA had no intention of negotiating anything but simply expected the FIA to agree to all its demands.

A further meeting was held on 22 May, this time with Mr. di Montezemolo present. FOTA explained that they had three major reservations. Rule stability, governance and the 2010 regulations, in particular the “two-tier” system.  It was explained that it had already been agreed to substitute technical help from established teams for the two-tier system at the Heathrow meeting, so this was no longer an issue. This was pointed out to Mr di Montezemolo at least five times during the meeting but he and FOTA are still talking about it today.

The FIA also offered to extend the 1998 Concorde Agreement, which would take care of stability and governance at least to a degree that had satisfied all the teams for 10 years up to 2008. The FIA was asked to postpone its entry date. It was explained that the Sporting Code did not provide for such a suspension and that, in any event, potential new entrants needed to know urgently if they had a place in the Championship.

On 29 May, the eight remaining FOTA teams submitted conditional entries. Among the conditions were a requirement that the FIA forthwith sign FOTA’s new Concorde Agreement (which diluted the Sporting Code, made an outside body, the CAS, the ultimate appeal court, allowed any team to veto rule changes and removed the FIA’s right to insist on changes if the cars became dangerously fast). FOTA also crossed out references to the International Sporting Code on their entry forms and wanted the 2010 Rules rescinded notwithstanding that a number of new teams had already submitted entries.

A further meeting was held on 11 June at which FOTA were represented by Ross Brawn (Brawn), Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Christian Horner (Red Bull) and John Howett (Toyota). After nearly five hours of talks, it was agreed that the FOTA and FIA cost-reduction objectives were very close if not identical and that the financial experts from both side should meet without delay to seek a common position on detail. Also, the FIA’s proposal to extend the 1998 Concorde Agreement in order to avoid interminable negotiations was well received. Agreement was also reached on some minor modifications and clarifications to the 2010 rules.

No sooner had all this been agreed than FOTA put out a statement saying no progress had been made in the meeting. This blatant falsehood demonstrates once again that elements in FOTA simply do not want agreement.

On 15 June, the meeting of the financial experts took place. However, the FOTA representatives had been forbidden to discuss the FIA’s financial regulations, thus rendering it impossible to seek a common position. The meeting did examine FOTA’s ideas on cost reduction, but, as presented, these amounted only to a voluntary system which would be incapable of preventing a wealthy team from outspending its competitors and triggering another financial arms race.

Governance

FOTA says, “the sport needs better governance.”  The FIA and Ferrari extended the 1998 Concorde Agreement back in 2005 and the FIA is prepared to do the same with all the teams that enter.  Once that is in place the FIA and the teams can look at updating it to a 2009 version.  But this is not the point.  Formula One needs a strong and impartial regulator because of the nature of the sport, the high stakes and the competitors – people who want to win (literally) at any cost.  There are several well-known examples of this – involving at least four FOTA members – over the past few years.

Good governance does not mean that Ferrari should govern. Ferrari now claim that the procedures followed by the FIA are contrary to their agreement with the FIA, but in reality they never objected to these procedures (indeed they voted for them) until they were not happy with the decisions themselves.  Ferrari has been officially (as well as unofficially) represented on the WMSC since 1981 and never objected to the process or decisions until April and May this year.

Technology

FOTA says, “The new rules dumb down the sport”.  Not so, the 2009 regulations introduced greater technical freedom in several areas. The 2010 Regulations will allow even greater freedom.  Compare this with the FOTA proposals: almost no testing, no KERS, homologated gearbox, homologated bodywork, limitations on factory activities, enforced shutdowns and so on.  Instead of finding economic ways to do innovative things (which is the spirit of Formula One and also the challenge for the automotive industry) the FOTA proposals would impose restrictions on activities and minimise the technical challenge.  When Brawn and others came up with the idea of the double diffuser, the other teams attacked them in the media, challenged them in front of the stewards at two race meetings and then took them to court.  The FIA will ensure that Formula One is the most technologically challenging motor sport – and it will be financial restrictions that make this possible.

Two sets of rules

FOTA says, “Two sets of rules will ruin the sport.”  The 2010 regulations were structured so as to allow new entrants some technical advantages in order to enable them to get to the back of the grid.  The original intention was not to have the 2009 teams race under those rules.  What is interesting is that for several of the existing teams, the idea of greater technical freedom with financial constraints was very attractive. Left to their own devices, at least half the existing teams would have adopted those rules.  In any event, it was agreed as far back as the Heathrow meeting that there would only be one set of rules and this was re-affirmed in Monaco and again last Thursday.  Now that the new entrants are in place, one set of rules can be agreed.

Intrusiveness

FOTA says, “The FIA will be able to intrude on our businesses”, referring to the FIA’s proposal to regulate the amount of money spent. If there is no intention to cheat, regulation should not present a threat. The FIA already regulates every aspect of technical performance and deals with vast amounts of confidential proprietary technical information without partiality or ‘interference’.  In any case, the FIA has already agreed that the financial regulations will be managed primarily by self-verification by the team’s auditors and directors.

DNA of Formula One

FOTA says “A budget cap will damage the DNA of Formula One.”  Setting a limit on expenditure on certain aspects of competing in Formula One evens the playing field.  Isn’t Formula One above all about competition?  It also allows new teams to come in – the only new team into Formula One in the last several years was Super Aguri which could not survive even with manufacturer backing.  But when you analyse the total cost for a manufacturer it will still be uncomfortably high, even with a €50 million cost cap.  Take Ferrari: with €50 million on the chassis and racing, add the same again for drivers, about €80 million for engines and another €20 million for marketing and you have a total spend of €200 million.  Perhaps that is less that the €400 to €500 million their lawyer said a top team is spending now, but surely it is enough for a team to spend on entering two cars in 20 races a year?

And finally

The FIA remains committed to finding solutions for Formula One and has always been ready to accept reasonable compromise whilst retaining the overall principle that it will continue to lead and regulate the sport for the benefit of all stakeholders. Formula One will have a full grid in 2010 with a single set of regulations. It is essential that these include clear and precise financial regulations.

The ING Renault F1 Team gears up for the first Roadshow of the year in Dubai

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update

Bridgestone’s super soft tyre provided Jenson Button with the grip he needed to get pole position for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne as the Brawn GP team made its grand prix qualifying debut in perfect fashion.

Button took pole with a lap of 1min 26.202secs in hot weather at Albert Park, edging out team-mate Rubens Barrichello by just over three hundredths of a second. Track conditions were improved from Friday, with more rubber down, but teams and drivers still struggled to find the best compromises with the exciting new cars and Bridgestone’s slick tyres.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development

What was significant about today’s running?
“Today was very significant for Formula One as Brawn GP have achieved pole position with Jenson Button in their first grand prix, so congratulations to them. The past two days have been very difficult for teams and drivers as they are learning about their new cars and our new tyres on the variable track surface of Albert Park. We have seen many different tyre wear characteristics, even from the same cars, which highlights the many different setups being tried. The performance life of the super soft was improved today, however it was mainly used with low fuel so we would expect better performance in any case. The medium continues to look like a strong race tyre.”

How difficult will strategy be with the new allocation philosophy?
“Tyre strategy should be very difficult and this is the desired outcome. We have heard drivers say that the super soft is too soft for here and the medium is too hard, and that is by design. In conjunction with the desires of the FIA to enhance overtaking opportunities, we are not bringing optimum tyres here in terms of their performance, instead we are bringing tyres which make the teams and drivers think hard before they use them. When to use the medium or the super soft tyres in the race is not the only consideration, as the setup of the car has to be a compromise in the race to allow it to work with both tyres. It will be a lot of work for the engineers and drivers, but should provide a lot of entertainment for the spectators and viewers.”

13-Jan-09: Toyota to Launch with Movie-Style Trailer

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Listen to this episode

This if F1 Minute for the 13th January 2009.

We saw a relatively subdued Ferrari launch yesterday, and now have more details about the upcoming Toyota launch. On Thursday, the team will unveil their new car online, and they’ve prepared a special website for the event. TF109-premiere.com features a countdown at the moment, but upon the launch, we’ll see a big-screen movie trailer, virtual tour of the car, plus videos from team members. Apparently the move to an online launch is more about cutting costs than allowing fans greater access, but it seems to be a win-win situation.

Elsewhere, Mark Webber has given another progress update in his BBC column, saying he won’t be using his leg as any excuse when we get to Melbourne, although he doesn’t think he’ll be disadvantaged anyway. Webber also admitted that Vettel may be his toughest teammate so far, but he’s looking forward to the challenge.

Finally, after yesterdays bad news for the ex-Honda team, Grandprix.com is reporting that Mercedes are likely to step up to supply engines.

That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

Absolute Comfort

When you’re racing for almost two hours at speeds close to 300kph, heart rate reaching 180 beats a minute and feeling every tiny undulation of the circuit, every comfort counts.

This is precisely what Alpinestars, Force India Formula One Team’s technical clothing partners and a world-leading manufacturer of professional racing products, high-performance apparel, technical footwear and sportswear, have in mind when they design the one-piece racing overalls, underwear, boots and gloves for drivers Giancarlo Fisichella, Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi. As the most technically advanced, lightest and most comfortable suits on the market, the drivers are in good hands.

There are basic regulations that all drivers must adhere to when choosing their suits. The overalls must be made of a fire-resistant material called Nomex, the brand name for a heat- and flame-resistant synthetic textile. The use of Nomex is ideal as it has a tough, woven structure that can be easily manipulated into clothing, but has a high heat resistance and flame retardancy.

To give added protection in the case of an accident, it is also obligatory for all drivers to wear flame-resistant underwear. This isn’t the standard underwear normal people would wear – by regulation, each driver must wear long leggings-type underwear on their lower half and flame-resistant socks, plus long-sleeved shirts on their upper body. Gloves, boots and balaclavas all protect the extremities of a driver’s body. Together, the overalls and underwear provide double protection in the event of a fire.

With the basics covered, Force India and Alpinestars will work closely together to ensure practicality and comfort. Approximately 10 suits will be made per driver per year and each will be individually tailored to a driver’s shape and personal taste. If he wants a baggy type of overalls a la Jacques Villeneuve, no problem – there’s no ‘off-the-peg’ purchasing here.

It’s also the top-of-the-range equipment. Alpinestars’ products are developed by a large international technical staff at the company’s R&D facilities in the U.S. (Los Angeles) and Italy utilising all the very latest computer aided resources for its design and product development processes. The 120 staff and resources within Racing Development are concentrated solely on projects connected to Alpinestars racing activities around the world, on both four and two wheels, ensuring that it maintains the most effective and efficient development programme possible. At each race there is also on-site support and development to provide immediate feedback from every race to the R&D centres.

Mick Gomme, Force India’s race team marketing co-ordinator, explains the processes involved in going from the lab to the track: ‘We always take the view that the driver has to be as comfortable as possible in the car. If there’s a seam that catches, or a sleeve that’s too long, it could take the driver’s attention away at a crucial point in the race.

‘At the start of the season, all drivers will be measured, but more importantly, we discuss how they would like the suit to feel. Some drivers have certain preferences – Christijan Albers, our 2007 driver for instance, liked all-in-one underwear. When Heinz-Harald Frentzen drove for Jordan, he wanted to wear short leggings and short-sleeved shirts. It would be banned now, but at the time he could still get away with it. Giancarlo and Adrian are pretty standard and not too demanding, but we have to be as accommodating as possible.

‘After this, Alpinestars will make a development suit that we will run in a pre-season test. After a couple of days in the car, the driver will know if it’s OK, or if we have to make changes, and all of this will be relayed to Alpinestars to develop the suit before the first race of the year. They can make a full suit in two days if needs be.’

It’s not just the overalls that are bespoke to each driver, it’s also the gloves and boots. ‘There is a choice of boot; either high or low cut. A driver will give his usual shoe size to Alpinestars and they will make a set of boots to fit,’ explains Mick. ‘There is a difference between sizes as anyone will know from buying a normal pair of shoes. If the driver is a 10.5 on one foot and a 10.1 on the other, which can happen, we’ll get a shoe that fits them perfectly.’

‘The thickness of the sole is also a preference. Some drivers prefer a thicker sole, whereas others like the thinnest possible so they can feel every vibration coming through the pedals. All are made from kangaroo skin, which is strong and durable, but lightweight and flexible.’

The personalisation goes as far as accommodating colour preference – Giancarlo Fisichella is such an AC Roma fan, he races with boots the same colour as their football strip!!

With each driver receiving personal on-site service from one Alpinestars representative, there’s never any chance that the driver will ever leave the garage in discomfort. And of course their comfort leads to greater comfort for every day racers and riders – their comments and suggestions are all incorporated into the Alpinestars designs and concepts for the off-the-shelf sold racing apparel. Overalls, gloves, boots all checked on the toughest proving ground in the world.

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 11th Jan

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

Autosport International

Paddock faces and fans alike gather in Birmingham…

• “If there is a desire for people to still be involved with the fan club, then Alan will keep it going and I might have a bit more time now to spend time with it. But it’s inevitable that whilst you’re racing you have a certain level of support, and once you retire people naturally go onto the next driver.” David Coulthard
• “I don’t think you’re going to switch your TV on this year and know who is going to win each and every race, that’s for sure. It’s not back to the ‘Michael Schumacher dominates another grand prix’ season. Who is going to get the car right with the new aerodynamics, with the KERS system, who can make the new slick tyres work best…” Martin Brundle
• “First of all, most people go for the short sound bite – and ‘retirement’ is probably the word that would most cross peoples’ lips when they talk about it. For me, the concept of not being involved in McLaren is impossible. It is part of my life.” Ron Dennis

Donington Thoughts

With planning permission granted, it’s full steam ahead…

• “But I really do struggle to understand how the economics of Donington will work. They have had a 25% swing in the dollar and the contract will be a dollar-based contract. It has got a massive investment into infrastructure. I don’t understand how we are going to get in and out of the place, although I can tell you I will be in a helicopter!” Ron Dennis
• “They will see when buildings come out of the ground and cars come on the grid – if they want to sit at home and still not believe me then that is their prerogative, but the buildings will still come out of the ground and the cars will still be on the grid.” Simon Gillett
• “The proposed change here is at Donington racetrack, not East Midlands Airport, so Donington will need to find ways to satisfy airport safety requirements and to avoid any road congestion that their events may cause. We will remain open as an airport and intend to operate normally through any events in the local community.” Penny Coates, East Midlands Airport Managing Director

Ousted Drivers

Opportunities within Formula 1 are slim…

• “I am well aware that a second chance is often much harder to get than a first one, but I have something to offer that makes me confident that I can reach this goal. At 25, I have three years of F1 racing experience and I am now my third year of testing with a manufacturer F1 team. And the BMW Sauber F1 Team is really professional on all levels. They clearly see the benefit in a reserve driver actually going racing once in a while.” Christian Klien
• “There is a very slim chance that things can happen. The main thing is I am involved with the McLaren-Mercedes family and there are different options in there. We are just pushing on to see what we can get to drive, who knows what it will bring in 2009.” Paul di Resta
• “I think in terms of Formula One drives it is looking very, very slim at the moment. You should never give up, but I am a realist as well and I have learned that over the last year and the year before. Working with Super Aguri really put me in a good position for now, for these times , because it was always a kind of rocky road anyway.” Anthony Davidson

Renault F1 – Jerez Testing, Day 2

Fernando Alonso, R28-05, 106 laps, 469 km, fastest lap 1:19.907

The ING Renault F1 Team remained in Jerez today to continue with its final test of the 2008 season as Fernando Alonso returned to the cockpit of the R28 for the first time since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite a chilly start to the day, the team made the most of a warm and sunny afternoon to continue with its technical programme and add further miles to the car. Fernando also sampled slick tyres with a car set up to best simulate 2009 settings. Despite a brief interruption to the programme in the morning, the team completed its objectives for the day. The team now looks forward to the final day of work tomorrow when Fernando will again be on driving duty.

Fernando Alonso: “It was a good day and I’m happy to be back in the car. Unfortunately I damaged the car a little bit in the morning and so we lost some running, but the team did a good job to repair the car quickly and I was able to run almost all of the afternoon without any problems. It was nice to run on the slick tyres as they are more grippy, but when you lose the downforce from the car they don’t feel massively different to grooved tyres.”

Christian Silk, Chief Test Engineer: “It’s good for Fernando to be back in the car and to get some experience on the 2009 tyres. Fernando learnt a lot about the tyres and the engineers learnt a lot from his feedback and setting the car up with him. On the technical side we continued with a similar programme to yesterday, putting mileage on the car and managed to achieve the main objectives for the day.”

BMW Sauber F1 Team – Test in Jerez – Day two

Weather conditions: Chilly in the morning, but sunny all day.
Temperature: Air: 7 – 15 °C, Track: 9 – 20 °C
Number of drivers participating: 9 from 6 teams
Fastest lap overall: Sébastien Buemi (Scuderia Toro Rosso) 1:18.073 min
Circuit length: 4.428 km

Nick Heidfeld
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.08B-03 / BMW 86/9
Test kilometres today: 386 km (87 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.365 min

Robert Kubica
Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.08B-06 / BMW 86/9 KERS
Test kilometres today: 169 km (38 laps)
Fastest lap: 1:20.954 min

Programme:
Again the BMW Sauber F1 Team ran two interim cars featuring a modified 2008 chassis, with some bodywork complying to the 2009 regulations. Robert Kubica drove the car fitted with KERS for the first time. His day came to a premature end when his car stopped halfway through testing with a mechanical problem. Because of this, the chassis was slightly damaged and the necessary repairs took up the rest of the day.

Nick Heidfeld concentrated on development work on the F1.08B-03 fitted with the conventional engine. He worked on the set-up of the car, collecting more data on the slick tyres as well as the revised bodywork. “It was a productive day”, Heidfeld said. “With the weather being much better, we were able to catch up on some of the development time we lost yesterday. My 87 laps today with a problem free car gave us the opportunity to try a number of different options.”

What comes next:
Tomorrow for the final and third day of the Jerez test the BMW Sauber F1 Team will continue the development work for the 2009 season.

FIA and FOTA Meeting

FIA and FOTA have had the most successful meeting on Formula One matters which any of the participants can remember.

Agreement was reached on measures to meet all the objectives originally put forward by the FIA for 2010 and thereafter in addition to which FOTA have now made proposals for very significant cost saving in 2009 while maintaining Formula One at the pinnacle of motor sport and reinforcing its appeal.

These proposals will be put to the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Friday following which full details will be released.

FIA President Max Mosley said,

“I am delighted with the outcome of this meeting.”

FOTA President Luca di Montezemolo said,

“The unity of the teams was fundamental to meeting the goals for a new Formula One, but with the same DNA, as requested by the FIA.”

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