LONDON // Formula One's governing body has told members of the teams' association, FOTA, to submit unconditional entries immediately if they are to have a say in next season's rules. FOTA, which now numbers eight of the 10 teams including champions Ferrari, have submitted conditional entries dependent on the signing of a new version of the confidential "Concorde Agreement" governing the sport by June 12. They want the published 2010 regulations to be rewritten, removing an optional £40million (Dh237m) budget cap.
In a letter, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley said the conditions could not be met by Friday, when the governing body are due to publish the entry list. He urged them to enter fully, and submit their own draft rules by close of business yesterday, before further negotiations. "We are ready to begin discussions immediately with a view to signing an agreement without delay," he wrote.
"However, there is no possibility of this being concluded in advance of settling the 2010 entry list, a draft of several hundred pages having been produced at the last moment. "Also, the FIA will need to know who to discuss the draft with," added Mosley. "There will certainly be new teams in 2010 and it presently seems unlikely that all of the 2009 teams will participate in 2010." So far, of the existing teams only Force India and Williams have submitted unconditional entries although the FIA maintains that Ferrari are contractually obliged to participate under an existing agreement.
An FIA spokesman said a separate letter had been sent to Ferrari, who have threatened to pull out after an unbroken 60-year involvement. "Our position with regard to Ferrari is well known," he added. Mosley said the published 2010 rules could not be changed without the consent of all the competitors entered in the championship. "Once we have a list of confirmed entries, we can make changes provided we have the necessary unanimous agreement," he wrote. "You therefore have the option of participating in this process as a confirmed entrant, or not.
"It is of course up to you, but the simplest way to ensure that all entrants run under the same rules would be if everyone entered under the cost-cap rules as published and then all entrants co-operated to agree modifications to those rules which would make the proposition workable for all parties." Mosley said the FIA planned to arrange a meeting of all the teams entered for 2010 after June 12 to discuss measures proposed by FOTA.
* Reuters