A meeting between representatives of all current Formula 1 teams, Don McKenzie of CVC and Bernie Ecclestone of FOM happened at Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello.The goal was to work together to determine the future of th sport and a new Concorde Agreement. What came out of the meeting was a new association that would operate as a bargaining unit for all of the teams. This association will be known as the F1TA and will work on behalf of the teams to finalize the commercial parameters and rules for the new Concorde Agreement. Working with the FIA and FOM, the F1TA will be the collective bargaining unit, for lack of a better term, to ensure that the teams have a unified voice and can speak more clearly as one instead of many.
“All the Formula One teams met today in Maranello and held an extremely constructive meeting, in the presence of Bernie Ecclestone and Donald McKenzie,” said Ferrari in a statement. “The teams have subsequently agreed unanimously that they will establish the new Formula One Teams Association to work with the FIA and FOM to agree upon regulations and commercial conditions which will provide a framework for a strong and dynamic sport.”
It is not difficult to see the message this sends from the teams to Max. Based upon Flavio Briatore’s comments today:
“His absence is felt as there’s no project for F1. The teams feel abandoned,†He told Gazzetta dello Sport. “The Concorde agreement, the number of races, the costs, the spectacle, the imperative increase of revenues. Formula One needs to be re-designed. “I feel that it should be down to the teams to decide, by electing in turns a director of operations. A guy who does things, not a PR person.
While the teams have determined that unity in this matter may help them improve the sport, Max Mosley apparently is still running solo in his sex romp court cases leaving many feeling that the sport of F1 is bereft of a regulatory leader and unifier of the rules, commercial rights and teams interests. Max has been busy threatening a new F2 series with little thought, other than the blistering pragmatism that got him in to hot water to begin with, as to how it will work. Clearly a shot across Bernies GP2 bow. Max has been busy throwing out letters asking for team input on some astounding proclamations for the future of the sport born from Green Hysteria and cost reduction which is a complete non sequitur. Max has also been busy suing the News of the World paper with further legal actions against them for libel and other European press that “stole his dignity”. This, if for any other reason, may be the right move as to show that Mr. Mosley’s personal issues, moral judgments aside, are taking a toll on the sport of F1. Perhaps now is the time for Bernie, CVC and the newly crafted F1TA to finally move on from the FIA shackles and find a true sport for true fans. While I am usually not for organized hooliganism or unionized bargaining units, this may represent a consortium of intelligent, insightful people with the kind of self preservation in mind that doesn’t involve hookers and paddles. The kind of self preservation that sees them successful, their sponsors successful and the fans delighted.
