[6ZCo3xuK]

http://www.teletext.co.uk/sportnews/...breakaway.aspx

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted a breakaway championship, removed from the influence of FIA chief Max Mosley could become reality. Bernie: Breakaway series is more than just talk
Ecclestone opens door to breakaway

[NumStulpata]

Great, simply great. IRL and Champ Car all over again. I imagine how in ten years a unified Le Mans series has dramatically improved its popularity while two rival F1 and GP1 series has become a spec series of Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz.

[Saduyre9de]

Is the breakaway a reality, or is Bernie playing is down. This report was in Autosport recently: Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has written to the FIA member clubs to play down suggestions of a possible breakaway championship. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68256

Whether the chances of a breakaway are real or not, the mere fact it's being talked about is just one of the consequences of Maxgate.

[bomondus]

Just smells like politics to me.

[NumStulpata]

I wonder how Max is to blame for Bernie's greediness, Arrows.

[Saduyre9de]

I wonder how Max is to blame for Bernie's greediness, Arrows.

What greediness? It's to do with the reaction of manufacturers, teams and sponsors. Look at what Bernie says: "A number of the manufacturers and teams along with their sponsors have stated that they thought the president should stand down..." The fact that Max won the EGM vote has consequences. This is one of them.

[JeremyBalll]

I wonder how Max is to blame for Bernie's greediness, Arrows.

Max is not, but maxgate is the excuse that Bernie is seeking to justify his latest attempts at greed:

"As far as the FIA president is concerned this has now been made clear and there is not a change in the position at this time," Ecclestone added.
"A number of the manufacturers and teams along with their sponsors have stated that they thought the president should stand down because of matters in his private life.
"This is their and only their opinion as they are not part of the FIA and therefore do not have votes."

Hence the excuse to try to force the FIA to do bernie's will (ie keep those $$$$$$$$ rolling in to certain pockets)

Did you notice those funny symbols on the backs of the ferrari team mechanics and so on at Canada? Those are the spots that Marlboro is paying to Ferrari to keep for their name (which magically appeared at certain third country races last year, and no doubt again this year as well), so with bernie and F1 in general, it is not about anything but revenue

None of them ( teams, MANUFACTURERS NOR SPONSORS) really care about what Max or bernie or RD or anyone else does, as long as it does not negatively affect revenue

Of course the fear remains that the chickens will come home to roost, and when they finally do, the manufacturers and s[ponsors will not be happy

[Saduyre9de]

Max is not, but maxgate is the excuse that Bernie is seeking to justify his latest attempts at greed.

And the reaction of manufacturers, teams and sponsors? Is that a myth created by Bernie in the interests of his own greed?

[derisgun]

When the human waste bi product collides with the climate control air recirculation system, I guess Bernie is trying to go on the front foot rather than let Max have the initiative.

[JeremyBalll]

And the reaction of manufacturers, teams and sponsors? Is that a myth created by Bernie in the interests of his own greed?

No, but right now, there has not been such an overwhelming negative reaction with resultant PR damage translating into sponors losing money.

Nevertheless, for the obvious reasons, they will keep their distance out of fear of such.

Meanwhile, it provides bernie with the excuses he needs to get the FIA to play along and the excuses he needs to justify a breakaway from the FIA if he really wants it. And if there is such a breakaway to a series run solely by Bernie, you can only imagine that everything will become an even bigger circus. bernie is just using it for his own advantage

[texbrease]

Max is gone at the end of 2009 whatever happens, so why not just wait it out?

[Saduyre9de]

Talk of a breakaway revives criticisms made against the FIA by the GPMA two years ago. Then the GPMA were saying that "all majority votes which went against the FIA's interests have either been rejected to ignored" and that there were "various inconsistencies, irregularities, breaches of agreements shown by the FIA over the engine issue".
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/53206

Max is gone at the end of 2009 whatever happens, so why not just wait it out?

Doesn't the new Concorde Agreement need to be finalised before then?

[huntbytnkbel]

I think it is all pollitics, and Bernie is trying to apease the teams and sponsors by hinting that a breakaway would be required if Max doesn't step down. Hopefully Max will take the hint and bugger off......He should have won his little case with his friends at the FIA and then resigned and he could have kept his head up high.

Thought he had retired several years ago aonbly to come back, someone should have changed the locks.

[Diondra]

Max is gone at the end of 2009 whatever happens, so why not just wait it out?

That is no guarantee. I wouldn't what Max says.

[Saduyre9de]

There are a couple of points in this BBC story that I wasn't aware of:

Ecclestone pointed out that the failure of F1's power-brokers to renew the Concorde Agreement, the document which governed the sport from 1981 to 2007, means the team are free agents.
"What the FIA doesn't have, which is the most important thing for them, is an agreement with the teams they would have with the Concorde Agreement," he added. "There is no agreement between the teams and the FIA. There is a commercial agreement that has been signed by the teams and Formula One Management, so the teams can do what they like."
Ecclestone has been discussing a revised Concorde Agreement with the teams, but Mosley has, according to sources, made it clear he does not want to renew it.
That effectively means any checks on his power as FIA president, which were enshrined in the Concorde Agreement, no longer exist.
He has already disbanded the F1 Commission, the body which until last year agreed the F1 rules before they were rubber-stamped by the FIA World Council.

[Clarissa]

Possibly a storm in a tea cup.

Bernie was asked a question on the current state of play and gave a direct answer. The way it is at the moment we have no binding rules for 2010 onwards and therefore negotiations are in order of the day.

[Saduyre9de]

Possibly a storm in a tea cup.

This whole situation is increasingly reminding me of the "good old" FISA/FOCA days: Late December 1980, there looked to be no hope for the future of Grand Prix racing but in January 1981 there was a new constructive spirit to at least try to move on. Or was it simply because one side had been irreparably weakened? http://www.forix.com/8w/fiasco-81.html

[Clarissa]

It was looking like it a couple of years ago but I get the impression that the major stakeholders would could deal with anyone apart from Max which is why the, IMHO, the Concorde Agreement has now stalled.

FOCA/FISA was slightly different, that was when we had privateer constructors but now the teams are virtually owned by manufacturers.

The FIA/some body needs to take reigns on F1. I wouldn't trust the manufacturers running the series.

[NumStulpata]

And the reaction of manufacturers, teams and sponsors? Is that a myth created by Bernie in the interests of his own greed?

BMW said that they are ready to move on.

[Saduyre9de]

Indeed, and a couple of days later they said: "We respect the decision of the FIA, but it is now a very critical situation for the FIA - between it and its membership clubs. And apparently this does not only affect the FIA, but also external partners like the car industry or motorsport." http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68001