Ferrari issues quit threat over 2010 F1 rules

 Ferrari issues quit threat over 2010 F1 rules
Ferrari F60 launch day 1

As predicted as the budget cap row escalates, Ferrari on Tuesday threatened to quit formula one if the FIA does not do a u-turn on its proposed rules for 2010.

The threat follows those of Toyota, Red Bull and BMW, amid rumours that other FOTA alliance members will also shortly follow suit.

It is expected that only Brawn, Williams and Force India will meet the FIA's May 29 deadline to lodge official entries for next year's world championship.

"Ferrari confirms its opposition to the new rules imposed by FIA and does not intend to register cars for the 2010 world championship," part of a statement issued by Ferrari, after a board meeting in Maranello on Tuesday afternoon, said.

Unlike some other teams, 2008 constructors' champions Ferrari are fundamentally opposed to the idea of budget capping, although it is the 'two-tier' element of next year's rules that is outwardly causing the most uproar.

It is also suggested that the unorthodox way in which the budget cap was pushed through - at the FIA meeting called only to probe the McLaren 'lie-gate' scandal - has caused unease.

"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance ... are the priorities for the future," Ferrari said.

Source: GMM

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 Bristol411S3 Bristol411S3
I'm beyond caring. If Ferrari are any good they'd be winning with £40M as the budget as well as £200M. Oh hang on, they aren't winning in spite of throwing money at it either... For each big team that goes, using this debacle as their excuse to pull out because of their own cost cutting (ironically) there is another new team to fill their shoes.
May 12, 2009 3:59 pm
 thamzn thamzn
I wonder how possible the previously threatened breakaway manufacturer series will now be.
May 12, 2009 4:24 pm
 Vlad Vlad
This is a game being played of who blinks 1st.....
May 12, 2009 5:20 pm
 scratchy996 scratchy996
without F1 Ferrari is just an Italian exotic , they won't exit.
May 12, 2009 6:38 pm
 joshg_5 joshg_5
YES!
May 12, 2009 9:55 pm
Maybe they will go to NASCAR!?!
May 12, 2009 6:47 pm
 Get_real Get_real
If I were FIA, I would call their bluff...
May 12, 2009 6:47 pm
 mint mint
i agree, i hope they do. id love to see the marketing wizards at ferrari try to dig themselves out of that hole. commercial suicide
May 13, 2009 6:15 am
 zdenda20 zdenda20
Even though Ferrari sucks now, F1 without Ferrari wouldnt be F1...but would Ferrari be Ferrari without F1? I dont think so either...its a good mutual business, imagine the worlds fastest shifting car, a scuderia without F1 paddles...
May 12, 2009 6:51 pm
 mikjensha mikjensha
While it's nice to see BrawnGP and Red Bull doing well this year, if things progress as they have the last five races, this season won't hold a candle to the last three seasons... all of which came down to the last race on the calendar. Max and Bernie are systematically ruining one of the sporting world's greatest spectacles... they need to work with FOTA, not against them, and think about leaving their inflated egos at the door.
May 12, 2009 9:11 pm
 mikjensha mikjensha
While it's great to see BrawnGP and Red Bull doing well this year, if things progress as they have the last five races, this season won't hold a candle to the last three seasons... all of which came down to the last race on the calendar. Max and Bernie are systematically ruining one of the sporting world's greatest spectacles... they need to work with FOTA, not against them, and think about leaving their inflated egos at the door.
May 12, 2009 9:43 pm
 astroturf777 astroturf777
i agree entirely with the FOTA. if the teams - as major stakeholders in the title - bring recommendations and concerns to the FIA and are systematically ignored, bypassed and lied to there is a serious problem with fia governance. i'm sure ferrari rue their decision to side with bernie in 06 (which made the breakaway series concept fall apart). FIA - you have pushed the teams to be transparent, fair, open and working together, yet you lie, cheat, steal and then ignore the teams association. wake up.
May 12, 2009 11:38 pm
 Vieussuex* Vieussuex*
What could be interesting is that with the £40m budget cap it makes it more affordable for other manufacturers to enter, I could see players like VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) almost look at this as a cheap way to advertise on one of their many brands worldwide for that price plus the reserch and development for future technologies in there cars? Porsche could stop production on the Panarama and enter F1! Tata could bring back another Jaguar outfit. You can see now why this needs to be done Bernie knows F1 is a sport but its solely relies on marketing and advertising for its survival, so it needs to stay with in reach of affordability.
May 13, 2009 2:14 am
 imthegg imthegg
I have not been excited by a F1 race in years, if enough teams exit they might be able to revisit the separate series after all, be nice to see it go back to a sport - not a business.
May 13, 2009 2:06 am
 WildMaverick1200 WildMaverick1200
So....they're gonna make a living by putting their name badge on overpriced shoes and selling a few red cars that wouldn't be "racing inspired" anymore?? Nice joke!
May 13, 2009 2:19 am
 genie genie
There are more motor racing series than just F1. Ferrari could join LeMans, which might actually be a better fit for Ferrari. Lamborgini survive perfectly fine without having a F1 team. Having a two-tier F1 series is ridiculous, and Mosley knows it. He's made the advantages of the budget capped teams so great that other teams could never compete against them. But for teams like Ferrari, BMW, Toyota and even Red Bull, they can't just cut their budget to in some cases 1/10th of their current spending in 7 months. There is technologies and designs that would have been budgeted for the next few years that would exceed the budget cap, they would have to be scrapped or greatly delayed under the proposed budget cap at great financial cost to the bigger teams. Ferrari, along with Toyota and Red Bull have stated that they wanted to be consulted in the budget cap idea so that a value could be determined that did not adversely affect existing teams, yet made it easier for smaller teams to compete. This is Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, it is supposed to be about developing the most advanced race cars and technologies. If you can't afford to keep up in Formula 1, there are plenty of other motorsports which are cheaper that teams could join. Get rid of all the restrictions, and just let the teams make the best cars they can. That way we'll see true innovation, rather than these one year on, one year off faltering steps like KERS and slick tires to grooved tires and back to slick tires. This constant change of rules is one reason F1 is so expensive, if the rules were stabilised for at least a few years between changes, then the teams wouldn't have to drastically redesign the car every year. The sooner the other teams make a break-away series that gets rid of Mosley and all his stupid ideas the better.
May 13, 2009 8:35 am
 RzGTmorio RzGTmorio
I think the Ferrari better start to invent your own sport (6)!
May 13, 2009 11:43 am
 Targa_Florio Targa_Florio
Ferrari isn't only F1, but racing. They could go for Endurance with closer to production models or at least engines and kick out the smocky/dusty diesels.
May 13, 2009 3:11 pm
 zimstyles zimstyles
F1 will not survive without Ferrari..I hope Mercedes McLaren follows
May 13, 2009 7:39 pm
 Tashinga Tashinga
Ferrari should pull out indeed, because the FIA and Mosley have messed up the sport, always shifting goal posts at the turn of every season. The Sport will never develop that way! The FIA is supposed to be the Referee and not try to reinvent the Sport! Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW and Renault should just quit F1 and go start a rival League, invite Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi, leave the capped teams behind then we'll see which league will attract a bigger following!
May 14, 2009 6:33 pm