F1 drivers united in bid to be heard

MARK WEBBER claims Formula One drivers are united in a bid to have their voices heard by the sport’s rulers as details of a row with FIA president Max Mosley were finally made public.

Mosley, the head of motorsport's world governing body, today cancelled a planned meeting with the Grand Prix Drivers' Association to discuss safety measures.

In a letter to David Coulthard, which was copied to the other Formula One drivers, Mosley objected to comments from the Scotsman criticising recent rule changes and scrapped the meeting, which was scheduled for Friday at Silverstone.

He wrote: "Regrettably, you have now used the prospect of this meeting as a reason to air your personal views on current regulations to the press.

"Your press comments have distorted the purpose of the Silverstone meeting and made a calm discussion of a major safety issue impossible. As a result the meeting will not now take place."

The GPDA responded by releasing an open letter sent to Mosley on Sunday, claiming the world governing body president "suggested the FIA might withdraw support for the ongoing safety initiatives of the GPDA."

The letter, which was signed by all drivers except Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Christian Klien, said the organisation was "disappointed" by Mosley's stance.

Dissatisfaction with Mosley, which emerged from an angry telephone call to Coulthard, was widely known at the weekend but the drivers steadfastly refused to comment on the record.

Webber, who drives for Williams, today insisted the drivers have a right to be heard and are standing together to get their way after the 14-car pull-out in Indianapolis last month.

"There are some concerns from the GPDA after Indianapolis," he told the Press Association at an event organised by watchmakers Oris, one of Williams' key sponsors.

"We work together, all the drivers, we are as one. I wish it had never happened, I really do.

"Time will tell if the drivers are a voice when it comes to these matters.

"At the end of the day, people turned up to see a race. There was absolutely no way in the world we wanted to pull out of a race, we wanted to run.

"We don't want to run the sport but we are part of the whole deal. It's all about the drivers the public come to see the drivers.

"Look at Spain, five years ago there were 30,000 people at the race and now there are over 100,000 and that's because we have a Spanish guy in Fernando Alonso leading the championship.

"We are important when we are united it's good that we can stand up for the sport we love because essentially we are all fans of Formula One. The most important thing for us is our safety."