Mosley sets entry deadline
Motor racing chief Max Mosley has warned Formula One’s rebel teams to commit to the sport next month – or risk losing their place on the grid.
Mosley revealed that entry to the 2008 championship would open next month but only for around 10 days.
Teams which did not sign up during that time could find themselves out of F1 and replaced by one of several smaller outfits looking to enter the sport if costs are reduced.
Six teams – Ferrari, Williams, Midland F1, Red Bull, Scuderia Torro Rosso and Super Aguri – have already committed to F1 from 2008.
But that leaves the five Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association teams - Renault, Honda, Toyota, McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Sauber – who have been threatening to set up a rival series when the Concorde Agreement runs out at the end of 2007.
Mosley, president of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, is determined to make it possible for an independent team to compete on a level playing field by cutting competitive budgets to around £57m (€83.5m) instead of the £143m (€210m) several teams are spending.
The radical plans to reduce costs will be discussed at the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on March 22, after which entries will be invited.
But entry will only stay open for around 10 days putting the pressure on the GPMA teams to quickly sign up.
Mosley said: “From 2008 nobody has either a right or an obligation to enter the championship. We may have fewer vacancies than there are teams out there.
“We are going to stick to 12 teams because of safety. There are six already in, there are three, possibly four, people talking about entering and there are five GPMA teams.
“It makes sense to open entries soon and then to close them again quickly. Then we can discuss with the people that have entered refinements to the regulations before the deadline of the end of June.
“It would not surprise me to see some defections (from the GPMA) next month when we open the entries. I hope everybody will be sensible and see these are sensible rules and everyone will enter.
“There will be provision in the rules saying we could accept a late entry but you can only do that if there is a vacancy.
“The regulations for entry are identical to the present day except that we have deleted the £27m (€39.5m) bond. We would look at their factory, their business and be satisfied that they are capable of doing what we wanted.
“It would mean a good GP2 team would have a good chance of getting an entry than say I would if it was just me on my own.”
Mosley insisted he was determined to cut costs before he steps down as president as he fears for the sport’s future if current levels of spending continue.
He added: “I have got a real determination to see this through.
“I honestly believe that, if F1 is to prosper, then we have got to get the costs down so that the independent teams can survive.
“What I would dearly like is to get this done and see F1 really set fair and then back right off because it is exhausting.
“It doesn’t really matter to me personally, and makes no difference to me financially, if F1 succeeds or fails. A lot of people who benefit the most are the ones that abuse you the most and that is quite irritating in a way.”
