NOVEMBER 2, 2004

A problem of momentum

The action by nine of the 10 teams in Brazil, proposing a cut back in testing and requesting a control tyre situation seems to have run out of steam as team bosses have gone their separate ways since Interlagos. But this does not mean that Ferrari has got off the hook by refusing to accept any change that would help Formula 1 as a whole. The whole issue will be revived again when the team bosses gather for their next meeting on November 9 but at the moment there is no sign that Ferrari will give way, despite the bad feeling the block has caused with other teams. They accept that Ferrari has invested heavily in its testing facilities but at the same time point out that there is not much point in having all the facilities if there are not enough cars to race. This is a valid point but there are some who argue that the problem is that the current Ferrari management is due to change at the end of 2006 and with huge personal bonuses at stake if the team wins World Championships and the major players heading for retirement they are not overly bothered about the future of the sport. It may be a harsh assessment but that is what is being said in F1 circles.

The issue will come up again in December when the FIA World Council meets to issue a final version of the F1 calendar. The FIA must decide whether or not French and British GPs should take place. There is nothing in the Concorde Agreement to insist on the events being on the calendar but we understand that there is a clause about traditional races in the commercial agreement between the FIA and the Formula One group.