JULY 12, 2005

An interesting development

The debacle at Indianapolis and the subsequent FIA World Council meeting and penalty have done nothing to improve the already-strained relationship between the Formula 1 team bosses and FIA President Max Mosley. Indeed the strains have been such that talk of a breakaway F1 series have been widespread. This is obviously not a desirable situation and it seems that the F1 team owners have understood that despite their distaste for Mosley it is still wisest to try to talk their way to a solution. At the same time Mosley is no fool and presumably understands that the brinksmanship has gone as far as it can go without very serious ramifications for the sport. Indianapolis was bad enough but a rival series is worse.

Thus a secret meeting to be held this week in Monaco between Mosley, Ron Dennis and Christian Horner is something of interest. No-one is willing to say anything about the meeting but the composition hints at the likely discussions. Dennis is obviously the man with the mandate from the other rebel teams while Horner is presumably attending as an independent, which suggests that the discussion will centre on the planned FIA World Council meeting and the subsequent International Court of Appeal in September.

These two meetings are hanging over F1 at the moment (as indeed they were designed to do) and it is important for the sport that the outcome does not detract from the on-track action. A detrimental result for the teams will, inevitably, result in civil legal action against the federation, which will spoil the World Championship.

Given the trenchant attitudes of those involved it is not going to be easy to smooth everything over but it is a very good sign that the people in F1 are finally beginning to see that the sport must come above all vested interests. It will be an interesting test of the characters involved to see if they can rise above the quibbling for the good of the sport.