JUNE 2, 2016

F1 teams EU complaint making progress says Kaltenborn

A complaint filed by two disgruntled F1 teams continues to make progress within the organisation of the European Commission.

A complaint filed by two disgruntled F1 teams continues to make progress within the organisation of the European Commission.

In September last year, struggling independents Sauber and Force India formally complained to the Commission's competition authority over allegedly unfair governance and income-distribution systems in formula one.

Little has been heard since.

But Force India's deputy boss Bob Fernley has now told Auto Motor und Sport: "We hope to have an answer by the summer break."

Sauber co-owner and boss Monisha Kaltenborn has also indicated that the complaint is making good progress, as it has apparently been forwarded to a new European Commission panel designed specifically to deal with sporting matters.

And not just that: in April, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone revealed that he had been in talks with the Commission as a direct result of the Sauber and Force India complaint.

"I've got nothing more to add to it but that doesn't mean there's been no progress," Kaltenborn said.

"As you know, there has been a certain restructuring within the EU which is commonly known regarding sport cases so it's a very good move for sport generally and these kind of complaints.

"We are absolutely confident that it's going to be looked at and is being looked at very seriously," she added.

(GMM)