APRIL 4, 2001

Mosley says FIA will sanction new series if it is safe

FIA President Max Mosley said Formula One's governing body will sanction a proposed rival series as long as it is safe.

FIA President Max Mosley said Formula One's governing body will sanction a proposed rival series as long as it is safe.

Mosley was speaking after Fiat chief executive officer Paolo Cantarella, who is also the chairman of the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA), confirmed on Wednesday a plan to create a new series.

"If they do start a series, providing their cars are safe, we would sanction it in the same way as we would sanction any other series," said Mosley. "There would be no reason to stop it.

"I imagine it could be done fairly quickly," he added. "But my understanding is that they are not likely to try to achieve anything until after the end of the present Concorde agreement."

That agreement, which involves all the teams and the governing body of Formula One and controls the administration of the sport, concludes at the end of 2007.

But Mosley refused to be drawn into motives or politics, saying that belonged in the arena of Bernie Ecclestone, SLEC and the manufacturers.

The ACEA, made up of Fiat, Ford, Renault, BMW and DaimlerChrylser, are believed to be unhappy at the long-running row over the broadcasting and commercial rights in the sport and have therefore planned to breakaway and create a new series.