German Car Zone

Yeah, that was a sad story as well. They are investigation a fraud allegations in the MG Rover bankruptcy case ... Aren't they?

Eh, the whole British car industry recent history is a sad story ... not a saga but more a tragedy. Classic Greek one.

While VAG / PAG & F1 stories are more a farce ... a very poor pulp fiction.

Time for the boys to grow some balls, it's crystal clear that the two schizophrenic nazis momies will kill the sport.

Briton's never were great rulers.

They ruined everything they touched ...

What's next? EU?

Ecclestone backs F1 breakaway series with 'GP1 Series'

Bernie Ecclestone has filed trademark applications that indicate he is ready to back the breakaway plans.

Britain's Sunday Express newspaper reveals he, through one of his companies Epsilon Ltd, applied for ownership of the words 'Formula Grand Prix' and 'Formula GP' on June 19.

June 19 was the day on which FOTA originally launched its intention to break away from the official F1 series.

On the same date, Ecclestone also lodged applications to protect 'GP1' and 'GP1 Series' logos, which can be previewed by doing a public search at the European trademark consultation service website.

Also trademarked by Epsilon recently were logos for a junior series called GP3, meaning that if FOTA was to turn to Ecclestone for help with its breakaway, it could operate with GP1, GP2 - the existing F1 support category - and GP3 under a uniform umbrella.

The potential involvement not only of the eight FOTA teams but also Ecclestone and F1's commercial owners CVC would pile enormous pressure on FIA president Max Mosley to back down.

The next crucial date in the political saga is Wednesday, when FOTA could be ready to sign off its Cost Regulation contract and all parties enact a new Concorde Agreement.

Only minor disagreements are presently holding back full agreement on the proposed technical regulations.

If the FIA further dithers, it is on Wednesday that FOTA is warning it will press ahead definitively with its breakaway.

Ecclestone told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "Next week we will have peace in formula one. We will all agree and there will only be one series."

Source: GMM

I see no point of a breakaway series with Ecclestone in the picture.

... and i must add that if FOTA didn't trademark whatever name they want to use for a possible breakaway series, then they are a bunch of idiots.

Mosley backs Todt for FIA presidency

FIA president Max Mosley has confirmed that he will definitely not stand again in October's election and has endorsed Jean Todt as his preferred candidate.

In a letter sent to all FIA member clubs today, Mosley said that despite pressure from members to restand, he had decided to go through with his decision to step down.

He says that with hard work expecting to result in a new Concorde Agreement being signed to secure F1's future in the next few days, plus other progress in rallying and sportscars, there was little reason for him to go back on his original intention to relinquish the role.

"From a personal point of view, it would be very difficult for me to change my mind and stand again," wrote Mosley in the letter.

"I began some months ago to rearrange my family life with effect from next October. I also informed senior FIA staff that I would not be a candidate. To continue now would greatly complicate my domestic arrangement and be inconsistent with my obligations to my family, particularly after our recent loss. Also, I have felt for some time that I would like to work less. After all, I will be 70 next year.

"Therefore, with these new arrangements in place, extremely grateful though I am for all the letters, emails and messages I have received, I have decided to reconfirm my decision. I will not be a candidate in October."

With former World Rally champion Ari Vatanen having put himself forward for the FIA presidency role, Mosley has ended years of speculation about the man he would like to see replace him and backed former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt for the role.

"I believe the right person to head that team would be Jean Todt," said Mosley about the need for a 'strong, experienced and competent' group of people to lead the FIA in the future.

"Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motorsport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation.

"If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extend the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all areas where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support."

Former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has confirmed that he will stand for the presidency of the FIA later this year. Just 24 hours after outgoing president Max Mosley endorsed Todt as the ideal candidate to replace him, the Frenchman has confirmed that he does intend to put himself forward for election.





He is the second candidate to put himself forward, with former world rally champion Ari Vatanen having announced his campaign last week.
Speaking about his decision to stand and revealing the key figures behind his bid, Todt said: "Following the decision of Max Mosley not to seek a further term of office and his unequivocal support of my candidacy, I have written to the FIA membership to inform them that I wish to stand for the presidency of the FIA.





"It is my intention to continue and expand the outstanding work of President Mosley, who for 16 years has worked tirelessly to strengthen the FIA's major motorsport championships and to position the FIA as the voice of the motoring public, actively promoting safe, clean and affordable mobility for all.





"Given the unique structure of the FIA and its twin roles in sport and mobility it takes more than a president to run the organisation and I am delighted to announce my leadership team.





"For the position of deputy president for mobility I would propose Brian Gibbons, chief executive of the New Zealand Automobile Association; for deputy president for sport I would propose, Graham Stoker, chairman of the Council of the UK's Motor Sports Association; and for president of the Senate I would propose Nick Craw, president of ACCUS and the current FIA deputy president (sport).





"I am confident that together we will offer the FIA the opportunity to elect a dynamic leadership team of outstanding experience and commitment. "
Mosley revealed his preference for Todt as the man to replace him in a letter to FIA member clubs on Wednesday, confirming that he was going to step down when his current term expires in October.





"Jean is unquestionably the outstanding motorsport manager of his generation and arguably of any generation," wrote Mosley.
"If he agrees to stand, I think he would be the ideal person to continue but also to extend the work of the past 16 years. He can be relied on in all areas where the FIA is active. I very much hope you will give him your support."





Todt's bid to stand as FIA president is likely to generate controversy in F1 - coming just weeks after teams suggested that they would prefer an 'independent' candidate who did not have any previous links to teams.
Furthermore there have been times throughout his Ferrari tenure, particularly during the numerous team orders controversies involving Michael Schumacher, that Todt earned fierce criticism from fans and media for putting his team ahead of the sport.

New Concorde Agreement finally signed

The FIA has announced that a new Concorde Agreement has been signed by president Max Mosley, heralding a final resolution to the political rows that rocked Formula 1 in the first half of 2009.

A three-way deal between the FIA, the sport's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 teams, the Concorde Agreement is the document that sets out how F1 is run and its revenues distributed.
The lack of a new Concorde deal had been a key sticking point during the disagreements between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) earlier this season.

"Following approval by the World Motor Sport Council, late last night FIA President Max Mosley signed the 2009 Concorde Agreement, heralding a renewed period of stability for the FIA Formula 1 world championship," said an FIA statement.

"The WMSC has also approved a slightly revised set of stable sporting and technical regulations (to apply from the 2010 championship onwards), which have been agreed by the FIA and the teams and which will be published shortly on the FIA's website.

"The new Concorde Agreement, which runs until 31 December 2012, provides for a continuation of the procedures in the 1998 Concorde Agreement, with decisions taken by working groups and commissions, upon which all teams have voting rights, before going to the WMSC for ratification."

All the teams entered for the 2010 Formula 1 world championship have signed up to the agreement with exception of BMW Sauber.

AUTOSPORT understands that the team has been given a deadline of next Wednesday (5 August) to sign as the German manufacturer decides whether to open the operation up to a potential rescue package following its decision to quit F1 at the end of the season.

The FIA also confirmed that final agreement had been reached on measures for further cost cutting.

"In addition, as agreed in Paris on 24 June 2009, the teams have entered into a resource restriction agreement, which aims to return expenditure to the levels that prevailed in the early 1990s," said the statement.

"With the 2009 Concorde Agreement and the resource restriction agreement in place, the FIA looks forward to a period of stability and prosperity in the FIA Formula 1 world championship."