F1: FOTA In Talks Over Breakaway Series

THE FORMULA ONE TEAMS ASSOCIATION has reportedly commenced discussions with MotoGP organisers Dorna over the prospect of launching a breakaway Grand Prix series.

Spanish newspaper AS has reported that the teams are looking to lay the foundations for a rival championship if FIA President Max Mosley refuses to back down on his demand the teams submit an unconditional entry for 2010.

Dorna Chief Executive Officer Carmelo Ezpeleta is said to be interested in FOTA’s proposal, leaving the future of Formula 1 in a perilous state.

During the Turkish Grand Prix weekend, Toyota driver Jarno Trulli warned the formation of a breakaway championship could be inevitable after the drivers moved to support FOTA in its battle against Mosley.

Drivers contracted to FOTA aligned teams unanimously backed the organisation’s decision not to bow down to pressure from Mosley, with concerns beginning to emerge over the legitimacy of new teams seeking entry for next season.

Trulli believes the FIA is wrong to introduce new outfits at the expense of the more established members of the Formula 1 paddock, claiming it will diminish the value of the sport.

“All the drivers have the same feeling: to follow FOTA and respect above all the work they are doing on the coming rules and the running of Formula 1 in a serious way for the future,” he said.

“Mosley must understand that there are some things that cannot happen. You can’t try and bring in other teams that maybe have never had any idea about what it takes to compete with the cars and in a championship of such a high level.

"I know that in the next week something should budge, must move, otherwise there will inevitably be a split."

Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has been one of the most vocal critics of the FIA’s decision to introduce a budget cap, and until recently was effectively the lone voice of dissent among the driving fraternity.

With FOTA having worked feverishly to develop a compromise, Alonso said the responsibility of finding a solution now rests with the FIA or it faces the prospect of a rival championship.

"I prefer to race in any other category before the new F1. If the manufacturers cannot sign up for F1 and they organise a parallel championship, that would be the most interesting,” he said.

"Then you would see the technology and the fastest cars in the world and, in the end, that's where the drivers want to be.”