Brawn issues warning over deadline

Ross Brawn has warned that Formula 1 could be plunged into crisis later this week if the FIA publishes an official list of entrants for next year’s world championship that excludes most of the current teams.
The governing body is due to announce on Friday which teams have had their 2010 applications accepted – amid no signs of a rapprochement with the Formula One Teams’ Association over F1’s rules and governance.Eight of the 10 current teams have made their entries conditional on the FIA dropping plans for a €45m budget cap and giving new guarantees over the sport’s rule-making process, with only Williams and Force India submitting unconditional entries.
Meanwhile a host of prospective new teams have entered the fray under the budget cap option, with the result that the 13 available grid places are now significantly over-subscribed.
FIA president Max Mosley signalled via a media interview last week that he will not bow to FOTA’s demands, although there has been no official comment from the governing body since the members of the teams’ alliance submitted their entries collectively 10 days ago.
Brawn is concerned that if the FIA rubber-stamps the entries of a large number of new teams this Friday, it will be obliged to honour those undertakings and there may be no way to accommodate the existing teams at a later stage.
The Brawn GP boss is hopeful that outcome can still be averted, but admits there is a risk of F1 sleepwalking into an irreversible situation.“I think there are interim solutions,” he said on Saturday.“Quite clearly, if next Friday 10 teams are given an entry into Formula 1, there’s a problem – because there’s no room for the rest of us.“I don’t know what will happen then.“I hope that doesn’t happen, because if 10 teams are given an entry there’s a major problem.“So I hope – even if it’s a holding position until we can sort this out – I hope there’s a solution.”
FOTA vice-chairman John Howett says the teams’ organisation is “open” to holding further discussions with the FIA ahead of Friday’s deadline but will not drop its conditions.“I think Flavio [Briatore] was discussing that possibility and received information that it would be ill-advised to have a meeting before Friday,” he said.“So I don’t know. We remain open to discuss, but I think our position is fairly firm on the criteria that we wish to be resolved.”
Asked whether Friday’s deadline was make-or-break, Howett said: “I don’t think that’s necessarily completely our decision, is it?“I can only talk from the perspective of Toyota and I’m totally relaxed because I see upside in many ways.“In other words we need to stabilise governance. That is the precondition of almost all the FOTA members, which seems more solid this weekend than ever before.“If that happens then I think we feel comfortable.“If not then we are forced into alternative scenarios. In the end I believe those also hold a very bright future for the world of motorsport.”
While emphasising that FOTA remains determined to reach an agreed solution with the FIA rather than break away and form a rival championship, Howett believes it would be logistically feasible to set up a new series by next year.“It’s partly a hypothetical question, but I don’t think it’s an insurmountable problem,” he said.“I want to emphasise again that it’s the not the sole unique target of FOTA.“If we’re forced into that position then I think as a defensive strategy it has to be part of our scenario planning, and it has been for some time.”
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali does not regard Friday’s deadline as definitive, but acknowledges that a long delay would do further damage to F1's image.“Friday is the deadline from a formal point of view, but not really from a substantive point of view,” he said.“If you want to be sensible you can discuss whatever you want up until next year.“[But] we need to find a solution as soon as possible. The more you go ahead the more it is complicated for everyone, and the more we are damaging the sport.”