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Ferrari boss Montezemolo refuses to gloat after F1 deal
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-26 08:17 PARIS: Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo chose to praise long-term enemy Max Mosley rather than gloat after the teams largely won their battle over the future of Formula One on Wednesday. A breakaway series threatened by eight teams has been averted after FIA president Max Mosley agreed to drop his plans for a budget cap next year. But costs will be cut and three new teams - Campos, US F1 and Manor - are still in line to join next season after pressure from Mosley, who nonetheless will retire when his mandate runs out in October. "I hope that sooner or later I can do the same as Mr Mosley and have a bit more relaxation. I hope I can join the club very soon," Montezemolo, head of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), joked at a news conference. "I think he has done a very good fix of the problem. When you have reached an agreement everyone has to help in the same way." Mosley, 69, denied he had suffered a humiliating defeat.
"Well, I wouldn't put it like that because they've got the rules with the changes and the new teams in," he said. "They've got the rules they want and the stability. We've got the new teams in and the cost reduction. So that's very helpful. "As far as I'm concerned the teams were always going to get rid of me in October, well they still are. Whether the person who succeeds me will be more to their liking remains to be seen." He will in effect step away from Formula One immediately and will only govern other motor sports in the coming months, with the FIA Senate looking after F1. Toyota motorsport president John Howett, the vice-chairman of FOTA, hailed the unity of the teams even though Williams and Force India broke ranks and submitted unconditional 2010 entries earlier this month. "This has been a challenging period but thanks to the unity of the FOTA teams and the foresight of the World Motor Sport Council members we have achieved the right result for Formula One," he said. "We look forward to working with the FIA Senate to achieve a prosperous and exciting future for Formula One and its millions of fans around the world." Retired seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who backed the idea of a breakaway series, said common sense had prevailed. Reuters (China Daily 06/26/2009 page23) |
