Motor racing-FIA have key role for F1 future, says Mercedes boss

MONACO, May 23 (Reuters – The future face of

should be decided in the next few months with the sport’s

governing body yet to play what could be a key hand, Mercedes

team principal said on Wednesday.

The immediate spotlight has been on plans for the flotation

of Formula One, with an announcement this week that three

investment firms have bought a 21 percent stake in the sport

from private equity firm CVC Capital.

The flotation is expected to be completed in Singapore next

month.

Formula One, run by 81-year-old Briton ,

secured the commercial rights of the sport in a 100-year deal

agreed with the governing International Automobile Federation

( in 2001.

That deal also contained a so-called ‘Don King clause’,

named after the controversial boxing promoter, that allows the

Paris-based FIA to bar from taking over the business anyone they

consider undesirable.

Glamour team Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have been offered

places on the future board of Formula One but not, according to

sources, Mercedes.

The current ‘Concorde Agreement’, a confidential document

governing the sport and signed by teams, commercial rights

holder and FIA, expires at the end of the year with Mercedes the

only top team yet to agree an extension.

«I think we’ve got a long way to go before we arrive at the

final solutions,» Brawn told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix,

the social highlight of the season and a race where many deals

are done.

«I think what’s got to be factored in…is the role the FIA

play in the future and how they are involved in the sport,» he

added.

«They have been quite quiet so far but they will have an

involvement in the sport and I’m reasonably confident that we’ll

find sensible solutions in the future. I don’t think things are

closed yet…»

STIRLING MOSS

Mercedes were involved in Formula One in the 1950s, as well

as having a huge presence in pre-World War Two grand prix

racing, but pulled out in 1955 before returning as an engine

supplier with McLaren in 1994 and then buying champions Brawn GP

at the end of 2009.

Five-times world champion raced for

Mercedes in 1954 and 1955, partnered by British great Stirling

Moss in that final year.

Mercedes GP chief executive Nick Fry said at the Spanish

Grand Prix this month that CVC needed to reach an agreement with

Mercedes before any flotation could be successful and this

needed to be done «fairly quickly».

Brawn said the sport had to keep its «lifeblood» with an

independent governing body to police it and provide an unbiased

viewpoint against vested interests.

«We can’t do that ourselves, for sure. The teams have always

demonstrated it’s very difficult in a very competitive

environment to be self-policing,» he added.

«So I think we’ll see in the next few months clearly where

the FIA stand on all of this… It might go on longer but I

think in the next few months it will become clear what the shape

of Formula One is in the future.

Читать полностью или написать коммент.. Про установку спутниковых тарелок в Московской областиhttp://tarelka-tv.ru/