F1 peace at hand?
More meetings are scheduled for Monaco, but some analysts now say that the prospect of a commercial agreement for 2008 and beyond is not likely before Silverstone in June.
"It was the first of the sporting working groups established by the FIA and the processes that were put in place are ones that we applaud," said Honda's Nick Fry after Saturday's meeting in Spain. "It is democratic and based on majority voting. The people that were at the meeting were people of huge credibility and people who have spent a lot of their lives in Formula 1. I don't want to do a roll call, but we had Stefano Domenicalli from Ferrari, Dave Ryan from McLaren, Ron Meadows from our own team, Steve Nielsen from Renault – they're people who really do know about Formula 1. One of the things that was very encouraging is that these people voted with extreme conviction and it was good that every vote was carried by a majority of eight or nine of the 12, so it's very encouraging that three quarters of the field agreed. Were votes all votes that we at Honda would like? I have to say no, but some we like and some we didn't like so much, but the process was one that looks a good one. I think if the majority vote for or against something and they're people of that credibility, then we'd go along with it like a good process. Obviously the outcome of that meeting has be ratified by the following groups: The Formula 1 Commission and the World Council, but with that sort of majority I'd expect things to be carried through."
Ron Dennis said that he was "encouraged by the fact that it was a democratic vote and it was not difficult to understand. All the people that went there had to work hard to understand the subjects and took a lot of time to prepare for the meeting. I'm sure that their objectives were very consistent with mine and many others in F1. If that's the way we build the future – by a democratic process of evaluating all the options that unfold and that will be positive for Formula 1, but it's got to be democratic and all the way democratic and that's what I hope to have." Grandprix.com
05/07/06 (GMM) More meetings at the Nurburgring did not result in the declaration of peace between F1's establishment and a group of rogue carmakers.
Like at Imola a fortnight ago, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone sat down with the 'GPMA' manufacturers at the German venue on Saturday morning, but sources report that a conclusion to the standoff is not any closer.
05/06/06 The whisper on Saturday at the Nurburgring was that there was a meeting on Saturday lunchtime at which the major teams informed Bernie Ecclestone that they are now in a position to agree to the new F1 regulations for 2008 and to a commercial deal. Those involved are currently not saying anything but if the rumors are correct we would expect to have an announcement within a matter of days. Grandprix.com