FOTA teams not accepting budget caps

(GMM) Some observers saw Friday as an easing of hostilities, but in truth dissident teams are no closer to accepting plans for budget capping in formula one.

Stefano Domenicali, team boss of the sport's longest serving and most influential and important competitor Ferrari, clarified on Saturday that FOTA is "absolutely not" willing to accept Max Mosley's budget cap concept.

With the exception of suspended member Williams, all the existing F1 teams on Friday lodged entries for next year's world championship.

The FIA, however, will not automatically accept their paperwork, because the teams said the entries will only be valid if the proposed 2010 rules are torn up.

Domenicali clarified that the teams are demanding the 2009 rules next year "modified as per FOTA's suggestions", and seemed to contradict reports that a budget cap of 100m euro will apply in 2010, before the FIA president's preferred 45m figure arrives in 2011.

The Italian said the teams should instead police their own budgets, while small teams are offered cost-saving measures like 6.5m customer engines and gearboxes.

One of the proposed new rules, meanwhile, is a limit on the number of new wings that can be introduced per season.

"There are many other points, but for the moment we prefer not to go into further detail, given we are in discussion with the FIA," Domenicali added.