Sport | Motorsport

Briatore insists Formula One must make fans top priority

After forcing the FIA president, Max Mosley, to stand down at Wednesday's meeting of the governing body's World Motor Sport Council, the members of the Formula One Teams Association wasted no time today in outlining their vision for the sport's future.

  • The Guardian
  • Published: 23:13 June 28, 2009
  • Gulf News

London: After forcing the FIA president, Max Mosley, to stand down at Wednesday's meeting of the governing body's World Motor Sport Council, the members of the Formula One Teams Association wasted no time today in outlining their vision for the sport's future.

Representatives of the eight dissident teams, whose threat to split with the FIA and start their own breakaway series led to Mosley being driven from office, met in Bologna to discuss how to make the sport more spectator friendly, with promises of better racing, more affordable ticket prices and a return to the classic circuits which are part of the sport's fabric.

"Even if the likes of Turkey are paying more money, we would rather have stadia that are full," said Flavio Briatore, the Renault team principal who is in charge of Fota's commercial development.

Although the teams are also committed to abide by the financial arrangements in place with Bernie Ecclestone and CVC Capital Partners until the end of the 2012 season, they have made it clear that they will be pressing for a bigger share of the sport's commercial rights beyond that date. For the moment, however, their priority is helping the Formula One business regain its equilibrium.

"We have achieved what we want, a Formula One with the best drivers ... a better show," said Briatore.

Mosley wrote to Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo today demanding a public apology. In the letter the FIA president accused Montezemolo and Fota of falsely stating he had been forced out of office and had behaved like a dictator.

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