"Splitting" Headache: Formula One Close To Seeing a Breakaway Series?

The advent of the Formula One Teams Association (or FOTA) has brought in speculation of the future of Grand Prix Racing.

Will the teams take any power away form the FIA on rule changes? How much of a power struggle will they see? Can the two sides even coexist? Or, will they fail to agree and ultimately split Grand Prix racing into two separate series?

The latter is something that has gained steam of late, especially with Flavio Briatore’s comments about the team owners/teams feeling “abandoned.”

How likely is it that a breakaway series will be formed? It seems that all things are pointing toward that scenario playing out.

Bernie Ecclestone, while driving the sport to its successes, has also begun to draw the ire of the teams and constructors involved in the sport over proposed rules changes. Despite denial from Ecclestone and some teams (namely Mclaren) about the potential of a breakaway series, the rumors of one sprouting up remain rampant, especially with the creation of FOTA (which could end bringing about conflict akin to the FISA-FOCA war of the 1970s and 80s).

However, while it is an option if the teams and Bernie can’t coexist, would it be smart? Could Grand Prix Racing stand to have two competing series and sanctioning bodies?

The answer to that can be found here in the U.S. if you look at the unique sport of American Indycar racing.

Up until and through 1995, the series that was known the PPG Indycar World Series (which was sanctioned by Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART) was in a similar state Formula One is in now.

The series was coming off more than a decade of prominence under the CART banner, had full fields of 26-29 cars, an international and domestic crop of the some of the finest drivers in the world, perhaps the most unique and demanding schedule motorsports has ever seen, and the biggest, and most popular, race in the world in the Indianapolis 500.

However, behind the scenes, chaos reigned. The powers that were in that series (the car owners) had been in conflict with Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George regarding the presence of a few too many foreign drivers (who had begun take precedence over domestic talent) and the lack of oval races on the schedule (only six ovals were on the sixteen race 1995 schedule).

Despite attempts by both sides to reach a conclusion that satisfied all, none was founded and Open Wheel Racing saw two series in 1996: the established CART PPG Indycar World Series and the newly formed Indy Racing League.

The twelve year long “cold war” between the two saw Open Wheel Racing plummet in status, as both reached struggles to fill their fields, find sponsors, and have a prominent television presence.

Formula One now finds itself in a similar situation. The series seems to be thriving, evidenced by the closest, and maybe most compelling, championship battle the sport has ever seen, where four drivers are within ten points of each other.

On the other hand, the FIA and the owners/teams are in disagreement with one another in a swirl of politics that frustrates even the most casual of Formula One fans.

What will this political power struggle result in?

Well, more than likely, we’ll see numerous proposed rules changes (and rejections of said proposed rules changes), threats from and directed toward both sides, a little bit of mud slinging, and maybe even a few immature jokes about a couple of peoples’ mothers.

However, if they’re smart, resolutions will be agreed upon that don’t involve splitting the Grand Prix world. Otherwise, it will see the same struggles and downfall American Indycar racing saw during its own “cold war.”