FIA Shrug off Ferrari Quit Statement

Yesterday saw Ferrari F1 release a press statement saying that should standardised engines be used in F1, they would consider removing their team from the sport.  A scared FIA outfit have responded in their usual manner of "there has been a misunderstanding!"

The Ferrari Board of Directors released a statement on Monday evening saying:

"The board of directors expressed the opinion that should these key elements be diminished, it would have to re-evaluate with its partners the viability of continuing its presence in the sport."

Tuesday, and the FIA, faced with a possible Ferrari-less F1 from 2009 did their usual "tail between their legs" act and brushed this off by saying, "It seems the Ferrari board were misinformed."  The FIA insisted that it had offered three alternatives to the standardisation of engines.

“The FIA has offered the teams three options, one of which is the so-called standard engine, and another that the manufacturers should jointly guarantee to supply power trains to the independent teams for less than €5m per season.”

Although obviously frightened at the thought of loosing the Marenello team, the FIA remained objective and said that they are committed to reducing the spiraling costs of the sport.

"The FIA is delighted by Ferrari's financial success and hopes this will be maintained," the governing body said.

“However a number of teams find themselves facing costs which greatly exceed income. This is not sustainable.”

The manufacturers have had three-options put "on the table," and they must use one of these from 2009, or they can come up with an idea of their own, that must be approved by the FIA, but whatever option they choose, must reduce costs to a specified level.

“It is now for the manufacturers to agree one of the three FIA options or themselves produce concrete proposals to reduce costs to a sustainable level,” it said.

"If neither happens, the FIA will take whatever measures prove necessary to preserve a credible world championship for both drivers and constructors."

Now, to me, that last part is basically a clever way of saying, "If they don't do as they are told, we will disqualify the team from the season!"

Boy! The FIA sure know how to get on the right side of the people that are making them millions of Euros a season.