Strategy Group opened up to all teams
Representatives from the non-member teams will henceforth be invited to meetings of the F1 Strategy Group, in order for them to have access to the discussions. This does not mean that they will have a vote, but the move is designed to demonstrate that the FIA and the Commercial Rights Holder want to improve transparency in the sport. The implication is that the two parties are unable to give the small teams a vote because of the contractual arrangements that exist with the other teams. I think the Strategy Group will come to an end in 2020 with the new Concorde agreement.
At yesterdays meeting a number of decisions were taken and they were, to scrap the halo system of head protection and concentrate development on the new “shield” concept. The FIA says it will carry out tests of this system in preparation for implementation in 2018. The rules will also be modified to get rid of the T wings and shark fins. There will also be new rules to make sure that no-one uses oil as fuel. In addition, only one specification of oil can be used for any given power unit during an event.
It was also agreed that if a race is red-flagged, the race will be restarted with a standing start. The FIA has also informed the teams that from the Spanish onwards, the sporting regulations will be strictly enforced to ensure spectators can see the names of the drivers and the numbers of the cars.
Bernie say Brazilian GP will remain until 2020 for sure
Recently Bernie said he had been put in charge of staging talks with Brazilian officials about rescuing the embattled race at Interlagos. "Chase (Carey) asked that when I went to Brazil, would I speak to the president about the race. But it seemed pretty obvious to me that he had several other things to worry about than formula one. So we went to the mayor of Sao Paulo, but he does not want to spend a single dollar on F1, he wants to sell the circuit", Bernie told UOL.
Ecclestone has been linked with a potential bid to personally buy Interlagos. "He (the mayor) asked me if I would be interested. We can get him to agree that when the sale happens, whoever buys it will have to keep the formula one circuit. Then it's a case of finding an organiser for the race, which is a bit more difficult. So I think that if we can't do anything, we will lose it, for sure" he went on to say "The race will be there 100 per cent until 2020".
Interlagos race promoter Tamas Rohonyi was in Paris this week for contract talks with the FIA, so there is still a chance the race will continue past 2020.
There was an interesting exchange between Bernie and Eddie Jordan on Top Gear that has caused some press speculation, but I think Bernie has excepted his fate and will not now try and cause problems. The exchange went like this for those who didn't watch it. "I said the trouble with all sort of animals is if you want to kill them, you have to kill them - don't wound them". Asked by interviewer Jordan if that is a "little message" to Liberty about his disempowered role, he answered: "It depends how people want to take meanings, doesn't it?" As for his new role as chairman emeritus, Ecclestone Said "I don't know. It's a little bit like giving a hit man a gun and no bullets. But I've got enough money to buy the bullets".
No future race in India, it seems
The Supreme Court in India has ruled that because Formula One World Championship Ltd has a permanent address for its business in India and therefore income accruing from it is taxable. The Jaypee Group organised Formula 1 car races in India between 2011 and 2013, but the five-year contract with Formula One Management was not fulfilled because the race was cancelled in 2014 because of a tax dispute with the government. The disagreement was, is the payment to FOM by the promoter a royalty for using the symbols and Logos of the Formula One World Championship and therefore taxed at a lower rate or "buying the rights to the race" that would be tax at normal tax rates. The Court has decided that the promoter was buying the rights.
If Alonso goes to Renault it will be Palmer he takes the seats from and I can't see who would take Palmer.
