F1 rules row reignited as rebels walk out of talks
Eight rebel teams, who until last month had been set to break away in protest at proposed radical changes, walked out of the meeting at Germany’s Nurburgring.
Governing body the FIA responded by blaming the teams for leaving when asked to state what rule amendments they wanted introduced.
But the teams, who form the Fota alliance and include Ferrari, McLaren and Brawn GP, hit back by accusing the FIA of reneging on agreements and jeopardising the sport.
It leaves the fragile truce between the FIA and Fota in serious doubt, just weeks after it seemed a peace deal had been agreed.
Fota said its teams were denied the right to vote on rule changes on the grounds they had not been accepted into next year’s competition, despite statements to the contrary from FIA president Max Mosley last month.
“The Fota representatives at the Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation,” a Fota statement read.
The FIA had earlier given its version of events. A statement said: “The eight Fota teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010. Unfortunately no discussion was possible because Fota walked out of the meeting.”
Fota agreed to abandon a breakaway competition last month after the FIA backed down on a proposed £40m-per-team budget cap.