Ferrari and Red Bull Racing have lodged notice to quit the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) amid concerns over the Resource Restriction Agreement.
The news emerged after a meeting at the recent Brazilian Grand Prix and was confirmed by a FOTA spokesperson. “FOTA confirms it has received the resignation of two teams,” the spokesperson told Autosport. “Whilst considering its next steps, FOTA will continue to work on behalf of its members to achieve the aims of the organisation.”
At the Korean Grand Prix in mid-October both Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari) and Christian Horner (Red Bull) cast doubt on the relevance of FOTA.
Horner stated, “I think that FOTA has reached the crossroads where it needs to deal with some of the key issues moving forward or we’ll stop. It’s as simple as that.
“The principal issues are obviously the Concorde Agreement, the direction that goes in, and fundamentally the RRA (Resource Restriction Agreement). If we can’t find agreement within FOTA on that, then what is the purpose of FOTA?”
It’s understood Ferrari and Red Bull will soon meet with McLaren and Mercedes in a private session to try and reach common ground in regards to the future budget caps in F1.
The two wantaway teams must give two months notice which means their departure from FOTA won’t be official until February next year. Should a suitable agreement on the RRA be reached in the meantime, it is possible they could be return.
[Source: Autosport | Pic: Ferrari]