GreenBkk Formula 1 | 'FOTA will power through issues'

'FOTA will power through issues'

FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh is confident the teams will resolve their issues as the debate over the Resource Restriction Agreement continues.

The RRA was brought into effect by the Formula One Teams' Association in a bid to keep spending from spiralling out of control. However, at least one team, Red Bull, is believed to have broken the agreement last season.

According to reports, the Championship winners overspent and subsequently asked their fellow FOTA members for 'amnesty for the non-compliance.'

Added to that, Red Bull are believed to be blocking a new version of the RRA, which will take the sport through to 2017. The current deal expires in 2012.

The RRA, though, isn't the only problem facing FOTA, as the organisation recently lost Hispania Racing from its ranks. Rumours suggest Hispania failed to pay their fees, however, the team insists they just didn't like FOTA's politics.

But despite FOTA's issues, Whitmarsh is adamant FOTA will continue for the good of both the big and the small teams.

"F1 has some of the most competitive people in the world, and getting those people to work together is an interesting challenge," he said during the Autosport International Show.

"FOTA has achieved a lot so far. There are lots of people who would like FOTA not to exist because it unifies the teams.

"We have some issues, and it is not useful to talk about them in public, but we will power through those.

"The teams understand that a number of them would not be on the grid without FOTA - so there is a lot of goodwill and support for it. We will push the boundaries and come through it."

He added: "We have been at war. Ferrari and McLaren were at war for 30 years and sometimes it got out of control.

"We all love F1, and we all recognise that F1 can be better. But there is no point in just wanting it to be better - we have to take some responsibility.

"We have to help the small teams survive - and there is no point the large teams saying that they don't care what happens to the small teams. A lot of the teams would not be there if it wasn't for FOTA. We need at least 10 teams - and preferably 12 teams.

"The great thing about this last Championship was it was tremendously exciting and it went to the end. People were not talking about polemics and scandal in the race.

"It was a tough Championship battle that they could concentrate on - and we are proud we could achieve it. We hope to do it better this year."

Meanwhile, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo says he believes FOTA has a future in Formula One - but only if the teams stay united.

"If the teams know how to remain united and work in constructive fashion, as part of the virtuoso triangle alongside the FIA and the commercial rights holder, than this organisation has a future.

"When I was president, it was a different more difficult time, whereas now the atmosphere is calmer.

"The fact remains that Formula 1 has to be the highest level of this sport therefore there cannot be too big a gap between the big and small teams in terms of how competitive they are."

Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)