Senna 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 A split is inevitable, says Stoddart planetf1 Formula One's manufacturers will leave the sport at the end of 2007 to start their own series, according to departing Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart. Stoddart, the other nine team bosses, Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone met in London on Monday to discuss F1's future in the hope of healing the rift between the teams and the two men who wield the power. The divide between Mosley and some of the teams has grown this year due to the teams' dissatisfaction with the way the FIA governs F1, while the manufacturers are planning to launch a breakaway series in 2008 if Ecclestone doesn't given them a greater share of F1's commercial revenue. Following Monday's meeting, though, FIA President Mosley appeared confident that the issues could be resolved and declared the meeting a success. However, according to Stoddart, what the meeting really was, was a stark reminder of the huge gulf that separates the teams and the two men who wield the most power. "I fear it is still not peace in our times," the Australian, who will in a week's time say goodbye to F1 after selling his Minardi outfit to Red Bull Racing, told AFP. "I think there is probably a majority of manufacturers that are not happy. I studied the body language in the meeting and I could tell that there was not a happy bunch of people there." "It is unfair to say the meeting enhanced the negative factors but it is fair to say there was an opportunity to go a long way towards healing the rift and that has not happened." He added: "It was a very cordial meeting, no questions about that, and there were no fireworks at all." "But did we make the right decisions for Formula One? Only time will tell." ------ Stoddie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
