Williams Signs Concorde Agreement

[Panchito 0]

DECEMBER 7, 2005

Williams signs up to Concorde Agreement!

Williams F1 has agreed to sign up for an extension of the Concorde Agreement from 2008-2012. The news will be announced later today. The announcement will, inevitably, be a major blow to the ambitions of the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association but in some ways it will also be a victory for the manufacturers as, by standing up to Formula One Management, they have achieved what they set out to achieve and won a better deal for the teams.

The key point is that there are today only four important F1 brands which the fans and TV companies will follow: Ferrari, Williams, McLaren and Monaco. With Williams agreeing to a new deal, Formula One Management (and its allies at the FIA and Ferrari) will gain a dominant position and while the car manufacturers are a powerful lobby, this really torpedoes any chance that a rival series will get off the ground in 2008. If Formula One can deliver Ferrari, Williams and Monaco that is three out of four of the big brands associated with the sport.

It remains to be seen whether Williams signing up with FOM is going to break the log jam but it is hard to see how a rival series is going to happen, given that at least two of the five manufacturers involved in the GPMA are keen for compromise and one is unlikely to be in the sport by 2008. Two hardliners are not going to create a World Championship. The deal on offer, believed to be 60% of all revenues generated in F1, is a decent one. There may still be questions of governance and decision-making processes but the mood is clearly in favour of getting on with business. Stability is now more important than anything else. Clearly, it will tough for the hardliners to back down but it is in the best interests of the sport that this happens. The manufacturers may be constrained from signing up to a deal with FOM until September 2006 by an agreement they signed three months ago but that does not mean that they cannot indicate that a new series is not going to happen. The opportunity for the manufacturers to launch their own championship - which involved an investment of $300m - has now passed.

The important question is why Williams has decided to sign up and our sources indicate that the most key issue for the management at Grove was that the latest offer from FOM is very reasonable; that the FIA has shown signs of being willing to compromise and that continued talk of a second series is deeply disruptive. Our sources say that the deal offered to Williams is not going to be any different to that on offer for other teams - or, to put it another way, Williams has not been bribed with a big pay-off. We also hear that, wisely, FOM is offering the same deal to all the teams, whether they sign now or whether they sign in nine months from now. The most important thing is that the sport is united and can move forward.

All in all, we believe that this is a huge step forward for Formula 1 if everyone sticks to what has been agreed.

From: Granprix.com

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns16002.html

[Wez 0]

Yeah... no doubt about it Williams are battling for money....

[monza gorilla 1]

Yep. Sir Frank and the filthy lucre. It was to be expected though, given their current state.

[Wez 0]

This split is already turning into a mess (ala Indy & CART).

[Red Bull fan ire 0]

Ye i agree with all the above posts Willams are desprate

[Karta 0]

[quote name='Red Bull fan ire' post='89265' date='Dec 7 2005, 05:48 PM']Ye i agree with all the above posts Willams are desprate[/quote]


What a load of propaganda. Does any of you flamers even know contents of both the new concorde and GPMA rules? Do you really think Manufacturers are saints?

Now, much more disturbing sorta is the hint that one of the manufacturers is leaving in few years..any idea who is suspected (i seriously doubt it is set) to do that?

[Panchito 0]

WILLIAMS NOT MOTIVATED BY MONEY

Last Updated: Wednesday, 07, December, 2005, 17:39

Williams has insisted that it did not sign the new Concorde Agreement for narrow financial reasons.

There has been much speculation about Williams

[Senna 0]

Interesting developments

[AutoRacer5 0]

Williams is turning into Jordan, after some good years, they were on a downward spiral, one upturn, but down so far.

[Panchito 0]

Williams is turning into Jordan, after some good years, they were on a downward spiral, one upturn, but down so far.

Jordan

Statistics - Prior to 2004 Season

Drivers' Titles: 0

Constructors' Titles: 0

Seasons in F1: 14

Grand Prix: 231

Wins: 4

Points: 279

Poles: 2

Fastest Laps: 2

Williams

Statistics - Prior to 2005 Season

Drivers' Titles: 7

Constructors' Titles: 9

Seasons in F1: 30 (And 2 as Iso)

Grand Prix: 496

Wins: 113

Points: 2435.5

Poles: 124

Fastest Laps: 127

Yeah, compare Williams history with Jordan history... yeah right.

I liked the "SOME GOOD years"...

[AutoRacer5 0]

look at what happened though, they had a good few years than an downward turn.

Jordan good years: 1998-1999, downward turn through to today, upturn in Brazil 2003.

Williams Good years: 1991-1997, downward turn through 2000, started to go up in 2001, nearly peaked in 2003, then went downhill to where they are now.

[pumpdoc 2]

look at what happened though, they had a good few years than an downward turn.

Jordan good years: 1998-1999, downward turn through to today, upturn in Brazil 2003.

Williams Good years: 1991-1997, downward turn through 2000, started to go up in 2001, nearly peaked in 2003, then went downhill to where they are now.

Indeed.................

[Panchito 0]

Indeed.................

Yep, but you cant ignore that Williams are in F1 for much more time and is a much more established team that Jordan ever was.

Oh and Autoracer my friend you should be worried with Ferrari too, as Vodafone want to dump the contract sponsorship

[AutoRacer5 0]

Yep, but you cant ignore that Williams are in F1 for much more time and is a much more established team that Jordan ever was.

Oh and Autoracer my friend you should be worried with Ferrari too, as Vodafone want to dump the contract sponsorship

Vodafone's a european company, so I wouldnt really care. cool logo though. maybe Ferrari should hook up with Coca-Cola, the coloring is pretty much the same.

[Panchito 0]

Vodafone's a european company, so I wouldnt really care. cool logo though. maybe Ferrari should hook up with Coca-Cola, the coloring is pretty much the same.

The problem is not that if u like them or not, the problem is that a major company that invested big bucks on Ferrari is no longer interested in sponsoring them due to bad results, and that is obviously a matter to be worried about.

P.S. Vodafone will not quit like HP who was in financial crisis.

[nojvnof1 0]

I don't think Sir Frank is jumping for the money. He sees a better deal for his team with Bernie after a serious round of negotiations and joined up. That's the way I see it.

We could be a step closer to seeing this whole issue resolved. I hope that is the case.

[Wez 0]

What a load of propaganda. Does any of you flamers even know contents of both the new concorde and GPMA rules? Do you really think Manufacturers are saints?

No doubt about it, the manufacturers are closer to saints that the Mosley/Bernie combination!!!

Secondly the only reason a team would sign the concorde now before knowing the future of both series is for money. In the short term there is a lot of money to be made by signing the concore agreement (just ask Ferrari).

[monza gorilla 1]

Well said, Wez. It's a short term move by Frank, probably to pay for his engines. With no manufacturer partnering them, Williams do need a large cash injection and this is the best way for them to do it.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I really really hope 1 of the manufacturers sees sense and signs up to concorde agreement, so that the others will follow suit. If GPWC does break away, the sport will be ruined

[pumpdoc 2]

Indeed ala CART-IRL

[Vas 0]

Both the sides should sit together and must come to a consensus on all issue.

I feel split will only damage the sports as it happenned in Chess where PCA was formed by Gary Kasporov and later both the sides realised that the only victim is Chess.

F1 has built a fan base let them not disappoint it.

So, Frank may be right. Win win should be the motto.

[Panchito 0]

Well said, Wez. It's a short term move by Frank, probably to pay for his engines. With no manufacturer partnering them, Williams do need a large cash injection and this is the best way for them to do it.

Now you are a financial guru too? Didnt you read what the financial guy of Williams said, i will stick with him...

[Senna 0]

Jordan

Statistics - Prior to 2004 Season

Drivers' Titles: 0

Constructors' Titles: 0

Seasons in F1: 14

Grand Prix: 231

Wins: 4

Points: 279

Poles: 2

Fastest Laps: 2

Williams

Statistics - Prior to 2005 Season

Drivers' Titles: 7

Constructors' Titles: 9

Seasons in F1: 30 (And 2 as Iso)

Grand Prix: 496

Wins: 113

Points: 2435.5

Poles: 124

Fastest Laps: 127

Yeah, compare Williams history with Jordan history... yeah right.

I liked the "SOME GOOD years"...

Exactly. There is no comparison.

[AutoRacer5 0]

both went into decline after some success and had one small upturn, then went downhill. There is a comparison.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Jordan didnt have an upturn. They just went downhill after 1999. Williams have won a lot of titles since 1979. Jordan have only won 4 races. Not much of a comparison