Flavio Briatore believes Max Mosley does not care about Formula One as much as everyone else involved in the row to sort out its future. The Renault boss is backing the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) in the their battle with Mosley, the president of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), over the way the sport should be shaped. Renault are one of eight teams who have pulled out of next year's world championship because they do not agree with the FIA's proposed regulations, which includes a budget cap.
With legal action pending and a World Motor Sport Council meeting tomorrow, the situation seems no clearer to being resolved despite Mosley's view that agreement is close. Briatore said: "The people in FOTA are people who love Formula One, are people who have invested money in Formula One, and we can't forget that. "The only people who have invested in Formula One are FOTA, Bernie [Ecclestone] and CVC, nobody else.
"I am sure if you ask Bernie, he loves Formula One. I'm not sure if somebody else loves Formula One, that they are only using it to exercise power. "We have tried to compromise, we have opened the door, we have tried everything, but we have had the door closed in our face." The FOTA members are due to meet later this week to discuss further arrangements and plans for the proposed breakaway. Brawn's chief executive Nick Fry said: "The alternative championship is a very realistic proposition. It's not an idle threat as I suspect some people hope."
akhan@thenational.ae