Williams aren't cast aside as you infer. They are in the same boat as every other team that exists in F1. They will abide by the rules - 1 set of rules for all...DaveKillens wrote:The fact that the deadline for entrants was moved up six months places pressure on everyone to find a quick compromise. It appears that one may be possible, and hopefully everyone will sign on the dotted line. The details of Haug's proposal are sketchy, and I would love to learn more details.
But if there will be a 100 million budget cap in 2010 and even lower in 2011, this opens up interesting possiblities. What would keep any one the teams with big pockets from pouring a lot of money and resources in 2009 towards the 2010 car? So, if this goes through, I expect teams such as McLaren and Ferrari to have killer cars for the 2010 season. Spend the money today, because it doesn't have to be part of the 2010 budget.
Hopeful entrants would have to operate on their lower budgets, but if they do receive quality assistance from the established teams then the performance gap may be closer. But it does give teams like Mclaren an opportunity to establish very close ties to .. umm, let's say... pertnar teams such as Force India. In fact, the ties may be so close those supported teams may find themselves a junior partners to established teams.
So where does that leave Williams? They do not qualify as a new team, and thus will not receive assistance from other teams. Williams did commit themselves, but I ponder exactly what they commited themselves for? Are they forced to live within a budget cap in 2010? Right now there appear to be three distinct classes. The teams already participating in Formula One, but waiting for this compromise, the new teams coming in 2010, and Williams. Odd man out, fell through the cracks, call it what you will, I do have concerns about their future.
The reason they submitted first was 2 fold.
1) They had a legal obligation. (hands tied - they have to race in F1 next year end of story even if there was a breakaway series).
2) They had to submit early as they could have been left red faced if they had been last to submit and 13 teams had signed up ahead of them. They had to guarantee they would be in F1.
They will and have supported the FOTA proposals, but they have to protect their business too. They, unlike the manufacturers, only exist to race.
Don't forget the other independents DIDN'T vote when FOTA voted on asking Williams to leave the discussions.
At the end of the day, new teams will be helped. Existing teams will continue to battle on.
). I just read what is availabe from public sources and form an opinion regarding issues that catch my interest.