British GP to Donington Park in 2010

The FIA announced that the British Grand Prix will move to circuit at Donington Park from 2010 onward. The move comes at no surprise as the circut at Silverstone has been having a hard time keeping thier date on the F1 calendar secured. This will also be the first British Grand Prix not held at Silverstone since 1986 when Brands Hatch hosted thier final F1 race to date.

"After many years of patient but fruitless negotiation with the BRDC, we are delighted that Bernie has nevertheless been able to ensure that the British Grand Prix will keep its place on the Formula One World Championship calendar," FIA President Max Mosley said. "We understand that the development programme planned for Donington will achieve the very high standards we and FOM expect from a modern F1 circuit. Finally, British Formula One fans will get the Grand Prix venue they deserve."

"Finally the uncertainty is over. A contract has been signed with Donington Park and the future of the British Grand Prix is now secure," F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone added. "We wanted a world class venue for Formula One in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of. The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that. A venue that will put British motor sport back on the map.

"I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run Formula One. I believe that the government should have supported them which would have cost probably less than .002% of the government's commitment for the Olympic Games."

Silverstone loses British GP to Donington [Autosport.com]

Ecclestone warned Mosley about plot against him

A report in The London Times today said that FIA head Max Mosley was warned by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone about the plot against him two months before the whole sex scandal started. Drew Attew, an consultant who had worked for both Ecclestone and Mosley in the past, was tipped off about the plot earlier in the year.

"I received a call from a friend in January this year," Attew told The London Times. "We had a meeting and I was told there was an open budget to effectively go out and source material that would bring Max to his knees, remove him from office, and discredit him publicly."

"The person contacted me because they knew of my relationship with Bernie, but they didn't know of my relationship with Max. The reason they contacted me was to find out whether I had any loyalty to Max, and whether I knew anything of value. I asked 'are you after Max, the FIA, or Bernie?' They came back a little while later and said they weren't going to pursue it for the time being."

Attew then warned Ecclestone about the plot, who then told Mosley about it.

"I sat down with Bernie and told him what I'd heard," said Attew. "Bernie then told Max, I know this because Max later confirmed it to me. I assumed the warning would be taken seriously. It was clear that Max disregarded the advice and failed to realise his vulnerability. The issue for me was his total disregard for genuine advice from individuals that he knew had his best interests at heart. I asked Bernie if there was anything anyone was going to find out about Max and he said 'you're not going to find anything because there's nothing there, he's Mr Boring in that sense'. Mosley had kept this a good secret."

Attew also believes that Mosley should had come forward about this incdient and shake off any indication that Ecclestone was involved in the plot.

"I hear people suggesting Bernie was behind this, but that's ridiculous," he added. "From the very first indication, Bernie and I, with Max's knowledge, have tried to find out who was the source. When we saw what was in the News of the World, Bernie was as flabbergasted as I was."

Ecclestone had warned Mosley about plot [Autosport.com]

FIA not scared by breakup talks

The FIA has said that they’re not frightened by talks about a split within the Formula 1 circus. As talks get underway for a new Concorde Agreement between the teams and the FIA rumors keep circulating that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, will take some of the teams with him to form a new series if the FIA doesn‘t agree to the terms of the new agreement. However, Ecclestone has gotten very little support as some of the teams fear that it could cause damage to the sport.

"It is a shame if these things get discussed," Honda team principle Ross Brawn said. "I don't think anyone wants it (a breakaway). It didn't happen before and it is unlikely now. I think everyone wants to try and find a solution with Bernie and the FIA."

BMW motorsport head Mario Theissen could take a few weeks for matters to between the two sides to calm down. "Certainly there is a power struggle going on and it will carry on for a few more weeks before we see what direction it takes," he said. When asked if he felt a breakaway threat was serious, he said: "I wouldn't see it as a first option."

FIA will not be swayed by breakaway talks. (Autosport.com)

Sour Grapes

Max Mosley may have survived a confidence vote on Tuesday to keep his job as FIA president, but that still hasn't stopped many people from calling for his resignation. Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is one of them.

"Max should stand down in November," Ecclestone told The Independent newspaper. "For me it's a difficult situation because I run the Formula One Group of companies, and the teams - the manufacturers - are violently opposed to him."

"I knew he would win (the vote), there was no way he could lose. But I still don't think it's good for him, or for the FIA, to be honest. He said he wanted to finish at the end of 2007, and then the end of this year, before all this happened. What highlights the problem he may still face is what happened in Monaco. Prince Albert made it very clear that he did not want him on the grid, and that he would have security around him so that if Max did appear they could not be seen together."

"I've always said that Max will be the president until he dies," he added. "What many people don't understand is that he enjoys confrontation. He likes argument, these things stimulate him."

Ecclestone isn't the only one calling for Mosley's head. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo also thinks that Mosley should quit. "I believe he himself should understand that at times it is necessary to say 'I must leave the place for reasons of credibility." di Montezemolo said to the Italian news agency ANSA.

This a bit of a change from when di Montezemolo was aksed the question back in April. "I think it's objectively unlikely, but I believe it depends on him and his sensibility." di Montezemolo told the Italian newspaper, Gazzzetta dello Sport. "However, I can say that the day Mosley, for whatever reason, decides to leave, the FIA will need a leader with the same level of experience, competence, personality and balance."

"If I look at what Max has done these years on the issue of safety, at the speed with which a verdict was produced in the spy story, and other stuff, my judgement on him can be nothing but positive. If he leaves, in his place we'd need someone like him."

Funny how the mind can change.

Ferrari president: Mosley should quit (Autosport.com)

Ecclestone: Mosley should still resign (Autosport.com)

Ecclestone calls for Mosley's resignation

Formula 1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone has called for FIA President Max Mosley to step down from his position saying that he only humiliate himself even more by staying around for Tuesday's confidence vote which will most likely have Mosley forced out of his postion as FIA president.

"The last thing most people involved in the sport, including the clubs, would want to see is Max in a position where he could be forced to stand down," Ecclestone told the British newspaer, the Telegraph."I don't want to see that. I've been a friend of Max for 40 years. I would hate to see him go in this way after all he has done for the sport."

"Since the story broke I have been under enormous pressure from the people who invest in Formula One, sponsors and manufacturers, over this issue," Ecclestone continued."They point out that as a chief executive or chief operating officer of a major company they would have gone either immediately, or within 24 hours, in the same circumstances. They cannot understand why Max has not done the same."

"Max is a strong man." Ecclestone continued. "Once he makes a decision he sticks to it. He feels that there is still important work to do at the FIA. But in my view there is a way to accomplish this and retire at the end of the year at the FIA general assembly in November. I would be happy to sit at his side to help him to achieve that. He should stand down out of responsibility for the institution he represents, including F1. Everyone who I speak to in a position of authority across F1 rings me to say he should leave. It is regretful that he has not made that decision."

Ecclestone went on to say because of the scandal Mosley can no longer conduct buisness in a normal manner. Mosley has been uninvited to many events because of that, even birthday parties.

"The big problem is that he can no longer represent the FIA worldwide because of these incidents," Ecclestone said. "The general feeling is that people would no longer be comfortable speaking to him in the same way. My wife had invited Max to her birthday party, (but) she was told to ask Max not to appear because of the embarrassment it might cause to a number of corporate guests. She was extremely upset about that, but she accepted she had to speak to him. It was very difficult for her to do that."

"Max is being punished for the wrong reasons. He has done a first-class job as president. Like all of us he has made some mistakes but 90 per cent of the decisions he has taken have been to the benefit of all. He deserves to be remembered for all the positive work he has done, not for an expose in a tabloid newspaper. That is why he should announce his decision to resign now and not go through with a vote of confidence. That is not in his best interests, the FIA's or the sport's."

Ecclestone calls Mosley to stand down (Autosport.com)