F1 pressure still high for grieving Mosley

Mon, 11 May 2009, 12:30

May 8 (GMM) In the high-stakes world of formula one, every player is often giving and taking pressure at the same time

That is definitely the case this week for Max Mosley, who cancelled his scheduled visit to the Spanish grand prix following the death of his eldest son Alexander

The FIA president had been due to front a media conference to discuss his vision for F1’s budget-capped future, but also would have been similarly hounded by concerned – and angry – teams

Not long after it emerged on Wednesday that economist and restaurateur Dr Alexander Mosley, 39, had died in his London home, the F1 teams association FOTA issued a statement calling for “urgent consultations” with the FIA

No mention – for example a note of condolence – was made of Mosley, even though BMW’s Mario Theissen said in Barcelona that the world of formula one would “respect that situation” amid the political climate

But the situation remains highly charged, and the urgency remains

Ross Brawn, head of FOTA’s technical arm, said on Friday: “It’s very unfortunate what has happened with Max, a terrible thing, so we’ve got to be sympathetic in that respect

“But as soon as it’s possible, we would like to meet with Max and try and find if there’s another way forward, where all the teams can be united and consistent in the solution,” he added

In the wake of the publication of the 2010 rules, it has become clear that FOTA – all the teams – is united that while cost capping is a fair principle, the details of its implementation, and the “two-tier” element, are not supported

Brawn added: “I think all the teams within FOTA don’t want to have a two tier system and I think there will be discussions over the next week or so.”n

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