Ferrari chief to head new teams association

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is to chair the new Formula One Teams’ Association, a forum within which the teams can agree on future rules. The body was established as a response to a letter from FIA president Max Mosley, which asked the teams to present proposals for new technical rules for 2011 and beyond before October 3.

Early talks led to an invitation from Montezemolo (above) for fellow team bosses to join him in a meeting at Maranello on July 29, where FOTA – as it is provisionally known – was established. The close involvement of Ferrari, which previously often took a different stance to the other teams, is seen by rivals as a positive step.

Toyota Motorsport president John Howett told Motor Sport: “At the moment the intention is to establish articles of association and a proper constitution for FOTA. From that point on we have to see if it is an effective body, one that is given the relevant degree of recognition by the other parties.”

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was at the Maranello meeting, and insists that FOTA’s main role is to address the issue of costs: “All we want to do is to find an agreement to cut dramatically the necessity to spend.”