By BMWF1Talk
February 4 2006

In a move certain to increase the tension between the FIA and Formula 1's manufacturers, Max Mosley has suggested that the teams backed by automakers get no share of the sport's revenue from 2008 onwards. Currently, Renault, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz (McLaren) and BMW have yet to sign an extension of the Concorde Agreement, the document that regulates the sport, beyond 2007. The five automakers are aligned under the GPMA (Grand Prix Manufacturers Association) banner, which threatens to start their own breakaway series beginning in '08.

But while it's believed that the manufacturers remain reluctant to sign up for the offer put forth by F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, which proposes to distribute 60 percent of the sport's revenues between the teams from '08 and on (up from about 25 percent nowadays), FIA president Mosley made the shocking revelation that he believes the only way to ensure the sport's long-term stability is sharing the wealth among the "independent" teams only.

"I believe it would be entirely reasonable to offer the manufacturers that join the Formula 1 world championship no income," Mosley was quoted as saying by London's Evening Standard newspaper.

Ferrari, Williams, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Midland have already signed extensions of the Concorde until 2012. All bar the scarlet teams are independent squads, although last week, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo defined the Scuderia as an independent outfit since it no longer receives any financial help from parent company FIAT