Interest strong in breakaway series

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McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has revealed the FOTA has already received enquiries about joining the breakaway series.

FIA president Max Mosley may have described FOTA's announcement of a rebel championship as posturing and posing, but the eight teams concerned appear deadly serious.

Mosley is confident come the traditional season-opener in Australia next March, the rebels - including Ferrari - will be back on board.

First, though, a legal battle looms after the FIA yesterday issued proceedings against all eight teams, most notably singling out the Scuderia.

"The FIA's lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series," read a statement from motor sport's world governing body.

"The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law, including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari's legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.

"The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay."

Sadly for a sport whose reputation has been severely tarnished by the feud of the last few weeks, the months ahead could turn into a long, potentially bloody battle.

Yet FOTA - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso - appear intent on severing all ties with the FIA, and if they succeed they are willing to bring other teams on board.

Lola this week surprisingly withdrew their prospective entry, and with the FIA putting on hold the publication of their final entry list for 2010 whilst they assert their legal rights, another high-profile candidate in Prodrive could follow suit.

Asked if eight teams could sustain a rebel series, and whether FOTA would welcome the likes of Lola and Prodrive, Whitmarsh replied: "I think eight will be enough.

"But we would welcome any new teams, or existing teams for that matter, and certainly there has been an expression of interest from some of the teams you mentioned.

"I think a lot of teams want to be racing against the Ferraris, Red Bulls, Brawns, and hopefully ourselves.

"Formula One has not done a good job in my view at developing a number of teams that compete, at developing a series the fans want, and there is a lot opportunity to do a better job, to have some fresh energy.

"Whilst inevitably there is some sadness in a day like yesterday, I think you have to be optimistic about the future.

"Sometimes out of these challenges are new eras, new opportunities, and we have to be positive.

"We've had quite a lot of interest from some other teams that want to be part of the new series, and we are going to do everything we can to encourage them to be a part of it.

"Just as FOTA has already demonstrated its assistance to retaining teams and assisting the independent teams, that has to be part of the ethos of any organisation."

Mosley, though, expressing a blase kind of attitude to the whole sorry saga, believes this latest threat of a breakaway will be resolved in the FIA's favour, just as it was in 2005.

"I am completely confident there will be only one Formula One next year," said Mosley.

"In the end people do what is in their best interests to do, and it's in the interests of the teams to be in the Formula One world championship.

"There is actually no fundamental, or even important issue stopping them taking part.

"It's all about personalities, power and who can grab what from whom, which is easy when nothing's at stake.

"But once we actually get to the first race and it's make your mind up time, they'll be there.

"The great traditional teams, and I include Ferrari in that, they need to be there, and they will be there for sure. It will get sorted out."