What will FOTA’s role be in the new F1 status quo?

After emerging victorious at yesterday’s World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris, were will FOTA go from here? Will they help rebuild F1’s battered image or will they start settling old scores first? FOTA now have a great opportunity to help make F1 stronger and take steps to avoid a repeat of the FOTA-FIA fiasco.

FOTA’s first test
The first test to FOTA’s new found strength will be how it deals with Williams and Force India. The manner with which they resolve this issue will set the precedence of were FOTA goes from here. If they act too tuff on Williams and Force India, they risk alienating some teams as well as lose support.

On the other hand if they act too lenient, there wont be any deterrent to stop other teams from breaking rank in the future. FOTA will also have to deal with the new F1 teams if and when they join FOTA by making sure the big teams hold their end of the bargain. With FOTA on a stronger footing, it’s highly unlikely for the new teams not to join.

On the Concorde agreement
FOTA’s commercial head Flavio Briatore’s first task will be working with the F1 commercial rights holders (CVC) on a new Concorde agreement. With the lack of a Concorde agreement one of the key contributor to the recent problems, CVC will no doubt facilitate the imminent signing of the new agreement which will run until 2012.

Once the new Concorde Agreement is signed, it will immediately provide two very important solutions. One is that it will bind all the big teams to F1 least until 2012, so there wont be a repeat of any Honda like incidents in that time.

The second solution will be that new rules and regulations will have to go through the F1 commission. What this means is that any new legislature will have to go through the commission first, this is done to get input from all parties concerned before implementation. In other words the current one man regulations that have dominated and disrupted F1 as of late will become history.

On improving the sport
Renault boss Briatore will also work with the FIA and CVC to improve the show for fans. This will likely involve implementing some of the recommendations of FOTA’s survey of F1 fans. With fans surveyed wanting to see everything from more driver skills to a radical reversal of the starting grid, it will be interesting to see how it will all unfold.

One sticking point in FOTA’s bid to spice up F1 will definitely be their eagerness to have racing return to its European heartland. This was highlighted in this years Turkish GP were a whole host of stands were left empty which also prompted a number of drivers to complain.

Turkey is not the exception, other new including China, Malaysia and Bahrain have not been able to fill their venues. This trend is what’s behind FOTA’s call to return races to France, Belgium, North America and other venues with a larger fan base.

But with these new circuits willing to pay big money to host F1, FOTA will have a hard time convincing CVC representative Bernie Ecclestone to move back to cash strapped venues.

On the new FIA chief
FOTA have also voiced their desire to have a new FIA president who has no history with any of the teams. FOTA have played this one carefully by only expressing their desire and leaving the politics part to the World Motor Sport Governing body. FOTA’s stance appears to have put a dampener on FIA Presidency front runner Jean Todt.

With the new found muscle, FOTA are in a position to build a better F1. Now whether the power will go to their heads or teams will start looking out for their own interests is another possibility. But early signs show that F1 is in good hands and the future looks bright