Mercedes still hasn’t signed the Concorde Agreements
While Bernie Ecclestone recently stated that an agreement had been reached with the Mercedes AMG team for the new Concorde Agreements that will come into effect in 2013, in reality, Mercedes still hasn't signed anything. Marussia is reportedly in the same situation.
To participate in the Formula 1 World Championship, teams must sign the Concorde Agreements, which govern the operation, particularly the commercial aspects, of the championship. While the majority of teams have signed, Mercedes has not yet done so, as explained by Norbert Haug, the head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.
Haug disclosed today during the FIA press conference that nothing had been signed but discussions were ongoing: «All I can tell you is that we are having constructive discussions, which means we still haven’t signed anything.»
This contradicts the statements of Bernie Ecclestone who told the Daily Mail at the beginning of July that an agreement had been reached and that it was only a matter of time before the German manufacturer signed.
The disagreement seems to stem from Mercedes’ desire to see its commitment in F1 rewarded, even if it was only as an engine supplier before the purchase of the Brawn GP team in early 2010. Furthermore, according to several sources, if negotiations fail, Mercedes could simply leave F1 altogether, which would not be good for the sport as it would lose one of its teams and one of the four engine suppliers on the grid. Mercedes supplies engines to three teams: its own team, McLaren, and Sahara Force India.
Besides Mercedes, the Marussia team also reportedly still hasn’t signed the Concorde Agreements, at least that’s what John Booth, the team director, stated during the FIA press conference: “We have not signed an agreement.” But unlike Mercedes, the Russian team doesn’t have as many arguments to present to Bernie Ecclestone.
