Lotus questions the FOTA

After the departure of the HRT team at the end of 2010 and then those of Ferrari, Red Bull, Sauber, and Toro Rosso at the end of 2011, it is now the turn of the Lotus F1 team to question its participation in FOTA – the Formula One Teams Association.

Gérard Lopez, the team boss, acknowledged that the Enstone team had considered a departure and that for now, they did not know what the future held.

«I think everyone has considered (leaving FOTA). We have considered this option, but we haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do,» said Gérard Lopez, quoted by The F1 Times.

Peter Sauber, the head of the eponymous team which is no longer part of FOTA, also stated that while FOTA has already helped implement interesting and useful rules, more needs to be done because Formula 1 is increasingly difficult for the smaller teams.

« The RRA was a step in the right direction, but more urgently need to be taken. It hasn’t made life easier for small teams, » Peter Sauber told the official Formula 1 website.

Martin Whitmarsh, the President of FOTA, has been reassuring about the future of FOTA and the relationships between the teams, which he says are good even though only 7 of them are still part of the Association.

“I am not particularly attached to the FOTA brand. I think what’s important is that the teams realize there are critical issues in this sport where it would be preferable to cooperate and make sensible decisions, and I hope and believe that we will continue to do that,” Martin Whitmarsh said.

The Briton had also recently stated that despite the departure of Red Bull and Ferrari from FOTA, the relations between McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari remained good.

Eric Boullier, the director of the Lotus F1 team, shares the same opinion as Whitmarsh; he believes that the FOTA has a bright future ahead even though several big teams are no longer part of it.

Eric Boullier said in Jerez, “The FOTA was created in 2008 by the manufacturers to fight against others and perhaps move towards a parallel championship – that’s the story we know. Today, the FOTA faces a different challenge, and understanding if the FOTA is relevant is the first question.”

Eric Boullier also reflected on the cooperation between all the teams on the grid, which will continue even if some are no longer part of the FOTA – just like some signed agreements that will still be respected by the teams that have withdrawn.

The second question is, what do we want to achieve with FOTA? I think this question has been asked, and we now have an answer. Even the teams that have left FOTA continue to work with FOTA regarding factory shutdowns, test agreements, and the RRA. So from that point of view, nothing will change.

«So, at least if we can continue to work to make F1 better, more sustainable and help F1 improve, that’s what the FOTA should do,» added Boullier.

As evidence of this continuity in cooperation and discussions between teams, Ferrari and HRT – who have left FOTA – will still be present at the Fan Forum organized by FOTA in Barcelona on February 29th. Representatives from McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, and Caterham will also be present to answer fans’ questions.

This clearly shows that even though FOTA took a hit at the end of 2011, with Ferrari and Red Bull leaving in particular, the cooperation between the teams did not stop.