Ecclestone threatens or warns Ferrari in case of departure from F1

The director of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, has warned Ferrari that legal action could be taken if the Scuderia leaves F1 as early as next year. Ecclestone is responding to threats from the Italian team, which does not wish to compete with a budget cap rule set at 40 million British pounds.

Leading the talks between FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) and FOTA (Association of F1 Teams), Bernie Ecclestone commented today during a meeting in Monaco that if Ferrari did not register for the 2010 Championship, following through on its threats, the team would then be in breach of its contract.

The French courts, which ruled on the budget cap case for 2010, validating them, also approved the contract in place between Ferrari and the FIA, involving ‘the Reds’ in a presence in Formula 1 until at least the 2012 season. Ecclestone, speaking to the English newspaper The Times knows that the Italian team will honor its commitment:

« We always respect our contracts, and all the teams that have signed with us know that they have to respect them. So, we expect the same from Ferrari. They say they want to leave, we respond that we hope for the respect of their contract. » comments the 75-year-old Briton.

Always in the form of very subtle threats from the F1’s chief financial officer – who sees Ferrari and Formula 1 as an inseparable entity – he warns Luca Di Montezemolo that millions of Euros of television rights would have to be reimbursed to the FOM (the body that handles F1) in the event of a contract breach, leaving no choice…

The F1 team bosses, Mosley and Ecclestone, are currently meeting in Monaco on Flavio Briatore’s yacht to discuss the 2010 budget and try to find common ground before the end of registrations for the next championship.