25/01/2006
NEWS STORY
Despite claims that the Grand Prix Manufacturers' (GPMA) will 'go away' and the 'dispute' between the manufacturers, teams and the powers that be will resolve itself, it is clear that some manufacturers are still very unhappy with the current set-up, in terms of money, the governance of the sport and also transparency in its business dealings.
Talking at the launch of his team's 2006 contender in Spain, Yasuhiro Wada, president of Honda Racing Development, and a board member of the company's F1 team, was critical of the FIA's proposals for 2008.
"After seeing the 2008 regulation proposals from the FIA, honestly speaking, many people are upset about it," he said. "We need to talk with the FIA about the future regulations.
"I think the commercial area is not such a big issue for us," he added. "We are not racing for commercial reasons so we can compromise on money allocation and so forth. It's not the first priority.
"The reason we are racing is for technical things," he continued. "If the technical regulations go like the 2008 proposal, its not a very interesting area. Three-race gearbox and so on, where is the technology?"
The GPMA, previously known as the Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC) comprises five manufacturers, with Ferrari, one of the original forces behind the GPWC, having 'defected' to Bernie Ecclestone's 2008 formula in early 2005, to be followed by Red Bull, Midland, Toro Rosso and finally WilliamsF1.
Many of those predicting that the GPMA is a case of 'sabre rattling' believe that the whole issue boils down to money, Wada's comments make it clear, that, for Honda at least, it isn't.