07/06/2011
NEWS STORY
As former FIA president Max Mosley reveals that the teams must agree in writing to any changes to the calendar, FOTA reveals teams unease with Bahrain date change.
The teams' alliance has written to the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM) and the Bahrain International Circuit stating that its members (the teams) do not want to race in Bahrain on October 30 and feel there is no suitable alternative date for the event this year, presumably on logistical grounds.
"The teams have discussed the 2011 calendar within FOTA and have expressed their considered views privately in a letter to the FIA, FOM and BIC," a FOTA spokesman told Pitpass. "It would be inappropriate therefore to comment further at this stage."
While not totally dismissing the return of Bahrain to the calendar in the future - even though they don't want to race there this year - the teams do want India returned to its original slot on October 30.
Speaking earlier today, former FIA president Max Mosley revealed that the date change announced last Friday cannot go ahead without the written permission of all the teams.
The Englishman, who knows the F1 rulebooks backwards, was referring to Article 66 of the FIA's International Sporting Code which states that; "no amendments shall be made to the Supplementary Regulations after the beginning of the period for receiving entries, unless unanimous agreement is given by all competitors already entered, or by decision of the stewards of the meeting for reasons of force majeure or safety (see Article 141)".