Paper Speculation: F1 Teams may ask Europe to probe FIA

[ChrisF1]

FORMULA ONE: F1 teams may ask Europe to probe FIA
Sources in Brussels are quoted in the Sunday Express (Christian Sylt & Kate Hewitt) as saying Formula One teams are considering asking the European Commission to investigate the sport’s governing body. A group of unnamed teams is considering lodging a complaint into the way the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile is handling the sport. This would trigger an investigation into the FIA by Brussels. Caterham and Marussia have both fallen into administration over the past six months as a result of the sport’s high budgets which average £150m annually. In contrast, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull Racing receive a 46% share of F1’s £484m prize fund. The top six teams also have seats on the sport’s decision making body, the Strategy Group. [26/04]

Does this actually have any potential impact?

[kptaylor]

Catch-22, sign on and complain, endure Bernie's wrath.

[MOWOG]

I think Jean Todt has been a weak and ineffective administrator. Not sure that rises to the level of malfeasance, though. Is "misfeasance" a word?

[XRayF1]

Catch-22, sign on and complain, endure Bernie's wrath.

I believe this not to be correct.

Simply because they, the ones involved/a F1 team, can complain and lobby for an investigations in the commercial and engineering practices and processes.
They, whoever they may be at the end, pose a serious threat to Bernie's/CVC's little empire.

You may be right about "Sign a contract and live with it" on the commercial side, but e.g. the technical strategy group is an entirely different issue, from which several F1 teams are effectively sidelined.
And this has a definite impact on the commercial side as well.

I honestly can't care less who currently gets the majority share of the revenues, as long as this is done in a transparent way, and as long as anyone can actually 'climb up the ladder'.
However, I can't see this happening - the current commercial and engineering/technical agreement is designed to cement the current status quo. And not to allow the likes of Sauber, FI or Lotus to gain lost ground.

So, everything which shakes up such current system is good (for me) and I believe that the 'complainers' do have a good argument there.

[SiLo]

I hope this goes through and they do run an investigation. I think it would do them some good to have the FIA looked at because they have been doing some questionable things for some time now.

It could kick start a better era for F1, which is a bit more sustainable and a bit more entertaining for fans (in the way of viewership, access to information and the like).