Briatore vs Ecclestone Conflict?

[QPR Report]

It's racing, but I thought in tandem on everything and maybe spillover?

From The Times
March 24, 2009

Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis issue threat to boycott race

Two team principals have allegedly threatened to wreck the start of the Formula One season following dispute over cheque
Edward Gorman, Motor Racing Correspondent

Bernie Ecclestone has had much on his plate in recent weeks but, even by Formula One’s standards, a meeting at his London office last week was unusual. The Times can reveal that two team principals got so hot under the collar about money that they claim he owes them that they threatened to organise a boycott of the opening race of the season in Melbourne on Sunday.

In the confrontation, Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis, the team principal of Renault and the chairman of McLaren Mercedes respectively, allegedly told Ecclestone that they would not put their cars on the specially chartered freight planes last Sunday if the billionaire did not write them a cheque. And, according to Ecclestone, they said that other members of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) would follow suit.

A leaked account of the meeting, which was also attended by John Howett, the team principal of Toyota and the vice-president of Fota, was confirmed in detail by Ecclestone yesterday. The dispute was about money that Ecclestone has agreed to pay the teams, but only after they sign the next Concorde Agreement under which they agree to race, something they have so far failed to do.

“Flavio said, ‘we’re not going to put our cars on the plane, we’re not going to Melbourne,’ ” Ecclestone said. “He — Flavio — started it, aided and abetted by Ron Dennis.” The apparent threat to wreck the start of the Formula One season was countered by a classic Ecclestone ploy. “I picked up the phone to our people that handle all the freight to ask them to cancel the aeroplanes,” the billionaire said. “They were saying, ‘all the Fota-schmota are not going — nobody’s going to go.’ So I said what I’d better do is cancel the aircraft obviously. It costs a fortune to charter those things and almost as much to cancel them.”

The manoeuvre seems to have settled the matter because the Renault and McLaren cars have arrived in Australia, but neither Briatore nor Dennis got their money, which would have been a substantial sum.

Howett is not thought to have joined in with the others and Ecclestone observed: “Poor John was sitting there a bit confused about life in general.” Ecclestone does not mind, in the least, people coming in and threatening this or that, but he said he hates it when they then fail to deliver. “If they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger,” he said. “And they should make sure it’s got bullets in it because, if they miss, they better look out.”

In Italy, Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari team principal, has urged the FIA to clarify the legality of the diffusers at the rear of the Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams cars. Domenicali is convinced that the cars are illegal and he wants a ruling on the matter before protests from his and other teams are issued in Melbourne.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article5962563.ece

[londonranger]

so in some ways our issues could he be part of these problems that are not that important to them. are not that important to them (pales by comparison). The man in black? Could this be related in a roundabout roundabout way?

[QPR Report]

"“If they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger,” he asserted. “And they should make sure it's got bullets in it, because if they miss, they'd better look out.” "


www.crash.net/Formula+One/News/144421/1/bernie_f1_teams_threatened_melbourne_boycott.html

» Bernie: F1 teams threatened Melbourne boycott
McLaren-Mercedes and Renault threatened to organise a boycott of the Australian Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed – but the Formula 1 supremo warned the teams that 'if they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger'.

The atmosphere in Melbourne this weekend is verging on explosive over the diffuser row that looks set to overshadow the 2009 curtain-raiser, with Red Bull Racing announcing today that should the cars of Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota be judged legal to race by scrutineers, then they will lodge an official protest [see separate story – click here].

Now, it has emerged, a number of the teams seriously considered not making the trip Down Under at all, as the ongoing dispute over prize money wrangles on between the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and Ecclestone's commercial rights-holding company Formula One Management (FOM).

According to British newspaper The Times, Renault F1 managing director Flavio Briatore – normally a close ally of Ecclestone's and joint owner of London football club Queens Park Rangers with him – and McLaren chairman and unlikely partner-in-crime Ron Dennis met the sport's ringmaster in his office and told him they would not put their cars on the specially-chartered planes to Australia if more money was not forthcoming, adding that other teams would subsequently follow suit.

Ecclestone has made clear that he is not willing to release a greater share of the financial revenue pie until the teams all sign up to a binding new Concorde Agreement – and, in classic form, he responded to the threat by issuing a counter-threat of his own.

“Flavio said, 'we're not going to put our cars on the plane, we're not going to Melbourne',” he is quoted as having said. “He – Flavio – started it, aided and abetted by Ron Dennis.

“I picked up the 'phone to our people that handle all the freight to ask them to cancel the aeroplanes. They were saying, 'all the FOTA-schmota are not going – nobody's going to go', so I said what I'd better do is cancel the aircraft obviously. It costs a fortune to charter those things and almost as much to cancel them.”

The heated reunion was also attended by Toyota Motorsport President and FOTA Vice-President John Howett, who Ecclestone caustically described as 'sitting there a bit confused about life in general'.

After all ten teams arrived in Melbourne present and correct – though none-the-richer – the 78-year-old billionaire suggested that if they are going to play games with him in the future, they would do well to know exactly what they are doing...and who they are dealing with.

“If they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger,” he asserted. “And they should make sure it's got bullets in it, because if they miss, they'd better look out.”

[londonranger]

How long is it since we have had relative calm at Loftus Rd?

[QPR Report]

Of course in the days before the web, things could (and probably were) occurring. But most of us just didn't known about it.

[QPR Report]

Reuters/Alan Baldwin - Formula One teams and Ecclestone argue over money

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Formula One's tortured start to the season continued on Friday when a row over money flared up between the 10 teams and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) issued a statement to clarify reports of a stormy meeting with 78-year-old Ecclestone in London ahead of this weekend's Australian season-opener.

"The purpose of the meeting was to discuss payment of money owed by CVC (the effective owners of the commercial rights to Formula One) to the teams and relates to agreed sums owing from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship years," it said.

Ecclestone disputed that. A statement posted on the official Formula One website (www.formula1.com) by his Formula One Administration accused FOTA of making "inaccurate and misleading" comments.

"Neither CVC nor FOA owes any amount to any team," it said.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, Renault team boss Flavio Briatore and FOTA vice-chairman John Howett had met Ecclestone on March 18.

Britain's Times newspaper reported subsequently that Briatore and Dennis had threatened to organize a boycott of Sunday's race unless Ecclestone paid up.

Ecclestone in return reportedly threatened to cancel the charter plane taking the cars to Melbourne.

Martin Whitmarsh, who has taken over from Dennis as McLaren team principal, told Reuters that there had never been any question of his team boycotting the race.

He added that while he had not been at the meeting, he believed Ecclestone's version of events to have been "relatively theatrical."

"There is a lot of tension in this climate about lots of teams being owed lots of money," he said. "I think that is a business between the teams and Bernie that needs to be resolved urgently."

Howett sounded a conciliatory note, saying the teams would not be taking any dramatic action.

"I don't think anybody wants to take any action that is excessively militant, but in the end we are performing I suppose and therefore we should be compensated for what we do," he told reporters.

"We are making constructive and positive progress. So hopefully in the next three to four weeks everything will be completely clear but we have made satisfactory progress for both sides to avoid any conflict this weekend," he added.

The race in Melbourne has already been overshadowed by protests about the legality of the Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams cars while the run-up saw further controversy over plans to award the drivers title to the winner of most races rather than the one who wins most points.

That plan, put forward by Ecclestone, was postponed for a season after resistance from the teams.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by N.Ananthanarayanan)
ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCATRE52Q0RL20090327?sp=true


Sporting Life -By Ian Parkes, PA Sport, Melbourne

ECCLESTONE HITS BACK AT FOTA CLAIMS

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is adamant he does not owe any of the teams a single penny.

Ecclestone met with Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, Toyota boss John Howett and McLaren chairman Ron Dennis last week to talk over claims outstanding money was due to the teams.

The trio spoke with Ecclestone in London as representatives of the Formula One Teams' Association as they believe money is still owed to them by CVC, the effective owners of the commercial rights to Formula One, from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship years.

However, Ecclestone has today made it clear that is far from the case, issuing a statement denying their assertions.

Ecclestone said: "Formula One Administration Limited (FOA), the commercial rights holder of Formula One, wishes to clarify and correct inaccurate and misleading statements made to the media yesterday by FOTA.

"In particular FOTA claimed that monies are owed by CVC (FOA's controlling shareholder) to the teams for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship seasons. Neither CVC nor FOA owes any amount to any team.

"The contract between the commercial rights holder and the teams competing in Formula One, the so-called Concorde Agreement, expired at the end of 2007.

"All prize fund entitlements payable to the signatory teams under that arrangement were paid when due.

"FOA has made new contracts with various teams currently competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship on an individual basis, whereby the team has committed to participate in the championship for an agreed period in return for which FOA has agreed to pay a share of an annual prize fund generated from, and calculated with, reference to its profits.

"Each of these teams has been paid its full prize fund entitlement to date.

"A few teams have yet to enter into a contract with FOA concerning their participation in the championship, notwithstanding which FOA has made substantial payments to each of them on account of future prize-fund entitlements they will have when they sign a contract, demonstrating FOA's goodwill and intent to conclude a new arrangement with them."

www.sportinglife.com/others/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/09/03/27/AUTO_Australian_Ecclestone.html