FIA blasts 'unacceptable' FOTA

The FIA has lifted the lid on its feud with the Formula One Teams' Association, deriding as "unacceptable" the body's attempt to take control of the regulations and commercial rights.

Motor sport's world governing body, infuriated by FOTA's stance of late, has decided to go public in an attempt to prove it is the Association, and not the FIA, effectively holding the sport to ransom.

In a damning riposte, the Federation stated: "The FIA and FOM (Formula One Management) have together spent decades building the FIA Formula One World Championship into the most watched motor sport competition in history."

The statement continued: "In light of the success of the FIA's Championship, FOTA - made up of participants who come and go as it suits them - has set itself two clear objectives: to take over the regulation of Formula One from the FIA, and to expropriate the commercial rights for itself.

"These are not objectives which the FIA can accept."

It is the latest shot in the ongoing war that is tearing F1 apart, one that may well now lead to a breakaway series given the growing animosity between the two sides.

Highlighting the background to a sorry saga that has unfolded since the FIA announced at the end of April a voluntary £40million budget cap would come into force from 2010, Ferrari and president Luca di Montezemolo come in for particular condemnation.

In responding to FOTA's call for better governance, the FIA retort: "Good governance does not mean that Ferrari should govern."

The FIA also shoot down FOTA's other arguments, that the new rules would dumb down the sport; that two sets of rules will ruin F1, as well as fears regarding the policing of a cap the teams apparently claim would "damage the DNA of Formula One".

When it comes to governance, the Federation points out that F1 is in need of "a strong and impartial regulator because of the nature of the sport, the high stakes and the competitors - people who want to win (literally) at any cost".