FIA looking into Toyota departure

Toyota's failure to honour its agreement to remain in Formula One until 2012 will be looked at by FIA legal advisers, the sport's governing body has revealed.
Over the course of this year's strong confrontation between the FIA and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) over radical cost-cutting scenarios, the teams pushed hard for their preferred measures to be put in place and eventually signed an amended Concorde Agreement which committed them to the sport until the end of the 2012 season.
However, Japanese carmaker Toyota announced on Wednesday that it is exiting Formula One with immediate effect and put the blame on the economic situation for its decision.
The position left vacant by Toyota opens the door for the BMW Sauber team, which had not signed the Concorde Agreement in the wake of the German manufacturer's planned departure and found itself with a 'reserve' position on the 2010 grid instead.
With Toyota gone, the Sauber operation is expected to take over the space left vacant, and Team Principal Mario Theissen has already confirmed he will enter into discussions with the FIA on the matter. However, the FIA has now indicated that it wants to look at Toyota's situation first.
"Urgent clarification is now being sought from the Toyota F1 team as to its legal position in relation to the championship. This will have a direct bearing on the admission of any future 13th entry," read an FIA statement issued on Wednesday.
The governing body also once again underlined the importance of cost-cutting measures in Formula One.
"The FIA has repeatedly warned that motor sport cannot outpace the world economic crisis. That is why the competing teams have been asked to cut costs and the entry of independent teams has been encouraged," the press release explained.
"The FIA accepted the cost-reduction measures put forward by the teams on the basis that they would ensure a long-term commitment to the championship. Toyota's announcement demonstrates the importance of the original cost-reduction measures set out by the FIA.
"The FIA will now work to ensure that Toyota's departure is managed in the best interests of the championship and will continue to encourage the F1 teams to undertake the necessary cost-cutting measures for the good of the sport," the statement concluded.
Daniel BASTIEN © CAPSIS International