PARIS: A French court has thrown out a bid by Ferrari to prevent Formula One's governing body from introducing controversial new rules next season.
The ruling yesterday was made in a written statement handed to journalists.
Champions Ferrari went to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris to try and stop the International Automobile Federation (FIA) from pressing ahead with an optional 40 million pounds ($61.98 million) cap.
"There is no risk of any imminent damage which should be prevented or obviously illegal trouble which should be stopped," magistrate Jacques Gondran de Robert wrote in his ruling.
Ferrari, the sport's most successful and glamorous team, have threatened to quit Formula One if the published rules are not rewritten. Renault, Toyota and Red Bull's two teams have taken a similar stance.
The published 2010 regulations propose allowing teams who accept the cap greater technical freedom than those wishing to carry on with unlimited budgets.
While Ferrari have said this would make it a two-tier championship they cannot accept, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley have said they expect all teams to race to one set of regulations.
Before the decision was announced, Ferrari issued a statement on its website (www.ferrari.com) referring to some of those who might take part in the 2010 championship if a budget cap was introduced.
"Wirth Research, Lola, USF1, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Formtech, Campos, iSport: these are the names of the teams which would compete in the two-tier Formula One wanted by Mosley.
"Can a world championship with teams like them - with due respect - have the same value as today's Formula One, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete?
"Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?" the statement added in reference to a less high-profile series.
Ferrari and the other outfits unhappy over the new rules now face a May 29 deadline for entries into the 2010 world F1 championship after which they would not be able to compete.
One of Ferrari's lawyers, Emmanuel Gaillard, told AFP after Tuesday's hearing at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris that Ferrari had no other option but to turn to the courts.
"It's a coup de force (by the FIA) which involves changing the rules of the game," Gaillard added.
"It's as if in the 100 meters one (athlete) has to run 100m and another 80m, but the one that runs 80m has to carry a sack on his back.
"The FIA offered us a fait accompli. The annual budget of a big team is between 400 to 500 million euros. We're in the process of talking about a reduction in costs of 80 to 90 percent. It's quite simply impossible."
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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