GPWC threat not a concern yet

Frank Williams has spoken about the concerns regarding the intended breakaway championship, planned to be hosted by the Grand Prix World Championship group from 2008. FIA president Max Mosley said at the San Marino Grand Prix that the alternative series could become reality and F1's governing body would not stand in the way.

"If the teams, the manufacturers or a combination of them, the existing teams, wish to run a private series, they are absolutely free to do so," said Mosley. "There is absolutely nothing to stop someone starting a rival series and it would be wrong to prevent them doing that."

However, Mosley thinks it would be difficult for all the parties involved to reach an agreement, despite previously thinking they would: "It's beginning to look as though I was wrong and they are not going to reach agreement." He commented.

Williams believes it's all a fuss about nothing: "Everyone, it seems to me, gets in a bit of a tizz about the GPWC and the split and this and that," he remarked. "There's still four more years to go on the (Concorde) agreement. If I had a four-year contract with BMW, I'd have my feet up on the table, I'd be relaxed so to speak. What's the fuss?"

The GPWC and F1 teams recently signed an agreement on terms of the future series but Williams says it's not an indication that everyone will actually move to the alternative championship come 2008. A deal between the parties currently involved in F1 would be a better solution.

"It was just the teams stating a position that unless Bernie (Ecclestone) has a better offer for what happens after 2007, we might go off to GPWC. But I think we all realise that a lot of water has got to flow under the bridge before the GPWC becomes a real series. We know a deal is the best solution."