No sign of end to rules row

ISTANBUL // Crucial talks will take place this week to resolve the future of Formula One and teams, owners and drivers are hoping for a positive outcome. The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, are at loggerheads over the new regulations and cost-capping measures for next season's championship and beyond. The eight existing members of FOTA, including Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault and Brawn GP, want their own preferred regulations with the controversial £40million (Dh234m) budget cap scrapped.

The FIA will announce the teams for the 2010 championship on Friday and are still hoping to resolve the row by then, although a breakaway FOTA championship is still on the horizon. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa said it was a "nightmare" scenario and fears Formula One will not be as attractive if the FIA, under their president Max Mosley, implement their own proposals. "We as drivers, we want to race for the best teams in the world and we want to race with the best drivers," he said. "For the moment, it is a nightmare what is happening in this fight. We want to know as drivers what was going on, and we wanted to give our opinion.

"Our opinion is that we wanted to race in the best category - and the best category means the one that has the best technology, the category that has the best teams, the best drivers, and in a category that is a top category in motorsport. "If we do what Mr Mosley wants, then we will not be at the top of motorsport - we will be in a different level." [e-mail]