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F1: New Formula 1 teams held back by budget cap crisis

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

The ongoing dispute between existing teams and Formula 1's ruling bodies is thwarting prospective new competitors' plans to enter the world championship next year.

The latest hopeful to throw his hat into the ring for 2010 is Alex Wurz, the recent Honda test driver who has lodged an official entry for a budget-capped team backed by Superfund.

But as the FOTA team alliance refuses to accept Max Mosley's announced rules, Austrian Wurz, 35, admitted he cannot realise his plans for Team Superfund until the crisis is resolved.

"A lot depends on what happens," he admitted to the Daily Telegraph.

"We will need to get up and running quickly so we have a plan for both scenarios; either receiving assistance from existing teams or setting up as an independent team.

"However nothing can be fully decided until it becomes clear what are we allowed and not allowed to do for 2010 and years to follow," added Wurz.

Another touted 2010 entrant was Ray Mallock Ltd (RML), currently involved with Le Mans racing and the British and World touring car championships.

But RML actually did not submit its application by the deadline last Friday.

"The recent uncertainty regarding the details of the application of the budget cap and participation of the other teams and manufacturers has meant that we were not in a position to lodge an entry prior to the 29 May deadline," read a statement.

Another new entrant was to be F1 veteran Joan Villadelprat's Spanish team Epsilon Euskadi, which is understood to also have missed the May 29 deadline.

Villadelprat, whose outfit involves another familiar face in the form of former Benetton, Sauber and Arrows engineer Sergio Rinland, said the loss of the budget cap provisions in the 2010 rules would leave their F1 foray in "financial problems".

The same is believed true for the leading British GP2 team iSport, but principal Paul Jackson has so far this week declined to comment.


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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