Why a breakaway series would be viable

The crisis rolls on into another week. The FIA's publication of the entry list for 2010 reveals that they are trying to split the FOTA alliance, by including Ferrari and the Red Bull teams as unconditional entries, with the other five given until this Friday to fall into line, or else risk exclusion. But so far the tactic has not worked; neither Ferrari or Red Bull have defected, and the alliance has held.

With the threat of a breakaway series thus growing each day, a number of drivers have now come out in stating that they would be more than happy to race in a rebel championship, if a compromise is not reached. Felipe Massa is one of those, as is Mark Webber, whose comments in his column for the BBC F1 website were unequivocal: "All the drivers share the same view. We want to drive for the best teams and race against the best drivers. If it's not the FIA Formula 1 world championship, so be it. It'll still be the most prestigious championship."

The viability of a breakaway series is becoming ever more apparent. Already there have been rumours that FOTA are in talks with the BRDC, the owners of Silverstone, which will not host the British Grand Prix after this year. If a deal is agreed, this could well prove a popular event with fans - especially since it looks unlikely that Donington will be ready to host an official Grand Prix in 2010. A return to Canada and the USA (whether at Indianapolis or elsewhere) is also conceivable, and would tap into a huge North American market. It will not be difficult for FOTA to find venues.

Under the current regulations for 2010, driver salaries will not be included within the €45m cap, but the FIA intends for this to be! the cas e within a couple of years at most. Thus before too long those drivers seeking the biggest salaries will be forced to turn to the breakaway series. Or, to show it in a different light, the most prominent and successful drivers - the Alonsos, Hamiltons and Raikkonens - will only be affordable to the teams in the breakaway championship. The FOTA teams want to be free to spend what they want, and it is hard to imagine the drivers will argue too hard. The danger, then, is that the official Formula One will become a sort of feeder series, much like GP2, with inexperienced drivers learning their way before graduating to the more lucrative 'rebel' championship.

At the moment, the FIA and Max Mosley are accusing the FOTA teams of attempting a 'power grab'. But the present crisis has made it clear that the current political model in F1 - whereby power is shared between the organising body, the participant teams, and the commercial rights holder - is fundamentally unworkable. The threat of a breakaway championship has existed for several years; if anything, it is remarkable that matters have not come to a head before now.