The biggest teams in F1 "face accusations that they are taking part in an 'unlawful' cartel worth tens of millions of pounds in a legal challenge that could change the face of the sport," according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES.
The charges have been brought by two of the smallest teams -- Force India and Sauber -- which "risk the wrath of their more powerful rivals and F1’s authorities by calling on the European Union competition commission to investigate."
The two teams "filed a complaint" in Brussels on Monday "after months compiling a damning report" accusing CVC Capital Partners, the City-based private equity group that controls F1, of paying five teams -- Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams -- more than £150M ($228M) a year "to buy their co-operation."
The teams have told the EU that Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One group of companies, controlled by CVC, "is abusing its dominant position in motor racing and has a responsibility not to distort competition."
It could be weeks before the EU "decides whether to investigate, but the mood in Brussels is said to be for a clean-up of the sport" after the scandals engulfing FIFA.
An EU investigation "could have a seismic effect." One source said that Ecclestone may decide to put the £155M ($235M) of special payments "to the five aside until the outcome is known." A spokesperson for CVC "was unavailable."
A spokesperson for Force India and Sauber "was unwilling to comment." He said, “It would be inappropriate until the EU competition authorities have decided what they would want to do.”
However, a briefing note showed that Force India and Sauber "have tired of the heavily skewed payments system that favours five teams over the five independently run outfits struggling to stay alive." The notes said that the system of “dividing revenues and determining how rules are set is both unlawful and unfair” (LONDON TIMES, 9/29).
