Boullier dismisses threat of a breakaway

Renault team principal Eric Boullier has dismissed the threat of a breakaway for now, as a mini-war takes place between the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone’s FOM.

A meeting between the top four teams has been called for next weekend to discuss the sports future, including ownership, a new Concorde agreement as well as other niggling issues such as the ageing audience.

Boullier insists the talks won’t include the idea of a breakaway series, similar to what happened in 2009, but he admitted things needed to change and everyone needed to work together for the good of the sport.

“There are a lot of discussions regarding the engine. We all know there is some difference of interests between FOM [Ecclestone] and the FIA. It is the usual game,” he told reporters in Istanbul.

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“The engine is definitely one debate, but for me the main debate is that we need to think about F1.

“We have to compete against sports like football, the Olympic Games and others which have developed drastically in terms of business, which is the key, along with sponsors.

“So this little war inside the paddock is maybe fun for journalists and some people, but to be honest, for me it’s not. We need to think a little more globally.

“In F1 we need to realise the rest of the world has changed, and if we want to be successful as a show, a sport, a competition, we need to think a little differently.”

The Frenchman insists everyone within the sport has the same agenda, to increase the entertainment factor, resulting in more revenue for everyone involved.

“It’s always tricky for everybody to sit around a table and discuss common points of interest, sharing revenues and stuff like this.

“It is not an easy job, we will see how it goes. But I don’t think we are at the point where we speak about a breakaway series.

“We [the teams and the owner] have the same interests. They want to have a better show and better value for their company, and we also want a better show, everything better.

“If we have the same wish, in theory we should be able to sit down and have some common points of discussion.

“But the threat of a breakaway, I think not at this stage. I hope we don’t come to this kind of discussion.

“I think this would be more destructive than helpful for F1,” he warned.