US F1 may face punishment
Thursday, 11 March 2010 17:53The FIA has suggested sanctions could be taken against US F1.
The American marque were due to be one of four new teams on the grid this weekend for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
However, due to financial difficulties, they were recently forced to pull the plug on their operation, leaving them in breach of the Concorde Agreement.
US F1 committed themselves to the sport through to 2012, however, it is recognised that failure to comply with the Agreement - the commercial document that binds teams to the sport - leaves them open to potential penalty.
There is now such a possibility being levied against US F1 after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Bahrain today.
A statement read: 'With regard to the US F1 team's non-participation in the 2010 championship, the World Council mandated the FIA president (Jean Todt)...to take forward the most appropriate action.'
At the same meeting, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone confirmed India will host a grand prix next year, subject to the final approval of the 2011 calendar by the World Council later this year.
That could result in a further expansion of the calendar to what would be a record 20 races.
