Formula One could soon have a new commercial deal to make races more entertaining, team bosses said on Thursday after winning their first battle over the immediate future of the sport. The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) had threatened a breakaway series in a long-running row with International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Max Mosley over a budget cap, but an agreement on Wednesday ended the crisis. A new deal has yet to be signed with commercial rights holder CVC, represented by Bernie Ecclestone, but an agreement is close with Renault boss Flavio Briatore in charge of spicing up the already glamorous sport. “Flavio will be busy working with the commercial rights holder to improve the show of the sport, we hope we can find agreement with CVC in the coming days,” Ferrari president and FOTA head Luca di Montezemolo told a news conference. The teams feel empowered after largely achieving their aims at Wednesday's FIA World Motor Sports Council meeting in Paris, where the budget cap was dropped and Mosley said he would retire in October. This year's rules will remain in place next season but costs will still be cut to the level of the 1990s. FOTA members think the fresh start and ideas they came up with when pondering a breakaway can bring fans closer to the sport. Team bosses have criticized the lack of supporters at new tracks like Istanbul and believe fans are best served by traditionally exciting races at the likes of Spa in Belgium. “What we want is a Formula One and in the end we achieved that. We want to work for a better show, better entertainment,” Briatore said after a FOTA meeting which was originally called to plan the breakaway series.
