Teams group FOTA set to collapse - report

The F1 teams group FOTA, once a powerful and influential alliance, is on the verge of collapse.

That is the claim of the Telegraph newspaper, revealing that with membership fees already going unpaid, the absence of FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh could now be the final straw.

Not only that, deputy FOTA chairman Eric Boullier, who has moved from Lotus to McLaren over the winter, "is expected to step back from any prominent role" with the association, correspondent Daniel Johnson claimed.

A source told Johnson that FOTA, now with just 7 of the 11 teams on its books, is also facing "substantial" financial problems, as members baulk at paying up due to disputes about the group’s purpose.

Bob Fernley, the deputy team boss at Force India, said losing Red Bull and Ferrari was a key moment for FOTA.

"I don’t think there’s any question about that one," he admitted, "but we can’t undo where we are today."