F1 constructors join forces to rebuff Ecclestone's offer

Five of the 10 F1 manufacturers have issued their firmest indication yet that they will not be seduced by financial offers from Bernie Ecclestone.

Five of the 10 F1 manufacturers have issued their firmest indication yet that they will not be seduced by financial offers from Bernie Ecclestone.

Last week the commercial rights holder, together with the FIA president Max Mosley, persuaded Ferrari to turn their back on the manufacturers' planned Grand Prix World Championship, as Ecclestone offered huge financial incentives to others to join them in extending the Concorde Agreement from December 2007 to 2012. BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and Toyota have now hit back by confirming their unanimous commitment to creating a set of governing principles which they believe represent an appropriate framework for the future.

Their five main objectives mirror those of the Grand Prix World Championship: to keep Grand Prix racing at the pinnacle of the sport; to provide a long-term plan for grand prix motor racing; to supportindependent teams; to provide good value to fans; and to be open, transparent and fair in commercial, technical and sporting governance.

The document represents a clear demand for change in the way the sport is run and is a refusal to succumb to Ecclestone's latest blandishments.