Australian motorsports under threat
What follows is the full four paragraph statement released by the FIA on Saturday in which they explain their stance on recent legal decisions in Australia as well as the response from Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.

Federation Internationale de l’Automobile
'Yesterday, a Judge in Melbourne issued an injunction ordering that two cars be allowed to run in Saturday’s practice sessions notwithstanding that they did not comply with the regulations for the 2005 FIA Formula One World Championship. The team concerned subsequently announced that it had withdrawn the proceedings and presented cars which complied.

The Stewards of the Australian Grand Prix and the FIA were given no notice of these proceedings and were given no opportunity to be present when the Judge heard the case. A hearing which the FIA could attend was scheduled for 1415 hrs after the sessions had taken place.

Apparently the Judge thought it right to interfere with the running of a major sporting event, overrule the duly appointed international officials and compel the governing body to allow cars to participate in breach of the international regulations, all this without first hearing both sides of the case.

If Australian laws and procedures do indeed allow a Judge to act in this way, it will be for the World Motor Sport Council to decide if a World Championship motor sport event of any kind can ever again be held in Australia.'

Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
'The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) acknowledges today’s press release issued by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and shares the concerns expressed in regard to the way a competitor sought to involve the Supreme Court of Victoria in issuing an ex parte injunction without notice to the FIA and CAMS.

CAMS needs to ascertain the details presented to the judge. The motor sport judicial process adequately provides for the determination of sporting matters and the Victorian Supreme Court has confirmed on multiple occasions that all sporting judicial processes should be exhausted prior to seeking legal avenues.

The President of CAMS, Mr Colin Osborne confirmed that the issue would be discussed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on 30 March 2005.'

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