Formula One puts focus back on track

Martin Whitmarsh has had a spring in his step of late, and not just because his McLaren team is leading both Formula One championships into next week's British Grand Prix.

After a tough 2009, the battle-hardened Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) chairman is enjoying a season where the main focus is the contest on the track rather than the fighting in the grand prix paddock. A year ago, the teams were split and the threat of a breakaway series hung over the sport, but that seems like ancient history now, even if some participants are still wary of tempting fate.

The departure of Max Mosley as International Automobile Federation (FIA) president, replaced by former Ferrari boss Jean Todt last October, has changed the landscape as has a new commercial deal with F1 rights holder Bernie Ecclestone.

The result, so far, has been a season where the racing -- thrilling and with five different championship leaders already after nine rounds -- has taken centre stage.

"This could go down as one of the greatest championships," Whitmarsh told Reuters at the European Grand Prix in Valencia last weekend. "For all of us, and I think you sense it, it's just so much more enjoyable when our energies are expended on trying to beat each other fairly and squarely on the other side of the pit wall (rather) than get pummelled over here in some political maelstrom. That (the paddock politics) may create some headlines and speculation but is deeply depressing to be involved in for months on end, I can assure you."

Mosley's reign was always controversial, even if measures he rammed through have made the sport safe enough for drivers such as Red Bull's Mark Webber to walk away from the huge crash he had in Valencia on Sunday.

Adept at wielding both carrot and stick, he branded some of the team bosses 'loonies' at Silverstone last year as relations plunged into crisis.

Todt, who has been a low-key presence and attended just two races this year, has started off with a very different approach. The Frenchman has appeared hands-off, delegating to others and setting up a system of former drivers to assist the stewards on race weekends, while there has also been an absence of evident political spin.

"It's good news," Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug told Reuters. "People know they need to behave, they need to work together and that's how it should be; work together and have a fair fight on the racetrack."

The teams, through FOTA, have appeared united as never before and are working together to reach a consensus on issues such as the new tyre supplier and affordable technology.

"I think there is starting to be a much better working relationship between FOTA and FOM (Ecclestone's Formula One Management) and the FIA," said Whitmarsh, who took over from Ron Dennis at McLaren last year. "I think Jean has had a style which is thought not to be generally confrontational, recognising that all of the parties need to work together. I also think that Jean's introduction of a driver amongst the stewards has actually given quite a good calming effect on the stewarding system and it's brought an understanding to racing."

Problems thrown up by the deployment of the safety car, in Monaco and Valencia, have had the immediate sting drawn by the governing body agreeing to revisit the regulations.

Last year was poisoned by scandal and controversy, as well as a standoff over cost cuts and direction of the sport. Whitmarsh was involved in one row when he had to apologise to the FIA for McLaren and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton misleading stewards to gain an advantage in the season-opening Australian race.

Renault was then given a suspended permanent ban after rigging the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

This season's flare-ups have so far been nothing unusual for the intensely competitive sport -- Renault's unhappiness with McLaren's 'F-duct' before everyone decided to copy it anyway, and Ferrari's fury at the stewards' tardiness in punishing Hamilton for overtaking the safety car in Valencia.

"I think there's been a gradual process over a number of years of people learning to work together a lot better," said Mercedes GP chief executive Nick Fry. "From a team point of view we all get on remarkably well. I think the change in some of the characters in the teams has probably helped that. Jean has started off with a much more communicative and conciliatory attitude than his predecessor and I think that's helped the situation. I think all you are seeing is probably a maturing of Formula One."

Whitmarsh said the recent debate over the 2011 tyre contract was an example of everyone pulling together and the big teams helping the smaller ones, in contrast to the past.

"The greater good won out," he said. "There was a compromise on the part of the teams, the FIA and the commercial rights holder to get us to a solution which is what the sport needs."