By Leonard Lim

F1 WITHOUT THE STARS?

THE crown jewel of Singapore's tourism calendar is in the balance, after eight top Formula One teams announced sensationally that they are taking steps to start a rival championship from next year.

They dropped the bombshell late on Thursday amid a worsening row between the F1 Teams Association (Fota) and world motorsport boss Max Mosley, who wants to limit the amount teams spend.

With marquee names like McLaren and Ferrari threatening to pull out, this is the worst crisis to engulf the sport in its 60-year history.

The sport's governing body responded swiftly yesterday, saying it would take legal action against champions Ferrari and the other teams.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), which Mr Mosley heads, said their actions breached legal obligations, among other things. It also said it was delaying announcing the 2010 line-up, which had been due today.

The absence of stars like McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Felipe Massa and current championship leader Jenson Button of Brawn GP will result in an entirely different F1 series.

Unless the two sides compromise, Singapore and the 16 other venues on the F1 circuit will be looking at a second-tier championship next year.

That prospect is worrying both tourism industry players and fans alike, less than a year since the successful inaugural Singapore Grand Prix last September.

A race minus big names would hit the bottom line hard, predicted Park Royal Hotel general manager Ian Ekers. "If they break away, a lot of the crowd will follow," he said.

SIM University chancellor Cham Tao Soon, a Ferrari fan who has followed the sport for about 30 years, said: "If Singapore is obliged to carry on for three more years with Mickey Mouse teams, it will be very disappointing. I'll probably switch to the other championship."

At the Singapore Sports Awards last night, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: "This is something the teams and the F1 management have to sort out. We hope that they will be able to come to some agreement for the good of motorsport as a whole."

The current chaos had been building up over several months, ever since Mr Mosley proposed a voluntary budget cap on teams' spending for the next season. Teams that do not comply would face technical restrictions.

The Fota teams - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso - rejected the idea, saying F1 is based on technical excellence and constant innovation.

They said they would take part next year only if the rules were revised.

But the FIA refused to budge, arguing that the teams' hefty spending of up to US$300 million (S$436 million) annually is not sustainable, not least in these difficult economic times.

Yesterday, Fota said it had no choice but to start preparing for "a new championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners".

Carrying out that threat, however, will be fraught with obstacles. Deals must be struck with television companies and host venues.

Mr Bernie Ecclestone, 78, the sport's commercial rights holder, said yesterday that the eight teams could do what they want. "I'm not here to tell them what to do," he said.

For Singapore, this year's night race on Sept 27 is safe.

Last year, it drew 40,000 visitors who brought in about $168 million in tourism receipts over a weekend.

Singapore has a five-year deal to stage the F1, with an option for a five-year extension after 2012.

Singapore GP chairman Teo Hock Seng did not want to comment on the prospect of a future with two rival F1 races.

But Mr Andrew Ing of nightspot group St James Holdings said: "We'll miss the party mood if we don't get the full teams. It would be a shame."

limze@sph.com.sg

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.