The FOTA meeting on board Flavio's yacht in the harbor at Monaco has ended and now the teams will present a united front in their meeting with Mosley later today. So says Luca di Montezemolo and he makes it clear that they expect to be heard: "It is important that our view of the future is absolutely shared."
Luca di Montezemolo
Whatever the teams agreed upon, the important thing is that they remain united within FOTA and, so far, all has gone well. Some of the teams have made no secret of the fact that they will be signing on for next year within the FIA's time limit but this has not affected their support for FOTA's stance. It is only from such a position that Mosley can be induced to compromise on his intended regulations for next year; the slightest sign of a split between the teams and he and Bernie Ecclestone will do their utmost to widen the gap.
I have always felt that agreement would be reached eventually and that the manufacturers would stay in F1 as a result. With today's news, this still seems the most likely outcome.
Update
The meeting between FOTA and FIA President, Max Mosley, did not reach agreement and so the round of meetings will continue tomorrow and beyond. Luca di Montezemolo continues to champion the survival of F1 in recognizable form, while Mosley holds out for, umm, his version of how things should be.
Life goes on and tomorrow we have qualifying for the Monaco GP. No prizes for guessing which is sublime and which ridiculous.