The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) walked out of a Technical Working Group meeting at the Nurburgring today after they learned that they were not yet officially entered in the 2010 world championship. The teams were made aware of the news despite them appearing on the official 2010 FIA entry list of June 24th and contrary to their agreement with the governing body of the same date. This latest news once again throws the fragile peace deal precariously into doubt.

FOTA was told by FIA race director Charlie Whiting that their eight teams (Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Renault, Toyota, Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Brawn) weren't entered for 2010, thereby stripping them of all voting rights towards the 2010 regulations. After unsuccessfully requesting the meeting be postponed, all FOTA representatives then left the meeting, leaving the five non-FOTA teams (Williams, Force India, US F1, Manor and Campos) to supposedly rubber-stamp the revised 2010 regulations, which scraps the budget cap and two tier championship.

“The team managers were informed by Mr Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof,” read a FOTA statement issued on Wednesday evening. “In light of these claims, the FOTA representatives requested a postponement of today's meetings. This was rejected on the grounds that no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved.”

The FIA's revelation that the eight FOTA teams are not on the 2010 entry list comes as a major surprise, and is certain to cause major upset among the teams. FOTA agreed to bring an end to their breakaway threat in exchange for regulations stability, and the deal was understood to have automatically entered the teams for 2010. In the original 2010 entry list, five FOTA teams appeared subject to them removing the conditions attached to their entries, and it was thought that the agreement essentially removed those conditions, thereby making their entries acceptable by the FIA.

FOTA was equally surprised at the news. “It will be remembered that all eight active FOTA members were included on the "accepted" entry list as endorsed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and communicated by FIA press statement on June 24,” continued the FOTA statement.

FOTA was also angered by the FIA's demand that they reach agreement with the sport's five other teams on next year's rules, saying the requirement was never discussed during their 'peace deal' talks. “As endorsed by the WMSC and clearly stated in the FIA press statement of 24 June "the rules for 2010 onwards will be the 2009 regulations as well as further regulations agreed prior to 29 April 2009". At no point in the Paris discussions was any requirement for unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed.

FOTA added that the FIA's move put the future of F1 in jeopardy, which could well result in talks of a breakaway series recommence within the teams' association. “To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula 1 in jeopardy.”

“As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation.”

More details are expected to emerge tomorrow at the Nurburgring, as the F1 paddock gathers for the annual German Grand Prix.