contracts to see what the hell was going on..It was a mess...And it would be a mess for the next three years.

Ultimately after a furious amount of court actions across the European Economic Community and a few in North America in 1979 and 1980, which delayed the start of 1980 season by 70 days. It was decided that each track could make a choice. They could not hold a race. They could choose one of governing bodies...OR both of them. In short...figure it out.

FISA held two huge markers -- Monaco...and in 1980, FISA rearranged the calendar to brig traditionalist fans to their side. The season opened at Monte Carlo, and actually got a solid field of 16 teams...including a number of smaller teams that were giving immediate approval.

TheyEccelstone found warm support from a nationalistic Westminster that saw FISA as "More bloody European interference hindering Britain."

In 1982, FOCA got the linchpin ally that brought both sides to the table. Former world champion-turned-industrialist Dan Gurney, who was finalizing negotiations to acquire a good deal of the British auto industry offered to mediate, citing his 1978 "white paper" that restructured Indianapolis-type racing in the U.S. as a template.

To make the long story short, three years of splits negotiations, and name calling nearly wrecked Formula 1, but ended up making Bernie Eccelstone a bigger player than he was in the OTL (and would also sow the seed of his downfall..buts that's different story).

On December 5, 1982, the Eccelstone-Balestre Agreement (ITTL's "Concorde Agreement") was signed and ratified by all the