Williams Had no Choice but to Enter 2010
So if they didnt put an entry in for 2010 what would they do with themselves and their 500+ employees? At that level they will not only be able to survive but to make a profit. And the technical department reckons that with many teams scaling down, they will do the best job on that level of money. They also stand to benefit from budgets coming down to £40 million.
I dont know what time frame is in the agreement Ferrari signed at the time, but Bernie Ecclestone referred to it the other day when he implied that he would sue them if they didnt enter next year.
The question now is, will the other teams who signed up in 2005 also now be obliged to put an entry in for 2010? These teams are Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India (was Midland at the time). It is unlikely that their deals are all the same as Williams, because Ecclestone tends to like doing different deals with everyone.
On a more basic level Williams need to stay close to the FIA because all they do is race F1 cars, they dont sell energy drinks or road cars.
Williams signed a contract back in 2005, shortly after Ferrari, to stay with the FIA and with FOM, rather than join the manufacturers breakaway series being proposed at the time. The contract they signed then obliges them to race in F1 online until the end of 2010.