F1: FOTA finishes as teams' allegiance falls apart following Martin Whitmarsh's departure

The Formula One Teams' Association has announced it has disbanded with immediate effect, ending weeks of speculation with regard to the future of the organisation.

Revealing the news, FOTA secretary general Oliver Weingarten said: "I can confirm that FOTA has been disbanded as a result of its members having re-evaluated their requirements in the face of a changing political and commercial landscape in Formula One."

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FOTA was formed in 2008 to serve all the teams on the Formula One grid, offering a collective voice in discussions with the FIA and the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Matters came to a head two years later when FOTA was at the heart of talks regarding a potential breakaway series before a resolution was reached with the FIA over new commercial agreements.

But in 2011, FOTA's unity was shattered when Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Ferrari and Sauber withdrew their support following a dispute over the way forward with regard to cost-cutting proposals.

Seven teams continued to form FOTA, under the chairmanship of former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

But Whitmarsh's departure, along with the formation of the Strategy Group that now serves the needs of the teams in proposing the way ahead, has ultimately resulted in FOTA's demise.