This summer break has yet to be the peaceful few weeks off we desired, and now the FIA have thrown another interesting piece of news into the melting pot.

Following BMW's failure to meet the deadline to sign the Concorde Agreement, the FIA have opened up the selection process for new teams to fill the empty space in the paddock. AUTOSPORT reports that Max Mosley wrote to the seven reserve teams to let them know a place had become available.

I understand the need to do this, although it seems really close to the deadline, and quite harsh on BMW. They only just missed it, and are working really hard to try and find a solution to their withdrawal. Well, it seems as though Peter Sauber is, anyway. He is the only one making noises from the Hinwil camp, and it's not looking good for them. If the entry goes to one of the reserve teams, which it is likely to do, they may already have an infrastructure in place for producing their F1 car, leaving one massive factory in the middle of Switzerland with very little purpose.

Meanwhile, who would take up this final place for 2010? I wonder if the seven teams in reserve are still happy about joining the sport, what with the legal concerns over Mosley allegedly stipulating Cosworth as a partner. That being the case, it seems odd that the FIA would want to open this can of worms again, as they haven't sorted out the complaints from the last selection process yet. Perhaps they intend to choose a team without a Cosworth engine at the helm, which would essentially exonerate them from these claims. Except, manufacturers are only supposed to supply a couple of teams, and Cosworth have three signed up already. Which other manufacturers are ready to supply an engine?

This opens up many questions, and yet another deadline (not yet known). Will the team formerly known as BMW be ready in time to submit an application? Would they be selected above the others? Who else is still realistically in the running and what engine will they use?