The FIA has issued a statement in response to the failure of Caterham and Marussia to show up in Austin.
It says that the US GP stewards will bear the circumstances in mind when considering whether the teams have broken the rules.
Looking ahead, the governing body says that it will support efforts at controlling costs.
“The FIA has been informed of the financial difficulties of the Caterham F1 and Marussia F1 Teams and of the considerable uncertainty surrounding their participation in the final races of the 2014 championship.
“It is the responsibility of the FIA Stewards to determine whether or not a team has failed to fulfil its regulatory obligation to take part in all events on the calendar and to take whatever action they deem appropriate. However, we have every confidence that the Stewards are fully aware of the financial situation of the teams concerned and these matters are always assessed with extreme care and due regard for the circumstances involved.
“Looking beyond the end of the 2014 season, these failings once again acutely raise the question of the economic balance of the FIA Formula One Championship and justify the position, expressed many times by the FIA, in favour of any initiative that will help reduce costs in order to ensure the survival of the existing grid or attract potential new entrants.
“As such, the FIA, in close cooperation with FOM and the different stakeholders in F1, will continue to work towards maintaining the attraction of the championship and the equitable participation of the teams in it in the years to come.”
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 
I can’t help but see this statement as the same as a blank sheet of paper. It says nothing, it means nothing, it accomplishes nothing. I suppose in some ways it attempts to pass the buck to a small group of race stewards at one GP, but then it gives them an out as the only sensible thing. Nothing is going to change for the 11th team, nor is a 10th place team likely to survive on only $30 mil/yr (EUR or USD). Haas F1 and Romania F1 surely need their heads examined for entering F1.
Have to agree with you, absolutely.
What a waste of electrons on a screen. A thoroughly useless monologue from the FIA that gets us no closer to addressing the root cause of why F1 finds itself on the precipice of three car teams.
Todt’s leadership of the FIA has been frankly embarassing. It’s the FIA that is responsible for the rules in the Formula 1 championship and their direct action (introducing ‘green’ engines that cost in the region of 30 million a season to run) that has contributed to this situation.
At the moment the balance of power is firmly in the top F1 teams and FOM’s hands – left to their own devices they’re going to end up with a formula consisting of Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren with a prohibitive cost barrier to prevent any new teams from joining in the future.
I’m starting to lose patience with Formula 1 – it’s making it’s own fans look like idiots for following/supporting such a farce.
Many thumbs up Matt.