OCTOBER 10, 2002

Mosley's letter to the F1 teams

FIA President Max Mosley has written to the Formula 1 team bosses outlining his proposals for changes in the F1 sporting regulations. The list includes several ideas which are at best unlikely, including the idea of drivers rotating between the teams in the course of the season. This and weight handicapping are the least likely to happen but other proposals such as a change in qualifying procedures to allow for four 30 minute sessions on Fridays and Saturdays; changes to the tyre regulations; testing restrictions; standardised parts and so on could well become rules after the meeting of the F1 Commission at the end of the month.

The motive behind the proposals is to reduce the costs in F1 while at the same time improving the show. Testing is hugely expensive at the moment and is largely money wasted as all the teams are doing the same level of work and so no-one is gaining a massive advantage in much the same way as the Arms Race during the Cold War achieved nothing but enormous cost to those involved.

The tyre rules would be widened to allow tyremakers to offer two compounds to each team at each event. This would mean that teams could have tyres which are better-suited to their chassis rather than everyone being stuck with the same tyres. This would help to wipe out the advantage which is currently being gained by Ferrari through its close relationship with Bridgestone, which cannot be matched by rival teams.

The standardisation of parts would also help to restrict costs, although this would also cut down still further on what engineers can do to gain an advantage. The other suggestion is that teams should have a couple of standard aerodynamic packages allowable plus fewer engines and fewer gearboxes.

Teams are already beginning to make counter-proposals with rumours in Japan that Minardi has come up with a 10-point plan for what it considers to be important for the future of the sport. This list is believed to include the renegotiation of the Concorde Agreement so that the 10 teams get the same amount of TV money.

All these matters will come up for discussion when the teram principals meet and the decisions made will go the next FIA World Council at the start of December.