DECEMBER 20, 2004

Mercedes-Benz backs down on arbitration

Although not keen to be seen to be giving way to the FIA, we hear that Mercedes-Benz has also given up on its plans to go to arbitration with the federation over the change of the engine regulations in 2006. The FIA was committed to keep 3-litre V10 engines until the end of the Concorde Agreement in 2007 but decided last year to push for a new 2.4-litre V8 formula in 2005, ignoring the early commitment. FIA President Max Mosley insisted on the rule change on the grounds of safety but did not take the much easier route to slowing the cars by introducing a control tyre, arguing that it was more important to make the change to the engine rules before altering the tyre rules because it would be easier to achieve the latter and if the tyre regulations were done first there would be more opposition to changing the engine rules. The interesting thing is that in Brazil nine of the 10 teams said they wanted control tyres as soon as possible but Mosley's decision to cancel the F1 Commission planned for the start of December means that the tyre chance is unlikely to happy before January 1 2007. There was talk when the meeting was cancelled that the tyre decision could be done with a fax vote but there is no sign of that happening and with the Christmas break having now begun it is unlikely that anything will be done.