[posimoka]

Formula One has been told it needs to implement drastic cost-cutting measures by 2010 if it is to remain "credible".

FIA president Max Mosley told BBC Sport that the global credit crisis had only exacerbated problems for F1 and several teams were now in danger of quitting.
"It has become apparent, long before the current difficulties, that Formula One was unsustainable," said Mosley. "It really is a very serious situation. If we can't get this done for 2010, we will be in serious difficulty."
Mosley warned: "We've got various means of making sure they don't spend that money, but it does mean some draconian changes." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/7657298.stm

So is Max right or is this just more threat and bluster? Who are the "several teams"? What "draconian changes" can we expect?

Not so long ago FOTA said "The good thing is that people now realise that we do have to do something and I think (we are having) quite a creative open discussion." FOTA are already working on their proposals and haven't yet presented them to the FIA.

[SobiquYo]

So who's going to fire him?

[lionsiy]

^ I was going to say, my advice to Max on this subject would be - 'resign'.

[lionsiy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/7657298.stm

So is Max right or is this just more threat and bluster? Who are the "several teams"? What "draconian changes" can we expect?

Williams are sponsored by....

RBS - In serious 5hit in the UK.
HAd sold a stake in the company to Bauger?, who are owned by an Icelandic bank, and if you thought our problems were bad, Iceland could quite easily go bust very soon............

[ARKLqAZ6]

After watching Max on the news "BBC national news", I am afraid of what he will do next. He is clearly stupid!!! With all the stuff that has gone on about favouritism, he sits with a ferrari behind him. Not a problem really until the BBC zoom in at the end of the interview on it. Implying what I wonder?

Then he says F1 is in a dyer state. What a way to incourage new growth and new teams and sponsors by saying we are in a mess. Especially the new F2 series.

Worst of all to drag up his behaviour again. WE know what he did, interestingly he said the press should think before they act. Well Max so should you.

Is he trying to kill F1 off before he goes, is he trying to kill off the FIA as well.
Sorry Max needs to go, his deputy has resigned early hasn't he? Why is that then?

[Roneyslelry]

You cannot cap what individual companies spend on F1. It's as simple as that.

If sponsorship slows up, teams will spend less.

[GenryDont]

Somebody needs to save F1 from Max.

In my personal opinion (lawyers ) the guy's becoming unhinged. His attempts to save costs are laudable but you don't achieve that by constantly tinkering with the rules every few years.

F1 is becoming a laughing stock. Standard ECUs have no place in the sport; and now we're seeing gimmicks like push-to-pass buttons dressed up as an envionmental measure, and the threat of capped budgets. Carry on like this and soon F1 will be indistinguishable from A1GP.

[Gintovtosik]

We need to get Max laid again. At least it managed to shut him up for a few months.

[Dyerryjex]

Dramatic changes? Maybe we will finally see customer teams and cars in 2010?

When it seemed 2009 is a "radical change" and after this the situation calms down, then now it looks like 2009 marks only the beginning of the era of complete makeover of F1.

[ARKLqAZ6]

You can't save costs any better or be any greener than using customer cars...Not sure what Max is really trying to achieve, but the FIA are causing more problems than correcting them these days. Don't get what is going on.

I really believe Max is the problem, and always have. He moans about how F1 is run, that's not his job that's Bernies.

[Roneyslelry]

You can't save costs any better or be any greener than using customer cars...Not sure what Max is really trying to achieve, but the FIA are causing more problems than correcting them these days. Don't get what is going on.

I really believe Max is the problem, and always have. He moans about how F1 is run, that's not his job that's Bernies.

Agree wholeheartedly with you.

The FIA is there to govern the sport from a regulations perspective.

They are supposed to set technical and sporting rules and enforce them in a consistent and fair way.

Yeah, right

F1 cannot go on much longer as it is.

[Cnbaapuy]

I have a feeling that with the current financial troubles there might be a very natural spending cap on F1 teams. If there will be F1 at all in a couple of years.

[ARKLqAZ6]

If F1 fails in the next few years who will we all blame........tha man that contiunaly brings the sport into the press often for the wrong reasons. At the end of the day Max wants the sport to fail with in two years of him leaving.

We are dealing with a bitter man at the moment, vengefull man. If he is justified to feel aggrieved is your own opinion, but sinking F1 because of his petty pollitics is not acceptable. I am deeply concerned about his behaviour and I think many others will start to speak openly as well.

What with Ferraris recent sour grapes, and involvement in A1GP who knows what will happen next to F1 and what threats Ferrari will throw. Now more than ever the series organises need to be balanced in there approach and fair. Customer cars must surely be introduced soon.

[GenryDont]

I have a feeling that with the current financial troubles there might be a very natural spending cap on F1 teams. If there will be F1 at all in a couple of years.

Teams will cut their coat according to their cloth - they always have and always will.

The danger is that in the medium-term the big manufacturers, having bought up or invested in the traditional garagistes, will pull out or significantly reduce their involvement. How these teams cope with their changed circumstances we can only speculate, but those who best manage the transition will be in a strong position.

[posimoka]

I think many others will start to speak openly as well...

Sadly we've seen what happens if they dare try

[Roneyslelry]

Following a meeting in Paris on Tuesday, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) issued the following statement:

“The WMSC unanimously agreed to give the FIA President authority to negotiate with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) the introduction of radical measures to achieve a substantial reduction of costs in the championship from 2010.

“Failing agreement with FOTA, the FIA will enforce the necessary measures to achieve this goal.

“It was further unanimously agreed to allow Formula One teams to equalise engine performance across the field for 2009, pending the introduction of cost-saving measures from 2010.”
So, the teams accept Max's ideas or they get implemented anyway

Way to negiotiate max

And what is the 2nd part all about?

The teams can "equalise" engine performance before next year.

What does that mean exactly?

[posimoka]

F2 "on the cheap" seems to be Max's model for the future of F1. I only hope that FOTA has the strength of purpose to come up with proposals that the FIA President can, or will, accept.

[Gintovtosik]

F2 "on the cheap" seems to be Max's model for the future of F1.

That's a very scary thought indeed. Even scarier is the fact that you may well be right. I for one am sitting with my fingers crossed that "F2" crashes and burns, because if it does change the face of motorsport as we know it, I for one won't stick around to watch.

[GenryDont]

The teams can "equalise" engine performance before next year.

What does that mean exactly?

It means an admission that the freeze on development as a cost-saving measure has failed massively.

Instead of investing year-by-year in engine development, manufacturers will now pour huge sums into one massive push next year.

Result: no money saved, and a likely advantage for the large teams who can allocate huge resources quickly.

[andreas]

After watching Max on the news "BBC national news", I am afraid of what he will do next. He is clearly stupid!!! With all the stuff that has gone on about favouritism, he sits with a ferrari behind him. Not a problem really until the BBC zoom in at the end of the interview on it. Implying what I wonder?

Who was implying what you're wondering about? not Max himself. If he's had a STR there would people be talking about it? If he was REALLY so heavily biased as people say would he be stupid enough to have a Ferrari behind him in his office? I wouldn't say so.

I agree that capping is a load of bull. What you need to do is limit the benefits of pouring millions and millions into developing things so if Ferrari or McLaren want to spend millions developing a new type of screw which will give them a .0000001 second per lap advantage then they can but there will be no real point in doing it. Then you effectively cap F1 without having to enforce caps which is pretty much impossible. Ban the teams from making ANY aero changes unless they can show evidence that there is a safety issue and give them a variety of standard wings to choose from and you've just cut millions from the budgets of every F1 team. If you limit the potential for development of a car you limit the effectiveness of spending millions of euro's dollars pounds on development.