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Formula 1 teams letting cost-cut chances slip, says McLaren boss

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes that Formula 1 teams must do a better job of decision-making over regulations

The Formula 1 Teams' Association chairman cited the high costs of next year's 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engines as an example of their failure to consider the long-term implications of rule changes.

Whitmarsh has described the 2014 engine regulations as an "own goal" in terms of the costs involved.

Opinion: the problems F1 can't ignore

He added that even though McLaren is secure financially, he is concerned about the long-term financial stability of other teams.

"There isn't a silver bullet here," said Whitmarsh when asked by AUTOSPORT how the teams can do a better job when it comes to decision making.

"We have got to be a bit more diligent in how we pull things together, recognise the implications and work harder at cost saving in F1.

"McLaren, in recent years, has shown it's less critical [financially] but we need to make sure that the sport is healthier than we have made it at the moment.

"We need to have 10 or 11 teams that can survive and have sustainable business models.

"People have got to be more proactive, earlier on rule changes and how we develop cost-cutting in F1."

V6 RULES A MISSED CHANCE

Whitmarsh has described the 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine regulations as a missed opportunity.

He believes that while the fundamentals of the engine package do increase their road relevance, there should have been tighter controls on more exotic technologies.

Whitmarsh sees these as excessively expensive and questions their value to road car manufacturers.

"The overall thrust [of the regulations], downsizing, direct injection, turbocharging, those are road relevant technologies and are good," said Whitmarsh. "Energy recovery is good."

"Whether the high-speed motors that are necessary to be driven by exhaust turbines in excess of 100,000rpm are road relevant, I suspect not. They are pretty exotic.

"Conceptually, it was good but we perhaps didn't control some of the exotic aspects of it which ultimately are going to be less relevant."

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