FIA's Jean Todt calls top Formula 1 teams' cost proposals a joke

Ahead of a big push by Todt to try to implement much-needed cost controls in F1, with spending having accelerated at the front of the grid, he has asked the sport's smaller outfits to come up with suggestions.

That is because he is hugely unimpressed with a three-year plan that has been proposed by leading teams, which includes a tyre warmer ban, the return of active suspension and more standard parts.

"What was proposed? It was a joke," said Todt, during a visit to the Spanish Grand Prix.

Todt believes that rather than a gradual cut back on spending, F1 is in need of something more radical to ensure the long-term survival of the grid.

"We know the budgets are between $100 million and $400 million," he said.

"The proposals that they seem happy with are to reduce budgets by $2 million, which is ridiculous.

"When we speak about costs we must speak about reducing it by 30-40 per cent. Then we can feel comfortable.

"So what can we do? I have some ideas. I gave some input, and I want to see what the teams say.

"We will meet with all the people and hopefully they are sensible people and they come with some sensible suggestions."

Todt thinks that one of the main issues is that teams have grown too big, and that staffing numbers expanding above 800 people are not sustainable.

"What costs money is headcounts," he said. "They are big.

"When we speak to ban two days of testing, it is ridiculous because it costs nothing on the overall budget."