Mosley urges carmakers to commit to F1

At the same time, Mosley has warned them they will be frozen out of rules talks if they miss the deadline.

Mosley unveiled his idea for the early deadline for 2008 entries last month, but his plans for the seven-day 'window of opportunity' have now been formally put to the teams in a letter, a copy of which has been obtained by autosport.com.

He is hoping that the FIA World Council will approve, at their next meeting on March 22, plans to open entries for the 2008 championship on March 24 and then close them again on March 31.

In the letter, sent today to all F1 team principals and manufacturers' representatives, as well as those teams who have expressed an interest in joining the championship, Mosley explained that the motivation behind the move was to allow the FIA to establish the framework of rules for 2008 in consultation with those teams competing in the championship.

Mosley has made it clear that he wants the FIA World Council to approve the early cut-off point on 2008 entries simply because it will allow in-depth talks on rules to begin immediately.

"The reason we are proposing this relatively early closing date is that both the Sporting and Technical regulations may need some limited fine tuning before they are finalised, and we intend to give the teams that are committed to participating at least eighteen months' notice of changes which may affect the design of the cars," wrote Mosley.

"This means that many of the 2008 regulations must be fixed no later than 30 June 2006. 

"Once the entries have closed, the participants in the 2008 Championship will be known, enabling the FIA and those teams to use the three months from 31 March to 30 June 2006 for the discussion and agreement of any final adjustments to the regulations. 

"Naturally, discussions on the fine tuning of the 2008 regulations will only involve those that intend to participate in the Championship."

Mosley added that the 2008 Sporting Regulations, which have been put together in consultation with those teams already committed to F1 after 2007, are likely to be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council in the week after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The letter also makes it clear that Mosley wants the manufacturers to remain committed to F1 - but believes they must accept that his cost-cutting drive is aimed at securing their future, not as a way of driving them out.

"The FIA very much hopes that all the teams and manufacturers competing in this year's Championship will also enter for 2008," added Mosley. "Some of the sporting changes proposed for 2008 may be seen as radical, as are some aspects of the Technical Regulations already adopted. 

"However, the objective is to reduce costs, improve the spectacle and at the same time, maintain and, where possible, increase current safety levels.

"The FIA believes that at a time of painful restructuring in large sections of the automobile industry, it is only a financially viable Formula One that can hope to retain the major car manufacturers as participants in the medium and long term, not to mention the independent teams.  Hence the need to reduce costs.

"The FIA fully understands that one of the objectives of the major car manufacturers is to demonstrate technical excellence, but believes that this can be achieved without excessive expenditure. 

"Bearing in mind that much of the engineering effort in the road car sector is aimed at technical excellence at low cost, it is appropriate that the World Championship regulations should attempt to bring this approach into Formula One.

"The credit which a major car company will gain from winning the World Championship will not be any the less if money is no longer being spent on technologies which are largely irrelevant to road cars and often entirely concealed from the public.

"We very much hope that all the current participants will support this approach and submit their entries in due time."

Mosley is believed to be at the Geneva Motorshow today for talks with car manufacturer representatives. It comes amid speculation that the breakaway Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) are on the verge of reaching commercial terms with Bernie Ecclestone to remain committed to F1 - pending discussions on rules.

An FIA spokesman confirmed to autosport.com that a letter had been sent by Mosley to the teams today, but declined to comment on its contents.

THE FULL LETTER

To all team principals and manufacturers' representatives
known to have an interest in the 2008 Formula One World Championship

1 March 2006

Gentlemen

On 22 March 2006, the World Motor Sport Council will be invited to approve Formula One Sporting Regulations for 2008. These proposed regulations include a provision that entries for the 2008 Formula One World Championship should open on 24 March 2006 and close on 31 March 2006.

The reason we are proposing this relatively early closing date is that both the Sporting and Technical regulations may need some limited fine tuning before they are finalised, and we intend to give the teams that are committed to participating at least eighteen months' notice of changes which may affect the design of the cars.  This means that many of the 2008 regulations must be fixed no later than 30 June 2006.  Once the entries have closed, the participants in the 2008 Championship will be known, enabling the FIA and those teams to use the three months from 31 March to 30 June 2006 for the discussion and agreement of any final adjustments to the regulations.  Naturally, discussions on the fine tuning of the 2008 regulations will only involve those that intend to participate in the Championship.

The draft 2008 Technical Regulations were, of course, published prior to 31 December 2005 as required by the Concorde Agreement.  A preliminary draft of the 2008 Sporting Regulations has already been circulated to the teams which have committed to the 2008 Championship as well as to certain new teams which have indicated that they may wish to enter.  We will be happy to provide a copy of this preliminary draft to any other team that requests it, though this may not be exactly identical to the final draft  which will be submitted to members of the World Motor Sport Council in the week following the Bahrain Grand Prix with a recommendation that it be accepted.   We intend to be able to make a final draft available as soon as it is ready.

The FIA very much hopes that all the teams and manufacturers competing in this year's Championship will also enter for 2008.  Some of the sporting changes proposed for 2008 may be seen as radical, as are some aspects of the Technical Regulations already adopted.  However, the objective is to reduce costs, improve the spectacle and at the same time, maintain and, where possible, increase current safety levels.

The FIA believes that at a time of painful restructuring in large sections of the automobile industry, it is only a financially viable Formula One that can hope to retain the major car manufacturers as participants in the medium and long term, not to mention the independent teams.  Hence the need to reduce costs.

The FIA fully understands that one of the objectives of the major car manufacturers is to demonstrate technical excellence, but believes that this can be achieved without excessive expenditure.  Bearing in mind that much of the engineering effort in the road car sector is aimed at technical excellence at low cost, it is appropriate that the World Championship regulations should attempt to bring this approach into Formula One.  The credit which a major car company will gain from winning the World Championship will not be any the less if money is no longer being spent on technologies which are largely irrelevant to road cars and often entirely concealed from the public.

We very much hope that all the current participants will support this approach and submit their entries in due time.

Yours sincerely,

Max Mosley