FOTA hopes FIA welcomes proposals

The governing body's president Max Mosley has made it clear that it was vital for FOTA to quickly see through the ideas proposed to reduce costs.

Mosley wrote to di Montezemolo in January, ahead of the FOTA meeting to discuss their cost-cutting ideas, warning the teams that even more radical concepts may be the only way to ensure the survival of the sport.

On Thursday, FOTA revealed their plans to further reduce costs in the sport over the next two years, and di Montezemolo feels they are good enough to appease the FIA.

"First of all I think that what is important is that the car manufacturers and the teams, that are at the end of the day are the person and company that put the money on the table to invest for F1, (have reached) unanimous agreement in this important cost reduction for 2010," said di Montezemolo.

"And this has already achieved without any push for 2009, because 2009, that means that this year, is crucial.

"If we had not done alone these cost savings, it would have been difficult for many teams to maintain activities in F1. We will meet with the chairman of FIA in the next days, and we will inform the World Council on these important decisions, because as you have seen these decisions have been taken in such a short time and I think there are important cost savings.

"I think we have done a good work and we agree that these can maintain the characteristics of F1 without standardisation, and without decisions that will heavily affect the DNA of F1."

The Italian admitted FOTA's goal is to reduce the teams' budget by 50 percent by 2010.

"Maybe in the future months we can be more precise, but this is a goal we can achieve with decisions we have already taken for 2010," he said.

Di Montezemolo insisted the teams are still looking to get more revenues from the sport, but the Italian said that would come through more income, rather than from asking Bernie Ecclestone for a bigger share of the current revenue.

"We can increase the amount of revenue if we improve some activities. One of which we strongly believe is the new media. So maintaining the share but inside the share we can improve the numbers, because we are committed with the share until 2012," he said.

Di Montezemolo said the revenue share the teams receive is set in the Concorde Agreement, and that is unlikely to change before 2013.

"The dialogue with FOM is of course very open dialogue. We are committed with them until 2012 - and that at the end of the day with the speed of the world is tomorrow.

"We think that, anyway, between now and that date it is possible to improve the use of the new media, but I think after 2013 it will be even more possible. Again our commitment is until the end of 2012."