Carmakers told to back greener F1

He believes that by diverting just a fraction of their investment already committed to F1 towards engine development, energy-efficiency technology research would be hugely boosted.

"If you offered them even a fraction of the money that's currently spent on F1 engine development, they would be able to up their rate of development enormously," Mosley told this week's Autosport.

"At the moment they're working in the hundreds-of-thousands-of-Euros-type budget, rather than the millions. With bigger budgets we could get the most spectacular leaps in development."

Mosley said research into super-capacitors and flywheel technology were the areas most likely to benefit from intensive research that would be immediately applicable to roads cars.

Mosley said: "There is time pressure for change to a direction where everybody believes we are moving from 20th century technology to 21st century-type technology.

"Everybody is working on these devices, but if Toyota and BMW and Mercedes dedicate more research to it, then the effort and momentum would be completely different."