Dennis appeals for cost-cutting calm

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis has asked for a calm, reasoned approach to Grand Prix racing's perceived financial problems. At the team's informal pre-season Melbourne press gathering, Dennis appealed to the media to protect "a great and still massively strong sport."

Dennis's words come at a time when cost-cutting is at a premium and just one month after Formula 1 lost the Prost team to bankruptcy. Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has indicated to all teams its plans to introduce radical regulation changes for as early as next year, as exclusively revealed in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine.

"We are going through some difficult times, not only in motorsport, but throughout the world," said Dennis. "The world is in a very calm, but somewhat depressed economic state. The separation between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' grows, and it creates the absolute perfect environment for divide and rule."

The FIA's rule changes hinge on reducing costs to prevent manufacturers being priced out of F1, including reducing the cost of engine supplies by limiting drivers to one motor for an entire grand prix weekend. For full details of the radical new blueprint for the sport, see this week's AUTOSPORT.

"Whether it's a new engine or tyre regulation that comes along that can apparently fix the problem," said Dennis, "the most important thing is to consider it quietly and calmly without undue pressure. And there's a lot of pressure going to come into the system over the course of the next month."

Well aware that he is boss of one of F1's better-heeled operations, Dennis added: "We are very conscious of the need to support the teams who are not in as fortunate a position as ourselves, but the best way is to take decisions based on logically thought through strategies, not knee-jerk opportunistic approaches."