F1 Needs 20-Car Field, Says Renault Boss

Renault Formula One team chairman Patrick Faure insisted on Saturday that Formula One must continue with grids of between 18 and 24 cars even if some of the financially strapped teams disappear from the sport.

As the Formula One circus basked in its affluent surroundings within the Monte Carlo harbour, complete with multi-million pound yachts depicting the glamorous image of the sport, concerns remained over the future of several smaller under-funded teams.

FIA president Max Mosley this week sent a letter to every team containing suggestions for cost cutting measures, which have become a major subject of discussion in the pitlane. And Faure, whose Renault outfit are one of the four major car manufacturers competing as a team in Formula One (the others being Ferrari, Jaguar, and Toyota), backed Mosley in his quest for financial stability.

"It is right to cut costs," said Faure. "In principle I have nothing against all the ideas of cost savings. The only thing we have to take into consideration is that it must not distract competition. You need to have sporting competition."

That sporting competition, however, is something that is currently being questioned. With many of the independent teams being virtually talked out of the equation by all involved, there is a danger that the sport will reduce in numbers and become simply a race amongst an elite few.

But Faure contested this idea, and declared: "I cannot imagine Formula One with less than 20 cars if we want to have a good show for television and spectators. I don't think Formula One with only manufacturers would be a good solution, but I don't think either that keeping all the teams if they are weak in sport and in money is also a solution.

"So there is probably a good balance to be had in keeping the good teams and trying to help them in some ways. We should not become the Red Cross, that would be a mistake. But it is our responsibility to make sure we keep with between 18 and 24 cars. The way to arrive to that needs to be discussed between the teams."

One suggestion is that teams such as Renault could supply smaller outfits, like Australian Paul Stoddart's Minardi squad, with engines and chassis. All they would then have to do is find sponsorship to purchase and to run the cars.

That idea, however, failed to inspire Faure, who said Renault were not currently in a position to consider such a move. He said: "Clearly as far as we are concerned it is much too early to look at this.

"We have such a lot to do to have our engine more consistent and powerful that I don't think it is a priority to deliver a second team now. It was probably a proposal but all this has to be looked at in detail because it has many implications."

Faure also backed short-term measures such as reducing testing and allowing teams to run on the Thursday before a Grand Prix as well as the Friday, claiming that because the entire team are already present, a great deal of money could be saved.