Ferrari boss backs safety move

Amid the growing threat of arbitration being taken against motor sport's governing body over the changes, especially the move to V8 engines in 2006, di Montezemolo believes current teams have no grounds for complaint.

"Normally when you are in the lead of a championship like Ferrari then you are against any change to the rules," he said. "But I totally agree with FIA president Max Mosley because if you look at the lap times from the last three years then we have gone too far.

"I think it is time to calm down the performance, without losing the technological characteristics of F1. We are not in rallies, we are not in endurance racing and we are in a tight technological competition; but I think it is time to calm down engines, aero performance and tyre choice to look for safety."

Although agreement over the changes to chassis design and tyres has been achieved with relatively little trouble, there remains major dissent among the engine manufacturers about the future direction of power-units.

With Honda, BMW and Mercedes-Benz strongly against the move to two-race engines next year, FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting has invited the engine manufacturers to the governing body's headquarters to discuss the future rules.

All three manufacturers have been linked with possible arbitration action in claiming the FIA has overstepped its mark in moving to two-race engines for 2005 and to 2.4-litre V8 engines for 2006.