Mercedes' Ross Brawn backs Formula 1 steering committee plan

As AUTOSPORT revealed last week, the new governance structure that is being planned by the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone is for an 18-man strategy group to sit below a more streamlined F1 Commission to help form future rules.

Although only six teams will sit on that committee, with there also being six FIA representatives and six from Ecclestone's Formula One Management organisation, Brawn thinks that the structure will benefit all teams and the sport in general.

At the moment, the current structure sees rules get formulated by the Technical Working Group or Sporting Working Group before being ratified by the 26-strong F1 Commission that is made up of the teams, FIA, FOM, sponsors, circuits and engine makers.

"I think everyone recognises the F1 Commission is an important body but it is not an easy group to get together to discuss the future of F1," said Brawn, referring to the wide number of people who need to be called together.

"But there is a gap between the TWG/SWG. And the F1 Commission, because of its structure, meant it was difficult to have debate about the strategic direction of F1.

"I think this [strategy] group will be very useful in terms of providing a forum for the commercial rights holder, the governing body and the teams to discuss the future of F1.

"What do we want? Is the racing good? Is the racing bad? Do we need to change the concept? Do we need to develop qualifying? What is the situation with tyres? For all these broad topics where there is no real structured organisation to discuss, it will provide a very useful function in that respect."

F1 teams were presented with the governing structure at a meeting in Paris on Monday hosted by Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt.

There was a further follow-up with Ecclestone in the paddock in India on Friday afternoon, as work continued on framing the new Concorde Agreement.

High level sources insist the matter will be sorted out within the next few weeks, despite suggestions that there is still a wide range of disagreement about several issues.