Mosley backs control tyre

Speaking after Friday's team principals' meeting at Heathrow, which was attended only by Ferrari and shunned by the other nine teams, Mosley restated his belief that moving to a single tyre supplier would help contain costs and prevents speed from escalating as rapidly as they have done in the last few years.

"There are no doubts that we could make significant savings and have better control over performance with a single tyre," he said.

Mosley said the matter needed to be considered urgently in order to be able to effect changes in time for the 2006 season: "We really need to crack on with this - in no time at all we are going to be well into 2005. If any of the cost-saving measures are to be introduced in 2006, which will be in everybody's interest, they have got to be done very quickly, obviously by agreeing them."

The control tyre proposal emerged amid considerable confusion from a meeting of team bosses (on that occasion sans Ferrari) at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix. Some teams claimed they had not realised that it was part of the package of measures which they had signed up to, while the tyre manufacturers reacted with a mixture of anger and bemusement.

Mosley stressed that, this time, both Bridgestone and Michelin would be consulted and fully involved in any discussions over the future tyre supply rules.

"We feel the starting point is a discussion at a senior level with the two existing tyre companies," he said. "The feeling is that we should talk to them and I think that is absolutely right. The tyre companies are as committed as any engine builder. The least you can do is politely say to them, 'this is what we are thinking of doing, what are your comments?' - which is exactly what we are going to do and then take a decision.

"But if you put off the start of the process for three months you just put everything back by three months. At least now by the time we have our next meeting [in Paris on April 15] we are going to have a lot of information with which we can take decisions. If the teams come they will get the advantage of this."