Mosley Determined to Push Through Changes

Formula One's governing body has threatened to invoke a rule introduced after the death of Ayrton Senna 10 years ago to force teams to accept controversial changes on safety grounds.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport and Britain's Daily Telegraph newspapers on Thursday quoted International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley as saying that urgent action had to be taken to curtail rising speeds and costs.

A deadline would be imposed for 2005 if teams did not come up with their own solution by next week, he said.

"Formula One's technical working group has been saying for more than two years that engine power needs to be reduced," Mosley said. "We have seen with (Brazilian Felipe) Massa and Ralf Schumacher that speeds in F1 are dangerously fast. We have to act now."

Sauber's Massa hit tyre barriers during this month's Canadian Grand Prix while Germany's Ralf Schumacher crashed his Williams heavily in last Sunday's US race at Indianapolis. Both escaped serious injury but Schumacher remains doubtful for the next two races at least.

Heavy Criticism

The FIA faced criticism after that crash, with some drivers and commentators wondering why it took medical teams so long to get to Schumacher and why the race was not stopped.

Mosley announced a raft of changes in April designed to slash costs - the sport's seven manufacturers are estimated to spend more than $1 billion on engines per year - and make Formula One more equal and accessible to new teams.

While the FIA can impose changes from 2008 - when an existing 'Concorde Agreement' between the teams, FIA and commercial rights holders expires - the governing body want teams to accept measures before that.

However the teams have so far failed to agree, with Williams' engine partners BMW in particular refusing to countenance a reduction in capacity from three litre V10 units to 2.4 litre V8s.

Mosley said he was prepared to resort to an article of the Concorde Agreement that effectively gives the FIA a right of veto when safety is an issue.

"I expect dissent. Article 7.5 is a way of applying pressure," The Telegraph quoted him as saying. "If the teams can't come up with the required changes, we will."

The papers said that team bosses will be given two months at a meeting of the FIA's Formula One Commission in London on Monday to come up with their own proposals. Failing that, the FIA will put forward three options and allow a further 45 days for team bosses to choose or have change imposed on them from next year.

The Telegraph said the FIA believed engines lasting at least two races each, restrictions on tyre use and a massive reduction of aerodynamic performance were all achievable for 2005.

The Gazzetta quoted Mosley as saying that while he recognised it would be extreme to force engine makers to build new engines for next year, he was confident an interim solution could be reached.