Mosley Hits Back at Dennis and Williams

FIA president Max Mosley fired a broadside at Formula One team bosses Ron Dennis and Frank Williams, in a letter pouring scorn on their accusations that he was 'dumbing down' the sport.

In a strongly-worded six-page rebuttal - sent yesterday and copied to the other team bosses - the head of motor racing's governing body likened McLaren's Dennis and Williams to "the old guard in a failing company".

Mosley rejected safety concerns as "obvious nonsense", derided the bosses' "threadbare argument" and asked why the principals, whose teams are two of Formula One's wealthiest and most successful, had not met the FIA face to face.

Dennis and Williams issued a joint letter last week criticising the sweeping rule changes introduced by Mosley and announcing that both teams were taking the FIA to arbitration in Switzerland.

They accused Mosley of dictatorial behaviour in imposing measures - aimed at reducing costs and increasing competition in the sport - which they said went against the spirit of Formula One as a showcase for the highest level of technology and research.

Mosley said he was disappointed by the team bosses' response.

"This is exactly what you hear from the old guard in a failing company," said Mosley, who also questioned their business acumen.

"You would not find any independent observer or serious businessman who would agree with you."

No Dialogue

The changes for the season which starts in Australia on March 9 include a ban on hi-tech electronic systems such as two-way telemetry and outlaw refuelling between Saturday's final qualifying and the race.

Mosley said that the public wanted to see drivers driving, not technicians manipulating cars from a distance, and suggested that both Williams and Dennis tried attracting the public to watch electronics experts if they believed otherwise.

"Your response is unfocused," Mosley wrote.

"It is impossible to have a dialogue if the response to a carefully considered set of proposals is a collection of vague claims and confused criticisms with no discernible attempt to address the arguments."

Dennis and Williams had accused the FIA of being in breach of the Concorde Agreement governing Formula One and also hostile to carmakers who now own the major teams.

Mosley disagreed and he also rejected the suggestion that Formula One produced more than enough profits to sustain all the teams and that a more equitable distribution of revenues would prevent more teams joining Prost and Arrows in liquidation.

"Prost and Arrows have gone into receivership in the last 12 months," he said. "At least two more teams are in danger. These facts speak for themselves.

"Even if the entire FOM (Formula One Management) income were distributed among the teams, current cost levels would be unsustainable."

Old Guard

Dennis and Williams criticised Mosley for taking an "unnecessarily pessimistic" view on the state of Formula One, arguing his proposals would remove or destroy many of the aspects that made the sport so popular.

Mosley said it was a fact, not a criticism, that the carmakers could come and go as it suited them and rejected both bosses' safety concerns about new conditions that limit the time teams can work on cars before the race.

"We have all seen cars completely rebuilt in less than two hours after a major accident. Yours is really a threadbare argument," he said.

"You don't need telemetry if you fit a warning light to tell the driver to stop if something is wrong and you have a whole year in which to do this."