Mosley Optimistic Struggling Teams Will Survive

Formula One is likely to continue with the same number of teams next season despite Ford's decision to quit, world motorsport head Max Mosley said on Friday.

Ford owns the Jaguar team which are up for sale along with engine maker Cosworth - also supplier to struggling Jordan and Minardi.

"What I think is the most likely scenario ... is that someone will buy Jaguar, Minardi will keep going like they always have and Jordan will find a solution in one way or another," the International Automobile Federation (FIA) president told reporters at the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix.

"And we will have the same 20 cars next year," he added. "I think that's the most likely - I don't say it will happen - and then in 2006 I think we might see at least one and maybe two new teams."

Mosley's attempt to calm fears about the sport's future contrasted to the words of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who on Thursday expressed his doubts that there would be 10 teams next year.

While Ecclestone suggested that teams such as Ferrari and Williams would be happy to run three cars each, scoring points with them, Mosley said that was not realistic.

No Solution

"I don't think the three-car idea is a long-term solution, at most it is a short-term one," said Mosley.

"I'm not at all sure that they can put three competitive cars on the grid because it will cost each of them significantly more. And where is the money going to come from? What happens if that pushes three or more teams over the limits of their finances?.

"The cost of engines is a problem and it is obviously much cheaper to supply engines to a small team than to run three cars," he added.

The FIA president described Formula One's situation as "potentially very serious", although he said Ford's move came as no surprise, and radical measures were needed for the sport's long-term health. But he said the 'Concorde Agreement' between teams, Ecclestone and the FIA made change almost impossible to agree on until that accord expired at the end of 2007.

With that in mind, Mosley announced that he intended to commission an in-depth study of Formula One, in consultation with the teams, to be completed next year and setting out regulations for 2008.

"A Formula One car in 2008 will be significantly cheaper to develop, to build and to run than the existing Formula One cars," he declared.

"The teams will have to bargain collectively with Bernie as far as their income is concerned in 2008 ... but their position will be infinitely better if their basic costs are far lower. That we can and will ensure.

"If one or more of the big manufacturers say 'we don't want to do that, we want to go on with massively expensive cars' - well by all means. If they want to run a series, then provided it is safe we will sanction it.

"But bankruptcy will follow so it wouldn't be of any concern. For Formula One, we will eliminate the costs."