Mosley Reiterates: F1 Risks Losing More Teams

One or two Formula One teams are in danger of folding before the end of the season as recession bites, the sport's bosses said on Friday.

"One or two, unfortunately. That's how it looks at the moment," International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley told Reuters in an interview at the Monaco Grand Prix. He did not name the teams.

Formula One started the season with 11 teams, with Japanese car giant Toyota making their debut in March after Prost went to the wall in February. Of those still remaining, the smaller entrepreneurial teams are most at risk in a sport now dominated by manufacturers with big budgets.

Despite the conspicuous wealth of race weekend in Monaco's millionaires' playground, with Ferraris cruising the streets and immense luxury yachts moored in the harbour, times are hard for Formula One.

It has become increasingly difficult for some privately-owned teams such as Minardi and Arrows to compete with the major carmakers and woo sponsors. But Bernie Ecclestone, the 'ringmaster' who has built Formula One into a huge commercial success, said that the sport would not be damaged even if the starting lineup shrank.

"The teams that we are talking about shouldn't have been there in the first place," he told Reuters.

"It's like sitting in a big poker game and you've got markers and not money. This is quite a high-powered game so they perhaps shouldn't have been here," said Ecclestone. "I wish they hadn't put themselves in this position. I suppose there were a lot of circumstances that in the end led this to be like that but that's how it is. Lots of businesses you see every day of the week go under, mismanaged or whatever."

Changes have been proposed to cut costs for the smaller teams and create a more level playing field. Teams are already due to be limited to one engine per car per race weekend from 2004 and Mosley outlined other proposals on the table.

The main ones were for teams to be given a choice on testing during the season or at Grands Prix only. Those who chose not to test during the season would then be allowed an extra two hours on the Friday with three cars, one with a test driver, running.

Mosley added: "Another proposal is to allow teams to sell pieces more freely between teams."

At present constructors are not allowed to share any parts other than an engine and gearbox but now even the possibility of one constructor selling a chassis to another team is being talked about.

"The idea is that if you freed it up and allowed them suspension and bodywork, it would make it much cheaper," Mosley continued.

A third proposal was to have what amounts to a third World Championship, on top of those for the constructors and drivers, rewarding the manufacturers of engines.

"You would have the Drivers' Championship, the existing Constructors' Championship which always goes to the chassis maker, and then you would have the Manufacturers' Championship," said Mosley.