Mosley targets big spenders, not spectacle

The governing body unveiled its 2008 rules yesterday, with the aim of bringing down costs to help independent teams remain competitive against the might of the manufacturers.

And although moves to outlaw new technologies and car modifications, introduce some standard parts and increase the life of major components have opened up the sport to criticisms that it may lose its technological-appeal, Mosley is adamant the move is right for the sport.

"Nowadays most of the technology in F1 is equal to money thrown out of the window for useless investments," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Money is spent more than needed to satisfy the hobby of a few aerodynamics specialists. The British aeronautics industry turns a profit with research because it has discipline in spending. In F1, on the other hand, nobody asks himself how much it costs to produce a certain component, which will probably never be used.

"Another example: the 2005 Cosworth engine was fairly similar to the BMW's, and yet I think it cost 10 percent of what the Germans spent. F1's hi-tech image won't suffer from it."

Mosley has said that the motivation for the new rules is not to help manufacturers save a specific amount of money, but to ensure that they do not get a big advantage from their huge budgets.

"If you will, there won't be savings, because you can't prevent people from spending 250 or 350 million euros if they want to," added Mosley. "However we want to reduce the technical difference between the squanderers and those who will have a 100-million budget.

"The objective is to give to the second bests too a chance to win with wise management, a good driver and ingenious designers. As it happened in the past with Wolf and Hesketh."

And Mosley claims it is important that action is taken now because even front-running teams like Ferrari may have to quit the sport unless costs are brought down.

"If Ferrari turn a profit or break even, they'll certainly carry on. Otherwise they might quit in order not to be a burden over their road car production, by raising the prices of their cars to pay for racing in F1. This is true for everyone.

"Williams today are back to being an independent team, and must earn or keep up with the costs to guarantee a future for themselves.

"Mr Mateschitz at Red Bull is a sponsor-constructor with a completely commercial vision: he spends money according to his marketing objective, but he must balance his accounts too."