Renault and Ferrari in FIA rules talks

The FIA confirmed on Saturday that president Max Mosley met key personnel from both teams at Ferrari's Maranello factory on Friday along with privately-owned engine manufacturer Cosworth.

"Max Mosley, (race director) Charlie Whiting and (FIA consultant) Peter Wright attended a meeting with representatives of Ferrari, Renault and Cosworth at Maranello to formulate engine homologation proposals," a spokesman said.

He gave no further details.

The Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper said Renault's Flavio Briatore, whose team are part of the GPMA manufacturers' group that has yet to sign up for the championship after 2007, and Ferrari's Jean Todt attended the meeting.

Sources said key technical staff, including Renault's engineering head Pat Symonds and Ferrari's Ross Brawn, were also present.

The Italian paper, headlining 'The Peace of Maranello', said an agreement was reached to freeze engine development for a five year period from 2008 to 2012 with the aim of reducing costs dramatically.

Greater Transparency

The governing body has already suggested a three-year freeze, a move opposed by some of the five GPMA carmakers who have been threatening their own series from 2008 unless they get far more of the sport's revenues and greater transparency.

Briatore, praised by Mosley as a shrewd operator in this month's F1 Racing magazine, wrote to the FIA president in January last year suggesting a raft of cost-cutting measures, including a three-year freeze of the technical and sporting regulations.

Gazzetta said the proposals agreed on Friday would be put to the other carmakers, who were believed to have already signed up for 2008. A GPMA spokesman had no comment on that.

The other GPMA members are BMW, DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes, Honda and Toyota.

So far only Ferrari, Cosworth-powered Williams, the two Red Bull teams, Toyota-powered Midland and Honda-supported Super Aguri, have committed to the championship from 2008 when an existing commercial agreement expires.

The FIA confirmed this week that all teams must sign up by the end of the month or be frozen out of the decision-making process, including engine regulations.

The carmakers are close to a deal with commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone to give them a far greater share of the sport's revenues.

They have however been reluctant to commit to the FIA championship until that is done for fear of undermining their bargaining position by removing the threat of a rival series.

The carmakers were also waiting for European Union approval, granted provisionally this week, of a planned takeover of the SLEC holding company that controls Formula One's commercial rights by CVC Capital Partners.