Sauber urges FIA to take action to sort out F1 costs crisis

With the bigger outfits not willing to give up any of their income, and Bernie Ecclestone appearing unsympathetic to their plight, Kaltenborn says that Todt is their last hope of effecting change.

However, she admits that hopes of him taking action are slim after he failed to push through with a cost cap plan that had been agreed at the start of the year.

"You have to be careful on that one because the last time we relied on him, when we had this unanimous agreement on cost control, nothing happened," explained Kaltenborn.

"So we really want that it works for everyone in here, and the FIA as a regulator can do a lot of things.

"This is after all an FIA championship.

"We are their highest level of championship in motorsport and otherwise the FIA or president has to accept that under him the basic DNA of Formula 1 has been changed.

"I think anybody will tell you that this is a very short-sighted way of thinking. We'll have five names, but four losers in year one.

"In year two, they will put in more money but then they are gone. And what then? Who stays in there then?"

Although aware that it is financially difficult for Sauber at the moment, Kaltenborn was clear that the three teams shouting for change - Lotus, Force India and Sauber - were not going to roll over and accept being driven out of F1.

"We are going to do everything, all three of us, to be there because why should we accept - if there is this agenda - that people are maybe trying to drive us out of the sport?

"And I don't think you can so easily say if you don't have the money don't race because we also have money, all three of us.

"But just imagine who else is going to come into the sport unless maybe that's part of the agenda too - that you don't want others to come in.

"Because if you look at how high the costs are, who in their senses is going to put up that money to come in?"