Teams try to delay FIA meeting
FIA president Max Mosley has been asked by the majority of Formula 1 teams to delay a cost cutting meeting scheduled for this Friday so they can have more time to digest exactly what is needed to help move the sport forwards
At a meeting of all team bosses except Ferrari at Heathrow in London on Tuesday, the teams wrote a joint letter with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone requesting that the meeting is delayed until before the start of the European season - so the impact of new long-life engine and tyre rules this year can be fully understood.
The letter said: "Whilst we share your desire to reduce the cost of participating in Formula 1, it is critical that the fundamental values of Formula 1 are preserved to safeguard its long-term stability and success as the pinnacle of world motor sport.
"Cost-cutting proposals should be evaluated in the wider context of the sport's appeal to its fans...in the meanwhile, we all fully recognise the need for a period of stability in our sport and we will adhere strictly to the spirit and letter of the 'Concorde Agreement' for the remainder of its term and we trust that the FIA will do likewise."
Mosley's meeting with the teams on Friday is scheduled to discuss more radical ways of cutting the costs in F1 - with the FIA president due to present his blueprint vision for the future. These are believed to include further reductions in downforce, changes to tyre supplier rules, the banning of telemetry, the imposition of some standard parts and the banning of spare cars.
Although it had been expected that the meeting on Tuesday would include Ecclestone presenting the teams with his offer for them to commit themselves to F1 for the medium-term future, the matter was not discussed at length.
Speaking to Reuters, Ecclestone said: "The commercial side and technical side will all be wrapped up together. There's plenty of time to get that done."
* The nine teams present have agreed to a limit of 30-days testing during the course of the season, despite speculation that Honda would veto BAR's decision to sign-up to the limit because it did not want its title challenge against Ferrari compromised.
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