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Mosley Advise FOTA to Discuss Standardized Parts

Only days before the FOTA (Formula One Teams' Association) meeting at Geneva this weekend, FIA President Max Mosley insisted that the implementation of standardized parts in F1 should be regarded as top priority by both big manufacturers and independent teams in their decision-making process.

“The FIA believes that Formula One costs are unsustainable. Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes, in so far as these consist of sponsorship plus FOM money. As a result, the independent teams are now dependent on the goodwill of rich individuals, while the manufacturers' teams depend on massive handouts from their parent companies,” Mosley was quoted as saying by The Times.

Backed by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, Mosley reminded FOTA that standardizing engines (as well as car parts like suspension or wheels) inside the paddock will very much become mandatory starting 2010. This proposal comes to rescue small teams like Toro Rosso, Force India or Red Bull Racing, whose budgets can barely make for buying a decent engine and keeping a good technical staff throughout the year.

On the other hand, big manufacturers have dismissed the idea of standard engines from the very beginning, threatening to leave the championship if such a rule will be approved by FIA in the near future. Instead, they have launched a new set of ideas to be taken under consideration during their Geneva meeting, including a refueling ban during the race (leading to shorter races) and no more in-season testing sessions.

Nevertheless, all these rules would not decrease spendings in a considerable manner. And that's exactly what Mosley expects of the teams after the weekend.

“There is now a real danger that, in some cases, these subsidies will cease. This could result in a reduction in the number of competitors, adding to the two team vacancies we already have and reducing the grid to an unacceptable level. The FIA's view is that Formula One can only be healthy if a team can race competitively for a budget at or very close to what it gets from FOM”, insisted the FIA president.
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