Max Moseley gives his thoughts on Honda pulling out of F1
- 00:02:46
- ITN
Max Moseley gives his thoughts on Honda pulling out of F1
FIA president Max Mosley is determined to introduce cost-cutting rules to Formula One. He is convinced the cost of running a team is too high and those fears were confirmed when Honda announced plans to pull out of the sport. The teams have been set a deadline later this month to agree to using a standard engine that would limit the cost of development. But some teams and drivers are against the plan. An FIA statement read: "The announcement of Honda's intended withdrawal from Formula One has confirmed the FIA's long-standing concern that the cost of competing in the world championship is unsustainable. "In the FIA's view, the global economic downturn has only exacerbated an already critical situation. "As the guardians of the sport, the FIA is committed to working with the commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, and the remaining members of the Formula One Teams' Association to ensure Formula One becomes financially sustainable." Mosley has made three engine proposals to the teams and he hopes they will either agree to use a standard engine, build an identical engine to the rest of the teams, or use their current engines without modification. In a letter sent to the teams last month, Mosley wrote: "We must recognise that in an extreme situation, not all teams may agree with our measures. "We appreciate that in these circumstances some teams might decide not to enter the world championship and opt instead for some other professional racing series. "We would, of course, not be concerned with the financial viability of a series which was not part of an FIA championship, nor with the amount of money spent by participants."
ITN | December 5, 2008
