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Critics of Formula One have long complained that it is too expensive and lacks real competition. Rule changes, including a ten-year engine development freeze, to help combat those tendencies of the world's premier road racing league have helped, but now the FIA is taking radical steps to help cut costs and improve the level of rivalry between teams. After imposing a standard drivetrain for the 2010-2012 period late last week, the organizing body of F1 has now opened the bidding process to determine the company that will build the engines and gearboxes for the series.
The teams of manufacturers that currently populate the series are strongly opposed to a standard, one-maker drivetrain, since it eliminates a huge part of the branding and engineering side of the sport, not to mention that it undercuts, collectively, billions of dollars of investment and thousands of hours spent designing and manufacturing the engines now in use.
Max Mosley defended the action, saying it's in the best interest of the teams and the sport, reports Bloomberg. "Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes," wrote Mosley in a letter to the heads of the individual teams. "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. There is now a real danger that in some cases these subsidies will cease."
On the other side of the fence, Fernando Alonso struck an odd note of accord with Ron Dennis when he said that if the series goes to a single spec engine, it "would no longer be Formula One." There is a strong argument to be made that Formula One has historically been about innovation and independent thinking, but within the constraints of a certain set of rules. The issue now being faced is how invasive and how limiting that ruleset ought to be.
A meeting in Geneva today between Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) representatives Stefano Domenicali of Ferrari, John Howett of Toyota and Mosley was scheduled to host a discussion of the matter and an alternative proposal from the teams was also expected. It is believed that the alternative addresses the concerns about cost to the teams and the FIA while keeping the 'feel' of F1 intact. What, exactly, the teams think will accomplish that goal remains unknown, however.
http://www.motorauthority.com/formula-1-opens-tender-process-for-spec-engine-builder.html
The teams of manufacturers that currently populate the series are strongly opposed to a standard, one-maker drivetrain, since it eliminates a huge part of the branding and engineering side of the sport, not to mention that it undercuts, collectively, billions of dollars of investment and thousands of hours spent designing and manufacturing the engines now in use.
Max Mosley defended the action, saying it's in the best interest of the teams and the sport, reports Bloomberg. "Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes," wrote Mosley in a letter to the heads of the individual teams. "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. There is now a real danger that in some cases these subsidies will cease."
On the other side of the fence, Fernando Alonso struck an odd note of accord with Ron Dennis when he said that if the series goes to a single spec engine, it "would no longer be Formula One." There is a strong argument to be made that Formula One has historically been about innovation and independent thinking, but within the constraints of a certain set of rules. The issue now being faced is how invasive and how limiting that ruleset ought to be.
A meeting in Geneva today between Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) representatives Stefano Domenicali of Ferrari, John Howett of Toyota and Mosley was scheduled to host a discussion of the matter and an alternative proposal from the teams was also expected. It is believed that the alternative addresses the concerns about cost to the teams and the FIA while keeping the 'feel' of F1 intact. What, exactly, the teams think will accomplish that goal remains unknown, however.
http://www.motorauthority.com/formula-1-opens-tender-process-for-spec-engine-builder.html
