From GMM

The Formula 1 teams' alliance FOTA met on Tuesday, as a "white paper" authored by the sport's governing body FIA revealed the shape of the next cost-slashing reform.

A wave of cost-cutting measures was recently fast-tracked for the forthcoming season, but it is for 2010 that the Paris based FIA intends to radically amend the technical regulations for a more sustainable future.

The Financial Times said the FIA is alarmed by formula one's two and potentially three (including Honda Racing) vacant team slots, the position of struggling carmakers, and the inability of new entrants to afford to fill the gaps.

Following the work done to freeze and de-tune engines, FOTA is therefore being urged to designate as "non-compete" other areas of the technical regulations, with the FIA keen to shortly publish the new rules.

So-called "non-compete" status would effectively mean the standardisation of components so that vast sums of money are not required to implement small performance gains in the heat of competition.

The FIA proposes that gearboxes, wheels, brakes and suspension may be eligible in hopes to reduce F1 teams' operating budgets to just 50m euros from 2010.

It is obvious, however, that the otherwise unified FOTA group will be tested by its new task, with key figures like Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis quoted as disagreeing fundamentally on the issue of technical dilution.

"We believe that it is possible to cut budgets by 60 per cent by 2012," Renault's Briatore said. "We want a sport which is for the fans, not for the engineers."

McLaren's Dennis added: "F1 should not be a prescriptive formula where engines and a large group of components should be standard."


Photo Credit : Ferrari