F1 to consider promotion and relegation?

14/02/2006

FIA President Max Mosley has said that one of the ideas being considered for Formula One in 2008 and beyond is a promotion and relegation system similar to that used in football.

"It is one of the new things we are looking at and it would be nice because it is necessary," he told reporters at the second of two pre-season press luncheons.

"Promotion, and relegation, would add a huge amount of new interest," he added. "It is natural and it would be very stimulating for everyone."

Previously, F3000 was the feeder series for F1, replaced in 2005 by GP2. However, the reality is that several F3000 champion drivers, amongst them, Bjorn Wirdheim, Sebastien Bourdais, Justin Wilson and Bruno Junqueira, were unable to make progress in F1 due to a lack of budget, and the same applies to teams.

The funding and indeed the entire infrastructure of running a GP2 team, compared to a 'basic' F1 outfit is enormous.

However, Mosley believes that by limiting the budgets involved in F1, GP2 teams and others could find the 'pinnacle of motorsport' within their means.

"First we have to get the costs fully under control so that promoted teams, quite possibly smaller, independent teams, could afford to make the step up into Formula One," he admitted.

"They will already have some success, an efficient management and sponsors. "And they will gain more money, from the commercial side of Formula One, when they go up, thanks to Bernie Ecclestone's increase in payments, and should also find extra sponsors."

Of course, in the same way that some teams, and drivers, might not be able to make the move up to F1, what of drivers and teams that found themselves relegated?