Mosley plans big changes for F1

15/04/2004

FIA President Max Mosley has revealed that he wants to see a number of big changes made to the sport in the next couple of years.

Other than his desire to see reduced costs, reduced power and reduced lap speeds, the Englishman wants to see more F1 teams.

This season there are 10 Formula One teams, it was only two years ago we had eleven. We lost Prost at the end of 2001, gained Toyota in 2002, then lost Arrows a few months later. In 1997 F1 consisted of twelve teams while in the early 90s we had up to 36 cars attempting to qualify for races.

Of course for every professional outfit such as McLaren, there was an Andrea Moda, Eurobrun or Life.

Formula One couldn't be seen as a sport populated by ramshackle, 'cowboy' outfits that in reality didn't have the finances or technical nous to run a Formula Ford team.

Therefore a system was introduced whereby potential participants had to lodge a (returnable) £25m bond, thus ensuring that only quality - or at least well-financed - operations, entered motor sport's highest echelon.

Of course following Ayrton Senna's death and increased TV coverage, costs have risen out of all proportion, with Prost and Arrows going under, while teams such as Minardi, Jordan, Sauber and even (Ford owned) Jaguar struggling to survive as costs spiral.

Mosley, who with March - the company he co-founded in the late 60s - made easy entry to motor sport, and indeed F1, available to many, wants to see more 'new blood' in Formula One.

"Without question, things will happen, or start to happen, within the next year," he told Motorsport News. "From 2006, I want to see less power, less speed, costs driven down drastically and new teams in Formula One."

Many of the teams currently in F1, including Jordan and Minardi, were in the sport long before the £25m bond was introduced. Had it existed back then they simply wouldn't have been able to raise the necessary funding.

Jordan, in particular, rose through the ranks, though teams such as Pacific didn't fare as well. As teams progress through the various motorsport disciplines it is only right that they should have their sights set firmly on F1.

Much as we don't want any more Andrea Modas or Forti Corses, it would be good to see what Arden, Durango, Super Nova and Coloni could do - even though Coloni has previous experience of F1.