In a week which began with Minardi boss Paul Stoddart warning that F1 is in crisis, and Bernie Ecclestone (seemingly) rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of three Ferraris taking on three McLarens, FIA president Max Mosley has maintained his silence.

Today, in Shanghai, as the People's Republic of China bids welcome to what must surely be the sporting world's most obvious example of 'in your face' wealth, Max Mosley finally spoke.

Not for the first time, Mr Mosley sees things slightly differently to his friend from Prince's Gate.

Unlike Ecclestone, who believes, indeed seems remarkably keen, that only seven teams will survive the winter, Mr Mosley is confident that all ten current teams will line up on the grid in Melbourne.

"What I think is the most likely scenario is that someone will buy Jaguar," the Englishman told reporters. "That Minardi will keep going, like they always have and Jordan will find a solution, one way or another.

"We will have the same 20 cars next year," he continued. "I think that's the most likely, though I don't say it will happen, and then in 2006 I think we might see at least one and maybe two new teams."

Unlike Ecclestone, Mosley, does not believe that three-car teams is the answer.

"I don't think the three car idea is a long-term solution," he said, "at most it is a short-term one. I'm not at all sure that they can put three competitive cars on the grid because it will cost each of them significantly more. And where is the money going to come from? What happens if that pushes three or more teams over the limits of their finances?"

This, of course, is a point that pitpass, and indeed many F1 fans, has raised in the last week.

"The cost of engines is a problem," he continued, "and it is obviously much cheaper to supply engines to a small team than to run three cars," he added.

That said, Mr Mosley's previous calls for manufacturers to supply realistically priced engine packages have gone unheeded.

Looking ahead, he believes that his current drive to reduce costs will pay off, no pun intended.

"A Formula One car in 2008 will be significantly cheaper to develop, to build and to run than the existing Formula One cars," he said. "The teams will have to bargain collectively with Bernie as far as their income is concerned in 2008, but their position will be infinitely better if their basic costs are far lower. That we can and will ensure.

"If one or more of the big manufacturers say 'we don't want to do that, we want to go on with massively expensive cars', well by all means," he continued. "If they want to run a series, then provided it is safe we will sanction it.

"But bankruptcy will follow so it wouldn't be of any concern. For Formula One, we will eliminate the costs."