FIA pushing 'radical proposals'

Mosley: Keen on budget cap

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Budget cap back on the agenda?

The FIA is looking to push through more "radical proposals" next month as Formula One continues its efforts to cut costs.

World motorsport's governing body and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) reached a landmark agreement to cut costs - which comes into effect this season - just before Christmas.

However, the feeling is that with the worldwide recession showing no sign of abating, more needs to be done.

It is thought that the introduction of a budget cap, something that has previously been championed by FIA president Max Mosley, has once again appeared on the agenda.

The idea has been discussed by FOTA but was summarily rejected as being too difficult to police.

Mosley feels a budget cap would bring a degree of parity to F1, saying that success would be "a function of intellectual ability" rather than resources.

And, with Honda Racing striving to secure its future and the proposed USF1 team looking to get off the ground, it would also lower the barriers to entry.

However, an FIA spokesman refused to confirm whether a budget cap will be discussed when the proposals are submitted to the World Council on March 17.

A statement read: "In view of the difficult economic conditions which continue to affect Formula One sponsors and major car manufacturers, the FIA is preparing radical proposals for

2010.

"If adopted by the World Motor Sport Council, the new regulations will enable a team to compete for a fraction of current budgets, but nevertheless field cars which can match those of the established teams.

"These regulations will not affect the established teams which now have stable backing from the major car manufacturers, but will enable new teams to fill the existing vacancies on the grid for 2010 and make it less likely that any team will be forced to leave the championship."