FIA president Max Mosley has said that F1 could live without Ferrari were they to quit the sport over plans to introduce a budget cap.
Di Montezemolo says F1 involvement "not a never-ending story"
As Ferrari clash with the FIA over plans to introduce a budget cap, president Max Mosley has said that Formula One could live without its most successful team were they to quit the sport over the issue.
Mosley was quoted two days after world motorsport's governing body published its plans to introduce a voluntary cap next year - a move which has been criticised by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who said such a move would make F1 "biased".
Although Ferrari have been an ever-present in the World Championship since its inception in 1950, such is their opposition to the cap that di Montezemolo has even gone so far as to question their future involvement.
"I personally have a lot of passion and Ferrari has a lot of passion, but this is not a never-ending story," the official Formula One website (www.formula1.com) quoted him as saying.
However, speaking in an interview published in Saturday's
Financial Times, Mosley said that no team was bigger than the sport itself.
"The sport could survive without Ferrari," said Mosley, adding: "It would be very, very sad to lose Ferrari. It is the Italian national team."
Damage
Although Ferrari chose not to publicly comment following the announcement of the £40m cap, di Montezemolo wrote to Mosley to say that its introduction could "undermine the image of F1" and "seriously damage" the sport.
"All aspects of the new regulations should be carefully reviewed," di Montezemolo said. "Limiting, for the time being, my comments to the cost cap issue, as you know I have always been concerned about the introduction, mainly because I consider that there are serious technical difficulties in making sure that any cap can be realistically monitored.
"Additionally, any controversy on the actual respect of the cost cap would undermine the image of Formula One and could seriously damage any involved team."
The FIA's intention will give greater technical freedom to teams adhering to it. However, a major worry is that, besides being unable to police the cap effectively, it will result in a 'two-tier' formula, with manufacturer teams such as Ferrari using their greater resources to overcome advantages afforded to independent outfits.
Teams signing up will be able to use an engine with no rev limit, get twice the power out of KERS, use movable front and rear wings, and enjoy unlimited out-of-season testing.
Di Montezemolo added: "There are on the other hand doubts as to whether or not two categories of teams should be created which will inevitably mean that one category will have an advantage over the other and that the Championship will be fundamentally unfair and, perhaps, even biased.
"In any event this would create confusion in the public's mind which would seriously lower the value of Formula One. I do not think that this is appropriate knowing what Formula One represents for its players and for the public."
Necessary
Mosley responded with a letter of his own saying the cap was necessary, both to bring new teams into the sport on a competitive footing and as a means by which F1 can cut its cloth according to a harsher economic climate.
He also expressed the belief that the cap could be policed and said that the technical freedoms it would bring would be in the true spirit of the sport.
"The only radical elements are those needed to close the gap that would otherwise exist between a low-budget team and other competitors," he said.
"Thus if Ferrari chooses to continue with an unrestricted budget, the new regulations will not deprive Ferrari of any rights...I do not accept that these proposed regulations compromise any commitment that has been given to Ferrari in the past, unless Ferrari would somehow argue that it is entitled to prevent new competitors from emerging at a time when the sport itself is in danger.
"We are confident (as are our accountants and lawyers) that a budget cap will be enforceable. The cleverest team will win and we would eliminate the need for depressing restrictions on technology, which the existing teams are discussing with a view to reducing costs. I hope Ferrari will take the lead in agreeing the cost cap mechanism, thus freeing its engineers to work and preserving its shareholders' money."
The FIA President's letter, seen by
The Times, continued with him stating that F1 has to act immediately.
"We cannot just sit and wait, hoping nothing bad will happen," Mosley added. "We have already lost one manufacturer (Honda).
"Despite my repeated requests, not a single manufacturer has given us a legally binding undertaking that it will continue in Formula One. We already know that current levels of expenditure are unsustainable for the independent teams. If we are to reduce the risk of the Formula One World Championship collapsing, we have to allow new teams in. We also have to reduce costs drastically."
