JULY 2, 2004

Mosley outlines F1 rule plans

Max Mosley said that on Tuesday FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting will formally tell the F1 teams that the FIA is going to invoke Article 7.5 of the Concorde Agreement, following the decision by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday to change the F1 rules on the grounds of safety. Mosley said that the FIA "cannot afford to continue to take this risk". The Technical Working Group will now have two months to come up with a solution and if this is not considered adequate the FIA has to offer three packages and the Technical Working Group must choose one of them. If no decision has been made after 45 days the FIA can impose new rules and they automatically come into effect after three months. Mosley said that the rules could be set in the third week of October and would therefore come into force at the end of January 2005. Mosley said he did not think the technical working group would be able to get the necessary 80% agreement to do anything and said that in an effort to speed things up Whiting would offer the teams a precise set of rules which will be what the FIA would impose. These fall into three categories: aerodynamics, enginee and tyres.

Mosley said that tyres would be restricted to two sets per weekend: one for testing; and one for qualifying and the race. He said hat there would be two types of tyre allowed. In terms of engines Mosley said that the FIA would require engines that could last for two races and in 2006 he would insist on 2.4-litre V8s which will have serious restrictions on materials. For those who do not agree the FIA would allow 3-litre V10s to remain but these would be rev-limited to be slightly less powerful than the V8s. He added that there would be a significant package of aerodynamic changes as well.

Mosley said that he still wants a standard ECU controlling the engines but that this would not be possible for 2006. He said that there would be new rules for bio-fuels which would have to be carbon neutral.

"Some of the enigne maanufacturers will say that they are going leave," Mosley said. "They won't leave. When you hear it, take no notice. It won't happen."

Mosley said the new rules would not change the spectacle, would keep costs down and would improve the show.