AUGUST 7, 2006

Could this be peace?

At a meeting today in Nice, the FIA and the GPMA agreed terms for the engines to be used in 2007. Engines will be stabilised from this year's Chinese Grand Prix and will be frozen throughout 2007. The engines will be able to be tuned up to 19000rpm but otherwise will remain unchanged and from 2009 the F1 technical regulations will include new technologies such as energy recovery and re-use. The rules for 2009 will be published no later than December 31, 2006.

The GPMA has set up a working group to examine possible future rules for Formula 1 which will allow a performance advantage to be obtained by means of more efficient use of available energy. These future regulations may include changes to current power units. The FIA and other engine suppliers will join this group.

This means that finally the parties involved appear to agree about the future and so we can get on with solving more important problems such as the drop of interest in the sport, the lack of a young generation or F1 fans, the poor quality of television coverage and the need for a more fan-friendly approach at race meetings.