Will Todt's new FIA strangle F1 by indecision?

[John S]

After reading the piece below, on Pitpass.com, a thought struck me that all we seem to get from the new look FIA under Jean Todt is delays. We had the stupidity last year of new teams not being prepared enough because of decisions taken much too close to the season start. We see that same situation with a new team for next year, there is just not enough time for a brand new team to be fully up and running properly in the time left after the choice is made. Then of course the KERS 'shall we, shan't we' debacle. Now, more seriously it seems, the FIA fumblings about the next generation of engines is leading to a drop in investment by the engine builders.

Where is F1 headed under the new regime, or will they need a commitee to report on how to decide whose responsibility it is. - Oh and where is the F1 supremo that was talked about in the election build up for the presidency?   

They don't come more ironic than this. The freeze on F1 engine development was originally introduced by the FIA to cut soaring spending by the car manufacturers. It didn't have the desired effect as the manufacturers instead diverted their investment into developing what they thought would be used as the next engine when the freeze is suspended. However, irony of all ironies, just two years away from the removal of the freeze we discover that Mercedes has now reduced its spending on F1 engines. The reason for this is simple: the FIA has yet to decide on the new engine specification.

Writing in the Independent, Pitpass' business editor Chris Sylt reveals that Daimler, Mercedes' parent company, cut spending on research and development of its F1 engines by 21% last year. The German car manufacturer's High Performance Engines (HPE) division manufacturers the 2.4 litre V8 engines used by McLaren, Force India and its own Mercedes Grand Prix team.

HPE's accounts for the year-ending 31 December 2009 show that research and development expenditure reversed from £52.8m to £41.6m giving the company total costs of £91.4m. Thomas Fuhr, HPE's managing director, explains that "due to the FIA uncertainties with regard to regulations and pressure on cost we have not undertaken future development at this time."

HPE suffered a further blow in June last year when FOTA decided to drop the KERS energy recovery technology which had been introduced at the beginning of 2009. HPE spent £16.2m developing its version of the energy recovery devices and in 2009 it was hit with a £1.4m impairment charge on the value of the assets since they are not being used this year.

This chopping and changing of the regulations gives further weight to the view, recently proposed by F1's boss Bernie Ecclestone, that the sport needs a more independent rule-making framework. "You can't have competitors writing the rules," he said adding that "we maybe need an independent body, independent from the teams and the FIA writing the regulations. There are enough people out there who could do it."
 
Pitpass.com, Today

[Jericoke]

An independant body to write the rules?

Not FOTA, not FIA, and presumably not FOM?

Just what the sport needs.

There is nothing wrong with the competitors writing the rules.  What other sport has as much turnover in teams as F1?  Does Premier League soccer do that?  I certainly know that North American sports leagues put a huge value on consistency, even the racing leagues.  Let the teams write the rules, and they will come up with rules that encourage them to STAY in the sport.

[PG_Gabriel]

I say GP Wizard writes the rules!

[Williamsfan]

I say GP Wizard writes the rules!

Best idea I've heard for F1 

[PG_Gabriel]

I say GP Wizard writes the rules!

Best idea I've heard for F1 

Haha, Thanks