Williams firm on chassis sharing

[davewilson]

WilliamsF1 team principal Sir Frank Williams has stated that he could launch arbitration proceedings to challenge the legality of the cars set to be used by Toro Rosso and Super Aguri for the 2007 Formula One season.


The veteran team owner is one of a number of people in the paddock who are unhappy at current plans which would see Toro Rosso run a modified version of the new Red Bull RB3 and Super Aguri use a copy of the Honda's RA106 raced last season by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

Williams argues that the decisions effectively give Toro Rosso and Super Aguri 'customer cars' rather than designing their own models.

"I am adamantly opposed to chassis sharing and we at Williams do not believe it is legal under the current rules," he told The Guardian.

"We are what you might call a traditionalist racing team which believes that we are out there competing for two world championships, one for the best driver in the world and one for the constructor who builds the best car in the world.

"As far as I'm concerned it is absolutely in the regulations in black and white that every team must make its own chassis."

Although Red Bull will run their RB3 car with a Renault engine, Toro Rosso plan to modify it to take a Ferrari unit - exploiting an apparent loophole in the rules which allows teams to buy chassis from third party contractors rather than other teams.

The intellectual property rights for the RB3 are in fact owned by a separate company, Red Bull Technology. Super Aguri are planning a development of the RA106 after Honda Japan acquired the design from its Brackley-based F1 team.

Should Williams launch proceedings against the two teams, it would cause controversy in the run up to the start of the season, with the FIA stating that it will only get involved when cars are presented for scrutineering in Melbourne prior to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix

The Stig

[romephius]

Some might say that's a little too late for either team to effect any changes.  Once again the FIA sitting on it's hands instead of governing before something becomes a full blown problem.  You know I believe that the FIA is so good at governing they could rival most political parties.

It's so hard to convey sarcasm with just text.  Hope everyone gets it.