On Sunday, Ferrari neatly wrapped up the 2004 Constructor's Championship, its sixth successive crown.

Hard to believe, but it is only just over five months since we were all looking forward to the first race of the 2004 season, eagerly anticipating a four-way championship struggle between Ferrari, McLaren, WilliamsF1 and Renault. After all, back in March, how many of us really expected BAR to produce such a superb performance?

What is truly worrying is that in just over five month from now, the teams will begin unveiling their 2005 contenders. Yet at this point, the rules have yet to be finalised.

A meeting of the team bosses was held in Hungary yesterday, and by all accounts it was shambolic, with one source describing most of those present as "tossers".

It's been said before that these guys can't agree on what sandwiches to order, therefore perhaps we are all being overly ambitious in expecting them to agree on anything as radical as the future of F1.

Max Mosley has given a clear warning, come up with your own idea or accept mine. The clock is ticking, yet seemingly, those charged with making the decisions can't agree on anything.

So where are we at so far?

Speaking on Friday, Renault's executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, said that he's OK with the proposals regarding aerodynamics. With regards engines and tyres, that's another matter.

"With the engine we have got a very difficult situation because we are really looking at an interim step," he said. "It is well accepted, and again well documented by the TWG, that really the only way we were going to get the performance that we felt we required was to come down on capacity and we have been talking about that for 18 months. It can't be done for 2005 so we have to take this interim step. We need to be careful that we don't confuse money-saving ideas with safety ideas but nevertheless our team are happy with the idea of running an engine for two races, we don't believe it is a very significant step in terms of safety, in terms of what we are trying to achieve, but nevertheless it is one that is worthwhile.

"Tyres, I think, are the most difficult part of the whole equation," he continued, "and I would say as a team we are supporting the proposals that are put forward by the FIA at the moment but on a personal level I think really I do have to give a word of caution.

"I think that one of the very important things these days is the spectacle. We are talking about saving money but I am a great believer in generating income rather than saving money and I am very worried that if we do go to the single tyre rule that we will, I won't say destroy, that's an overreaction, we will certainly produce a show that I don't think will be as good as the show we have now and I think that is something we need to be very careful of.

"People say they want to see overtaking," he continued, "they want to see a change in the order of the races and it may not happen so much with a single tyre. Now, the interesting thing is that we say yes, we are agreeing with the rules and we can get on and design our cars and this is why we need to get a move on. But unfortunately these days it is not just the technical rules, it's the sporting rules and depending on what happens with the qualifying procedure will determine how we go racing and hence what our cars are like.

"If the qualifying procedure goes in a particular way I can tell you - because we have already done the simulations, we have already looked at it - even at a race like here in Hungary, you would be looking at a one-stop race and, in fact, I don't think I am giving away too much by saying that our simulations say that you go to lap 49 here, which is like then leaving 21 left, and if you can't overtake on this track and you have only one pitstop that's two thirds of the way through the race I don't think it is very exciting and I think we have to be very careful of that."

Ferrari's Ross Brawn is also confident that the rules regarding chassis and aerodynamics are acceptable. "The FIA made a proposal and I think everyone looked at it and it was very close to what a lot of us were prepared to accept, so I think on the chassis it has gone through, or will be going through," he said. "I think there is enough people in agreement to make it difficult for any alternatives to happen and, of course, everyone wants to get on with their cars. So, I think there is a reasonably substantial reduction in downforce that will reduce cornering speeds and certainly move in a direction of slowing the cars down."

As for tyres: "We have a solution that was proposed by the tyre companies, which is what the sporting regulations asked for," he said. "Michelin and Bridgestone got together and made the proposal so presumably that is settled now for next year."

And engines? "I think on the engine we are in broad support of the two main proposals, which are the two-race engines and the 2.4-litre V8," he said. "It is just the timescale makes it quite expensive to do it. Obviously over a longer timescale it would have been a little bit more economic but I think the 2.4 V8 is necessary to reduce the speeds of the cars and I think the two-race engine ultimately will make it more economic for the teams with smaller budgets to operate so we need to support it."