31/08/2004
NEWS STORY
Speaking in Spa at the weekend, ahead of his team's first win since Malaysia 2003 and just a few days before the deadline imposed by the FIA, by which time the team bosses have to submit their proposals to reduce speeds and cut costs, Ron Dennis told journalists of his concern that the FIA's proposals favour Ferrari.
One of his primary concerns is the rule whereby engines will have to last two race weekends, as opposed to the current rule whereby the engines only have to last one weekend.
It's hard to understand why Dennis feels this way, though perhaps Kimi Raikkonen's retirement from the Australian (engine), Malaysian (engine), Monaco (engine), European (engine) Grands Prix, and David Coulthard's form the Bahrain (engine) and European (engine) events, could have some bearing on this.
BMW and Mercedes are both known to be concerned at the new proposals and have sent out clear warnings that they are uneasy, with BMW threatening to withdraw from F1.
While most of the teams seem to be willing to accept many of the proposals, there are continual murmurs of unease from Grove and Woking.
The fact that Ferrari - along with Toyota the only team to build chassis and engine - can build an engine that hasn't caused a retirement since Malaysia 2002, should spur BMW, Mercedes and their respective partners on to greater things, rather than have them carping about the FIA's alleged favouritism towards Ferrari.