10/02/2005
NEWS STORY
At the first of two get togethers with the media in London, FIA president Max Mosley has told F1 teams to raise their game and not use Ferrari's success to punish the team and the sport.
For some time there have been accusations that Formula One's governing body favours the Italian team, though Mosley has always strenuously denied this. However, in recent months the chasm between Ferrari and its rivals has grown, both on and off track.
A shock deal, which saw the world champions sign a new Concorde Agreement with Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA, together with the Italian team's stance on the cost cutting proposals, has brought F1 to the point of war.
"Ferrari is not killing the sport," Mosley told reporters. "It is Williams, McLaren, Renault and BAR, to some extent, killing it, because they are doing a rubbish job and they go around saying we (the FIA) have got a special relationship with Ferrari.
"The secret of Ferrari is Jean Todt," he continued. "Since getting in there he has (built) a cohesive unit where everyone pulls on the same side. He is a fantastic manager. I am sure he and his team would have achieved the same in any one of the top teams had they have joined it."
Mosley's comments come at a time, when, for reasons explained to Pitpass in a recent interview with Paul Stoddart, nine F1 teams opted to miss a recent meeting with Mosley, leaving Ferrari the only team in attendance.