17/10/2008
NEWS STORY
Ahead of next week's meeting in Geneva with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) and in a clear attempt to prompt the teams into action over cost-cutting, this morning the FIA invited tenders for the production of a standard engine and transmission from 2010.
The FIA is determined that costs must be cut drastically, insisting even before the current global financial crisis that current spending is not sustainable.
Explaining the situation, an FIA spokesman told Pitpass this morning: "The FIA intends to amend the regulations to require all Formula One competitors to use a standardised engine.
"The provider will set out a detailed design for a standardised engine and either supply it in full working order or the detailed design in order to enable competitors to build their own standardised engine," he continued. "Where they want to build all or part of a standardised engine, the appointed provider will assist the FIA to ensure that all engines and parts have been built in accordance with the approved providers' designs and allow a performance output within a prescribed range."
In its negotiations with the teams and manufacturers, it has become common practise for the FIA to issue proposals which it knows will never be agreed to. Subsequently, as the negotiation process continues the FIA appears to meet the teams half-way, whereas, in reality, it has achieved it true objective.
Such is the importance of next week's meeting to the sport, a source has told Pitpass that "nobody is leaving until it's sorted".