The only real problem with today’s engine regulations is the cost, according to FIA president Jean Todt.
In a joint interview with German broadcaster ZDF, however, Bernie Ecclestone and Todt’s predecessor Max Mosley painted a very different picture. There are rumours that a parallel bi-turbo V6 formula could soon arrive, and F1 supremo Ecclestone is even talking about reviving the old screaming V8s.
But Todt is totally unconvinced that the current regulations are broken. “It is true that one of the teams (Mercedes) has done a better job with the new power units,” he told Finnish journalists this week. “But another manufacturer (Ferrari) is now quite close, and I believe the others will catch up as well. It is only a matter of time,” the Finnish broadcaster MTV quoted Todt as saying during a visit to Helsinki.
“I think at the moment the main problem is the price of the engines for customer teams. It is too expensive,” argues the Frenchman. “I have asked the manufacturers to consider reducing the price, but they do not seem very interested in considering the matter,” revealed Todt. “But we need to come up with other solutions that work better.”
Former F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya agrees with Todt that, eventually, manufacturers like Renault and Honda will catch up with their faster rivals. “I think with a little time and patience, Honda will come back and do a good job,” he told the German broadcaster RTL. “You can’t expect that they are going to be good straight away when the others have been there for years,” Montoya added. “This is only their (Honda’s) first year.”
