Thursday March 28th, 2002

The new 'one-engine-per-weekend' restriction, set to be introduced as of the 2004 season, will save the car makers who supply engines to Formula One teams more money than the amount involved in their negotiations with Kirch Media over F1's commercial rights, according to FIA president Max Mosley.

"The cost savings for the teams and for their engine suppliers would be huge," Mosley wrote last month in a letter sent to the teams, now published exclusively on Atlas F1.

"These [savings] would, for example, be significantly greater than the amounts of money which are apparently under discussion between the commercial rights holders [Kirch Media] and the major car manufacturers.

"Given the present world economic climate," Mosley continues, "even the most successful manufacturer would probably be grateful for a massive cut in its Formula One expenditure to take effect in the next twelve months."

Mosley sent the teams a 'letter of intent', proposing radical changes to the Sporting Regulations. A second letter further stipulated the advantages of the one-engine-per-weekend rule. In both his letters, Mosley refutes claims that the rule changes would in fact introduce new costs, and answers in details the various objections made against the change.

Mosley's letters can be found exclusively - unedited and uncut - in this week's issue of the Atlas F1 magazine.

Published at 21:49:49 GMT