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Ferrari in quit threat over standard engine

By Jonathan Noble Monday, October 27th 2008, 19:16 GMT

Ferrari have issued a bombshell warning that they will reconsider their participation in Formula One if the FIA presses ahead with the introduction of a standard engine.

On a day when the FIA confirmed it was still pushing on with its plans to introduce standard engines in F1, Ferrari became the second team to publicly threaten to withdraw from the sport if the concept goes ahead.

In a statement issued following a board meeting at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters, the team made it clear that they did not believe the move to standard powerplants was right for F1.

"Whilst reiterating its wholehearted commitment to a substantial and needed reduction in costs in Formula One, starting with propulsion, the Ferrari Board of Directors expressed strong concerns regarding plans to standardise engines as it felt that such a move would detract from the entire raison of a sport with which Ferrari has been involved continuously since 1950, a raison d'etre based principally on competition and technological development," said the statement.

"The Board of Directors expressed the opinion that should these key elements be diminished, it would have to re-evaluate, with its partners the viability of continuing its presence in the sport."

Ferrari's statement came less than an hour after Toyota team president John Howett told autosport.com that the Japanese manufacturer would almost certainly be out of F1 if the standard engine idea went ahead.

Howett also suggested that other manufacturers would follow suit.

"I think you will see manufacturers potentially leaving F1 if there is a standard engine," Howett told autosport.com. "I don't think any of the manufacturers want a homogenized engine.

"I think the outcome depends partially on the FIA and the World Motor Sport Council, and whether they have a mind to press through with the idea."

The FIA has already opened the tender for the supply of standard engines from 2010 to 2012, with the governing body claiming several 'parties' had expressed an interest in applying for the deal.

Although it has widely been talked about that manufacturers would withdraw from F1 if the standard engine idea went through, Ferrari's decision to go public with their quit threat is a major development - as the Italian manufacturer have previously shied away from such dramatic statements.

It comes with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo heading the Formula One Teams' Association's (FOTA) effort to coordinate with the FIA a package of rules changes.

FIA responds to Ferrari's quit threat

By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, October 28th 2008, 14:39 GMT

An FIA logo reflected on a Ferrari truckThe FIA has played down the significance of Ferrari's threat to quit Formula One if a standard engine is introduced - claiming that the onus is on the teams, not the governing body, to come up with better cost-cutting regulations that will head off the warning.

Ferrari's Board published a statement on Monday night saying that the Italian team would consider their future in F1 if the FIA pressed ahead with the introduction of standard power plants from 2010.

Although that move, coming just hours after Toyota reiterated their threat to withdraw over the matter, has moved the standard engine to the centre of the debate over future rules changes - the FIA says the teams have already been offered clear alternatives.

This was laid out to the teams in a letter from FIA president Max Mosley last month stating that there were three options for teams with regards to future engine regulations – a standard engine, an engine from a single supplier or the supply of customer power units to independent teams for less than 5 million Euros per season.

The FIA issued its response to Ferrari's stance on Tuesday, suggesting that it was not its responsibility to back down simply because teams were unhappy about action that could be taken to shore up the sport's future.

The FIA statement said: "The FIA has noted the press statement issued by the Ferrari Board of Directors.

"It seems the Ferrari Board were misinformed. The FIA has offered the teams three options, one of which is the so-called standard engine, and another that the manufacturers should jointly guarantee to supply power trains to the independent teams for less than €5m per season.

"The FIA is delighted by Ferrari's financial success and hopes this will be maintained. However a number of teams find themselves facing costs which greatly exceed income. This is not sustainable.

"It is now for the manufacturers to agree one of the three FIA options or themselves produce concrete proposals to reduce costs to a sustainable level."

Although clearly hoping that the teams can come up with a proposal that satisfies it, the FIA has made it clear that it will take whatever action is necessary to ensure the survival of the all teams – even if it means a standard engine.

Referring to the consequences of the teams not agreeing on one of the two alternative options, the FIA said: "If neither happens. The FIA will take whatever measures prove necessary to preserve a credible world championship for both drivers and constructors."

Discussions between the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and FIA president Max Mosley in Geneva last week resulted in plans for a customer power plant deal being discussed – although at a cost of 10 million Euros per season.