Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he 'can't imagine' a situation whereby all
Formula 1 cars are powered by the same engine – as the motorsport world waits with baited breath to see what the sport's new 'significant cost-saving' regulations are to be.
In the wake of the landmark FIA-FOTA (Formula One Teams' Association) reunion in Monaco on Wednesday, agreement has been reached about how to slash teams' spending within the top flight to approximately a quarter of what it presently is.
Measures are being taken in an effort to rein in ever-escalating expenditure and prevent any more teams from following Honda out of the exit door in the light of the credit crunch currently sweeping the globe. What is not yet known is whether the resolution due to go before the World Motor Sport Council today for final ratification is that hitherto favoured by
FIA President Max Mosley, of the introduction of a low-cost, standardised powertrain (engine and gearbox together) as of 2010, supplied by Cosworth.
Following the four-hour discussions in the Principality it was stated that 'agreement was reached on measures to meet all the objectives originally put forward by the
FIA for 2010 and thereafter', with the understanding being that a compromise between the two parties' stances was reached.
Williams CEO Adam Parr described it as a 'staggering meeting' and 'massively significant day', adding: “It was very, very impressive and hats off to Luca [di Montezemolo, FOTA and
Ferrari President] and Max because they were both on it – it was a great day.”
The sport's newly-crowned, youngest-ever world champion Hamilton – a man who is believed to receive an annual salary of some £20 million, some of which is funded by Mercedes-Benz – is confident that it will not come to such an extreme scenario as that of running with standardised powerplants, with FOTA having alternately suggested a low-cost, 1.8-litre turbocharged, but not standard, engine formula, arguing that a single supplier would take away their very
raison d'être for competition.
“I don't think that (a standard engine) is ever going to happen,” the McLaren-Mercedes star is quoted as having said by the
Press Association. “I can't see that happening simply because the manufacturers play such a huge role in the sport – you won't have
Formula 1 without them; it would be like one of the lower categories and it would not be as exciting.
“What are you going to do? I can't imagine it (F1) ever being without Ferrari, without Mercedes Benz, without Renault. All these big companies are what make the sport, therefore there is a constructors' championship as well as a drivers' championship.
“I understand there is a crisis, but I'm not going to get upset about it. That's the way the world is. I don't think it's as bad as it seems. Yes, we need to work together to improve certain things, but things are being put in motion so it's not like we're standing still. We are doing something about it.