Bernie Ecclestone's controversial suggestion that Formula One should adopt a 'spec-engine' as a means of combating spiralling development costs in an economic downturn has met with a mixed response from team bosses keen to retain a sense of individuality.
Hand-in-hand with
FIA president
Max Mosley's call for the ten teams to come up with ways of cutting spending in order to ensure that Formula One survives the 'credit crunch', Ecclestone has suggested that teams be given a set of tightly-controlled regulations in which to design their engines, which would be required to last for at least half a season.
The
F1 supremo claims that such a move would reduce spending on engines by up to 90 per cent within two years, but the switch of philosophy would ride roughshod over the current 'engine freeze', which is due to continue for another three years. According to Britain's
Times newspaper, Ecclestone's proposals would see one standard engine specification, meaning that each manufacturer would be allowed to build the powerplant, but it would be the same as any other in the pit-lane, with only badging to differentiate the units. Teams without manufacturer support would be able to get their hands on the same engine 'through an independent contractor'.
“The thing I am most excited about is pushing and pushing and pushing the homologated engine idea,” Ecclestone said on the eve of the Japanese GP weekend, “The new engine will be equalised and there will only be two engine changes a year, so costs are going to dramatically come down - and I mean dramatically.”
Asked whether they were in favour of adopting such a radical proposal, even if it meant containing the runaway cost of competing in the top flight, however, three team bosses appeared less than convinced that it was right for
Formula One.
"I don't think there has been any discussion between the FIA and teams of a spec engine,"
Toyota's John Howett told journalists at Fuji, "There's a lot of speculation and there's been, I think, some allusions in the press releases towards that.
