F1: BMW Boss Pans Customer-Car Rules

[Plex]

The new regulations allowing �customer� cars in Formula 1 from 2008 onwards will be a liability to the sport, according to BMW�s motorsport director Mario Theissen.

As of now, F1 teams are mandated to design and build their own chassis � a rule which the Super Aguri and Toro Rosso teams intend to bypass already for 2007. But beginning in �08, the purchase of chassis will be fully legal, a move that Theissen opposes.

"I don't think it is good to sell chassis to a second team,� he told autosport.com. "The original idea was to help smaller teams to become competitive in F1, that is a good approach and certainly it would help them if they can buy a chassis and not need to employ 300 people to design and build it.

"[But] as soon as such a rule comes in, I think the attitude of the independent teams will change. Today we have independent teams who want to be competitive, who see themselves as one of 12 teams on the grid who fight for their own success.

"With the chassis sale [allowed], I think we will very soon have six plus six teams - or six programs with four cars each,� he continued, referring to the six manufacturer-backed teams currently competing in F1 (Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, Toyota, Honda and BMW Sauber). �And there will be so-called independent teams who offer their services to the big teams in order to get chassis for free. One has to think about whether that is good for F1. I would prefer having 12 teams, two cars each, everyone fighting for their own destiny and success.

"My fear is that there will be independent teams in the future who are not independent. I think every manufacturer would certainly think about having a second team, but it would lead to a situation of one team controlling four cars - and maybe using three cars to support the top driver.

"This is a really serious issue," he concluded. "Having just four or five big players controlling the grid in our view would not be F1 any more."

Source: http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/34586/

[worksux101]

Disagree, because as long as i can remember that's how F1 has been..the top teams...the mid teams...the bottom teams...
Each fighting their own battles...each doing their best...
In trying to cut the 'customers'...you're going to raise the budget and as a result going to cut the number of teams...that is NOT what F1 needs right now, especially with the slowing down of cars as will come with the suggested new rules and regs...

In terms of the spectator point of view...this is what has kept F1 racing exciting over the years...if there isn't end ot end action between ferrari and mclaren, its between BAR and Toyota...and if its not there either...its between Minardi and Jaguar....you get the point....
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