Mixed reaction from Teams

By Andrew Hooper
October 9 2002


	Mixed reaction by teams

	With the domination of the 2002 Formula One season there have been calls from various quarters for the FIA, Motor racing's governing body, to take some action to ensure that the sport does not lose its appeal. It has been reported that the FIA has put forward a proposal to handicap successful teams with a weight penalty, to ensure that no one team can dominate the racing. Under the new proposal, a driver will receive a kilogram of extra ballast for every championship point he scores. FIA's President Max Mosley said: "There is widespread agreement that we need to do something. There is no doubt that handicapping runs counter to the traditions if Formula 1, but sometimes you find yourself in a position where you can keep your traditions but no one cares because they are not watching." For Formula One's boss Bernie Ecclestone he has watched a viewing figures for this years championship have dropped. He too agrees that something needs to be done in the best interest of the sport. Ecclestone said: "If Michael runs away with things in the first two or three races next year, we have to be prepared to do something to protect the sport. We are not trying to penalise anyone, we are just trying to bring closer racing to Formula 1." The document circulated to the teams also includes proposals to change qualifying to four 30-minute sessions held over Friday and Saturday with aggregate times deciding grid positions, aerodynamics to be fixed at the start of the season and only one changed allowed per season, and for testing to be severely restricted One team owner who has indicated he support for the weight penalty proposal has been Eddie Jordan. Jordan said to the BBC: "I think it is an excellent, proven, guaranteed way of levelling out the field." Even though he sees merit in the idea Jordan knows that the other teams will not support such a move. Jordan added: "One of the reasons that Bernie Ecclestone has headlined the weight penalty is that it is very easy to put in place and manage and have regulations controlling it," Jordan said. "The teams would never agree to it en masse so he has to be quite tough and draconian and put in something that he firmly believes will put F1 back to the footing it had. "We need a very exciting championship that is TV-pleasant to everybody." But just as quickly representatives from WilliamsF1, McLaren and Ferrari all came out against such a proposal. WilliamsF1 Technical Director Patrick Head said: "I find the suggestion of adding ballast to anyone's car distasteful. Will Arsenal have to field nine men when they play Chelsea - or Pete Sampras have two strings cut from his racket when he meets Tim Henman? "It is just a knee-jerk reaction because Ferrari have been so dominant. But it is up to the other teams to overtake them and that is something we feel we are more than capable of doing." McLaren managing director Martin Whitmarsh added: "We will not sign up to any handicapping. Ferrari have done a fantastic job and we and Williams have under-performed. It's up to us to put that right." Ferrari president Luca di Montezmolo, whose team clearly has the most to lose from such a move, warned that "F1 is not a gymkhana".