F1 teams are all talk says Todt

FIA President Jean Todt has challenged Formula One team principals to act on the talk regarding handing over power to Formula One management and the FIA.

Formula One politics has become so entrenched in the sport that the off field talking points have often overshadowed the on the track action.

The sport has evolved over the years and turned itself into a convoluted motorsport series with an identity crisis.

It has become so expensive to compete in that with the exception of the elite, other teams struggle to remain competitive or even take part.

With the competitors writing the regulations it has now also become a power game, with the teams who currently hold the advantage holding all the power as their position becomes increasingly harder to challenge.

This leaves the other teams with little chance of competing and so even the elite consider their future.

The F1 Strategy Group continue to discuss what is best for Formula One, but with all the participants holding out for their own personal agenda’s nothing of note is ever agreed.

The most notable changes that the F1 Strategy Group has agreed have been permanent driver numbers and preventing drivers change the design of their helmets from week-to-week.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner as often said that the decision making and regulations should be taken out of the hands of the teams and given to Formula One Management and the FIA.

Following the Austrian Grand Prix and the Red Bull Ring Horner said: ‘I keep saying it needs the commercial rights holder and the governing body to decide what they want Formula 1 to be and then put it on the table to the teams and say ?this is what we want the product to be, these are the rules, there is the entry form’

Whilst no other team bosses have come out and agreed with Horner, there is a large section of the sports spectators that would agree with Horner.

If the future of Formula One was the priority for everyone, most would probably agree, but Todt believes that without action the comments are irrelevant.

‘I would say that for me it is words, they are making a big story about the Strategy Group and I have read that quite often it should be FIA or FOM to decide. Todt told motorsport.com.

‘Again I am quite happy to sit with Bernie [Ecclestone] and to decide what could be good for the sport, but again we need to be sure that it is good for the sport.

‘But believe me; those who claim that they should be involved and that it should be FIA and the commercial rights holder to decide, they will be the first to shout and saying ‘they are not following the right governance. They did not consult us’. So there is a way to do that.

‘If they keep saying that it should be us to decide, then I should ask for an official mandate. I will have that in writing. So okay, if they want it, give us an official mandate and then we will see how they react. It is a lot of talking.’