Honda, Toyota make quit threat
Honda and Toyota have threatened to withdraw from Formula 1 over
the FIAs handling of plans to freeze engine development from
2008, according to a report in this weeks Autosport.
The Japanese manufacturers have always been among those most
sceptical about the engine freeze concept, claiming that it will
erode F1s appeal as a technological proving ground.
But it now seems the stakes have been raised amid confusion over
the deadline for submitting engine specifications for homologation
by the governing body.
Teams were originally required to lodge their designs by May 31,
after which only minor FIA-approved modifications (deemed necessary
for cost or reliability, rather than performance, reasons) would be
allowed through to the end of 2010.
However, according to Autosport, the FIA has since issued two
directives stipulating different homologation deadlines.
The most recent of these, issued on June 1, asked the manufacturers
to submit engines following either the Monaco Grand Prix or this
weekends British GP, depending on where they were in their
two-race cycle.
Honda team boss Nick Fry told the magazine that his companys
participation in the 2008 world championship could not be taken for
granted.
The message that we and other manufacturers would convey is that
while we have submitted entries for the 2008 championship, there
are still no guarantees that we will be there, Fry said.
We are not compelled to be in Formula 1.
Most car manufacturers do other things, whether its rallying, DTM
or whatever.
F1 is important to us, but the world will not come to an end if we
stop doing it.
People need to understand that.
Toyota is believed to share the view of its Japanese arch-rival,
and has stated before that it will not commit to F1 long-term
unless certain core values remain.
However, FIA president Max Mosley made it clear only this week that
he is not prepared to back down over the engine freeze scheme and
that he wants homologation to proceed as a matter of urgency.
At the moment [the engines] are all on more or less the same
level, he said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport published
by the FIA on Wednesday.
Therefore we have to freeze them as quickly as possible.
If we give them time, than the people with a lot of money will
have the opportunity to pull out a bit of a lead.