Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has warned that spending in Formula 1 cannot continue at current rates and says claims a budget cap can't be enforced are "nonsense".
There have been several attempts to introduce a cost cap, but all have failed, with the top teams staunchly against the idea.
When former FIA president Max Mosley attempted to introduce a $100 million spending cap in 2009, it led to the top teams to threaten to start a breakaway series. The FIA backed down and the idea was scrapped.
Warnings that such a cap couldn't be policed by the FIA have been rubbished by Tost who is firmly in favour of reducing costs.
"We need to reduce the costs," he told the Tiroler Tageszeitung publication. "It shouldn't be that a team spends €450 million a year. On the other hand, we bargain for a few cents when it comes to road cars.
"Even the manufacturers cannot accept sums like this forever. It's not feasible. We spend way too much money in F1."
Tost suggests the FIA could quite easily keep track of who has spent what if it takes a tough stance on the matter.
"Give each team, for example, €150 million with the FIA watching over it. The big teams will cry foul that there is no way to control costs but this is nonsense. Over at Toro Rosso, I know how much each screw costs.
"Many claim you cannot control development, that's nonsense as well. If somebody didn't want to publish their expenditures, it could be pretty easy, then the FIA could charge this team twice the average price of the part in question. And then you'll see how fast all invoices would be filed with the FIA."
Discussion about this post