FIA president Jean Todt has called the decision to switch to V6-hyrbid engines “one of the few sensible” ideas Formula 1 has made in recent times.
That’s despite the cost of customer engine supply rising from around £10 million ($16m) to more than double at £22m ($33m), which several in the sport have blamed for the current financial crisis which has struck a number of teams including Caterham and Marussia.
Todt though says struggling teams have always been a part of F1, therefore a change to the engines rules to make them cheaper isn’t the answer.
“I am not happy for Marussia and Caterham and I sympathize with them, but it has always happened,” he told the New York Times.
“I feel it [hybrid engines] is one of the few sensible decisions which has been taken over the last period,” argued the Frenchman.
“F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, so we must be an example to society. It is not all happening in a kind of closed golden-gated community where nothing is happening on the other side of the world.”
He’s confident the shrinking grid will be boosted with the arrival of Haas and potentially “one or two” new teams when a new tender is issued.
“In 2016 we have a new team coming and we may make a tender again for one or two [new] teams to encourage teams. And try to reduce the costs.”
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