Most stock car races follow standard NASCAR qualifying to set their field of cars, but when you’re the richest prize and biggest fame race like the Daytona 500, you can do things your own way……

the simple answers are normally the best. therefore, as has been said above:

1) manufacturers can spend what they want on engine development but must make the same current engine available for $5m a piece (or whatever) to the independants. this will dissuade them from throwing too much money at it.

2) open up the tight restrictions (which Max has now admitted have been the cause of the spiralling budget, with teams chasing the smallest incremental gains) and use a fixed and limited amount of fuel per race. do with it what you like. how great would it be to see various size V8s, V10′s, V10′s, 4cyl turbos etc all battling it out.

as well as saving money, you get a genuine economy race instead of the green farce that is KERS.

Then if Ferrari produce an engine that costs 2-3M a piece and most of the field “claim” it for 930K then they will lose tons of cash.

secondly, if Cosworth does supply an engine, perhaps that should be used as a building block rather than the finished article, and whatever efficiencies or improvements the teams can make, they can claim its their engine expertise that is doing it. This allows the engineers to play with the cool bits, but the boring stuff like engine blocks, crankshafts etc are all standard. This will mean teams can buy the cheap engine and tune it to suit.

I also particularly like the idea that if any team has a breakthrough they have to offer it for sale next year at a capped amount – isnt there a racing series where you have to sell your car to another competitor if they make you a sensible offer?

They could have tendered for the contract but of course the likes of Mercedes would never have gone for it. Much like Ferrari definitely wouldn’t if a the standardised engine was Mercedes built..

So Cosworth is surely the best compromise out there? A mass of experience and knowledge in F1. Proven skill and reliability. Used by a long list of teams over the years. Using a Cosworth engine wouldn’t taint the Ferrari image or better anyone elses on the grid.

Standardised engines is undoubtedly a temporary solution to a financial problem. Once the global economy is healthy again in maybe 5 years time and F1 has 12 teams you can be sure the likes of Ferrari will be first in line to build their own engines again.

As someone who lives in Canada, I find it galling that Bernie Ecclestone can try to extort more money from promoters to hold the Canadian Grand Prix, and then Max Mosley complains that the teams costs are too high.

The withdrawl of sponsors due to a global recession will eventually force teams to cut costs or perish.

How are you going to measure power? Obviously on a Dyno but at what revs? Or are you going to take an integral of the whole area under the line? Will torque be limited as well? If so at what revs? Or again is it to be an integral?

Better to ban re-fuelling then a choice would need to be made between range and speed. KERS could obviously extend range.

Or you may translate it to your road cars…. or people may believe you do…

Perception is all….

But heaven forbid that you fall behind a team with a standard engine….

Interesting times… and, we hope, the return of the non manufacturer “privateer”….

Much more fun…