Todt firm on 2013 turbos
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| Todt (L) talks to Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali about 2013 rules |
(GMM) Jean Todt on Sunday insisted F1 will not be repealing its four-cylinder engine rules for 2013.
Amid the powerful opposition of Bernie Ecclestone and Ferrari, the FIA president told reporters in Turkey that the regulations were rubber-stamped unanimously by the World Motor Sport Council.
F1 chief executive Ecclestone, however, has grave fears, admitting he is worried F1 could sound like the piddling GP3 cars if the sport follows through its 'green' agenda.
Todt said the only way the incoming rules could be scrapped is if "dramatic evidence" is brought forward at the next FIA meeting.
"At the moment there is no reason to reconsider it," the Frenchman insisted.
Ecclestone meanwhile denied he is at loggerheads with Todt but issued a backhanded compliment when considering the FIA chief's rise through the ranks from Peugeot in rallying to the top job at Ferrari.
"I was the one who took him out of Peugeot and put him in Ferrari," said the Briton. "We have a very good relationship."
05/08/11 FIA president Jean Todt has stonewalled suggestions that the small capacity turbo engines due for introduction to F1 in 2013 are in any way open to negotiation.
Recent opposition to the new engines has come from Bernie Ecclestone, Ferrari is understood not to be keen and the issue is expected to become a key point in the inevitable politicking over F1's future direction ahead of any new Concorde Agreement relating to 2013 on.
Speaking in Istanbul, Todt insisted that the engine rules are set in stone and non-negotiable. "You are making a confusion — it is nothing to do with the commercial rights holder," he said.
The FIA president went on to explain that both Ecclestone and Ferrari have been involved in voting through the new engine regulation.
"The engine working group (the FIA's technical people and one representative of each engine supplier from the present time and potential participants) came with a proposal for 2013, presented it to me, I made some comments and they unanimously proposed it.
"The next step was to vote it through the FIA World Council. Who is part of that? We have 26 members and among them is one representative of the oldest team, which is Ferrari, and a representative of the commercial rights holder, which is Bernie Ecclestone. I repeat, it was unanimously agreed, so in 2013 we have the introduction of the new engine."