F1 might benefit from FIA intervention - Mosley

F1 might benefit from the greater involvement of FIA president Jean Todt.

That is the view of Max Mosley, Todt’s immediate predecessor at the head of formula one’s governing body.

While Frenchman Todt keeps a low profile, some insiders now look back fondly to the more turbulent Mosley-led days, predicting that the now 75-year-old Briton would have fiercely intervened in order to sort F1’s current problems.

Others think the problem is more generational, with the 84-year-old F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone no longer suited to his top job.

"I’m not sure if we need a generational change at the top of F1," Mosley told the Italian broadcaster Sky.

"Bernie does a great job at least from a financial point of view, but I do believe the basic structure of F1 is wrong, with the top teams very rich and the others in distress and yet they are forced to find shared solutions.

"But Bernie is unable to mediate by himself and, personally, I think the Federation (FIA) should intervene," said Mosley.

"Perhaps Jean Todt thinks they should solve the problems amongst themselves," he added.

"I think Jean is doing a great job in terms of road safety," Mosley continued. "I have not spoken to him recently, but I think he is concentrating more on that than on F1.

"I understand his point of view," he added. "He regards the team principals as adults, with Ecclestone in charge and able to solve their problems without interference.

"I thought differently, but I cannot say that he is wrong," Mosley said.

As for the sport’s problems now, Mosley refuses to blame the often maligned ’power unit’ regulations but thinks basic errors were made in the implementation of the new era.

"I agree with the hybrids in F1," said the Briton, "but I think the fundamental error was to not put a cap on spending."

Mosley said manufacturers should be forced by regulation to supply their engines to teams for "3 to 4 million euros per year".

"That is already a lot of money," he said, "and if you are not willing to do that then you should not have access to F1.

"The mistake was to allow manufacturers to offload the costs of the research and development of these engines to the small teams, because those costs will be amortised with the transfer to road car production," Mosley argued.