F1: Lost In The (Red) Mist: The More Sensible FIA Proposal

Since yesterday's statement from the FIA World Motor Sport Council relating to the changes Formula One will encounter in the next two years, most of the attention has been focused on the new "winner-takes-all" points system and the question of a $42 million-per-team budget cap, to be imposed on a voluntary basis from 2010.

Perhaps more interesting is a detail of Formula One's new face missed by many pundits, who are currently wrangling over whether the new points system is worthwhile and if capping the budgets of only some of the teams will be workable.

In a "Q&A" style statement supplied to the media by the FIA, President Max Mosley told the press: "We are going to ask the World Motor Sport Council to agree to increase the number of teams allowed to participate (currently 12) provided the Safety Commission is satisfied that circuit safety has progressed to the point where this would pose no safety problem."

This is an incredible statement. Why the current limit on the number of F1 teams was set to 12 in the first place was never clear. Especially when circuits had quite adequately coped with grids of as many as 26 cars (with many others failing to qualify and pre-qualify) up until the mid-1990s.

The only exception was Monaco, where for many years only 20 cars were allowed to compete on race day.

But Mosley has long been a supporter of the 12-team limit. Most notably in 2006 when canvassing for a new team to join the grid for the 2008 season.

Despite a large number of applications, the number of permitted teams was not increased and only one additional entry was granted—to Prodrive, who failed to secure a chassis in time for the season and ultimately had to withdraw from F1 without contesting a Grand Prix.

The new emphasis on cost cutting and racing for cheap certainly means that the number of privateers keen to enter F1 is bound to increase. It is surprising, however, that Mosley is prepared to allow perhaps several of them into F1, as long as "they have a source for an engine and transmission," he said yesterday.

Allowing more teams to enter F1 is sensible because of the number of young drivers seeking a seat in top-level motorsport.

There is only one rookie in the F1 field in 2009—Swiss youngster Sebastien Buemi, driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

There are several other promising talents, including Renault tester Romain Grosjean and Brawn hopeful Bruno Senna.  Grosjean and Senna have had to wait on the sidelines this season as their respective teams have opted for "safer hands" in more experienced drivers.

Furthermore, an increased field means that more teams are likely to be competitive. Especially in the new era of cost-saving and increasing standardization, so it will be easier for new stars to emerge.

Bernie Ecclestone, too, is in support of permitting more entries to F1: "I want to see pre-qualifying again. I want 26 people on the grid, of which 16 are competitive," he said at a press conference today.

The ultimate decision will rest with the FIA Safety Commission, but the one bright spot amongst yesterday's announcements appears to be that we could be seeing more cars competing in F1 in future.