F1 Wars: Max Mosley versus Luca Di Montezemolo

'Change is the only Constant'. This statement may well be a tired cliche, but nothing defines Formula One better than this one line.

Standing still is the same as moving backward - just look at McLaren Mercedes in Spain this weekend for proof. At Bahrain two weeks ago, it's fairly safe to say they were a top five team. Yesterday, they were in the bottom 3. All because they didn't bring updates to their car for a fortnight. 

In just six years, we've seen sweeping rule changes in Formula 1 overhaul the qualifying format, the engine specifications, the aerodynamic standards, the regulation tyres, the point scoring system, and not to mention, the introduction of KERS. But now, is the FIA, spearheaded by Max Mosley, finally going too far?

One radical suggestion for next year is a 'Winner Takes All' system which would award a driver the championship based on number of wins rather than points. This is a huge change that would seriously undermine the current system that rewards drivers for both consistency as well as wins. 

But even this change is overshadowed by the $60 million(ish) cap that Mosley is pushing for next year, that would allow teams to pick whether they wish to abide by the small budget. Those that agree will face much fewer technical restrictions while those that don't will have to run under much stricter engineering restrictions. Essentially, the system would end up creating a two-tiered format of the sport, and the teams running on a budget would almost certainly be faster because of the technical freedom they have available. 

Now, while the objective of cutting operational costs is a perfectly acceptable one, and something that all teams openly support, the manner in which Mosley is trying to achieve this is appalling. The new suggestions totally subvert the reasons why manufacturer teams participate in formula one, and while FIA must try and make the sport accessible to small budget teams, doing this at the expense of the big teams is plain stupid.

Another of the rule changes proposed for next year disallows mid-race refuelling in order to "save the costs of transporting the refueling equipment across races". No refuelling? That's almost blasphemous, considering pit strategies are a defining feature of formula one races. 

Luca Di Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, has taken the fight to FIA, actually threatening to leave the sport altogether if such unreasonable regulations are implemented in such an unreasonable timeframe. His opinions are echoed by Toyota, and to a lesser extent, McLaren, BMW, Renault and Williams. 

Both teams and fans have been (hesitatingly) accepting of the recent changes the Formula One administration has implemented, but the administration is trying to take a foot where the teams are offering an inch, and this must stop.

Max - Don't alienate F1 fans with preposterous changes that rip apart the very fabric of the sport and the features that define it.